Now that we are at DEFCON 1 with the NBA lockout, a lot of NBA players are having second thoughts about plans to play overseas. Players and agents are looking. With rosters largely full around the globe most players are not going to like what they see. That said, we are tracking the rumors for you. Because we care.
• Dwight Howard to Real Madrid? Up to now Howard has shot down all suggestions he is is planning to go overseas, so are a long way from that happening. But the Spanish League powerhouse has to do something to counter the possibility that Barcelona could land both Pau and Marc Gasol. So Madrid thinking big according to AS Sports (via Blazers Edge). Madrid would like to land both Howard and Blazers big man LaMarcus Aldridge (but think Aldridge might be the better fit). Again, this is all a bit of a longshot, but Madrid is going to go after some big names. They already have Serge Ibaka, Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez on the team.
• It looks like Argentinian big man Luis Scola will be going to Spain, signing with Caja Laboral (according to our guys at Sportando). Guys who have already played in Europe make better fits to go back, and Scola is one of them
• Tiago Splitter was rumored to return to Spain to play for Unicaja Malaga, but now it looks like Valencia is in the lead for his services.
• Linas Kleiza is “on the verge” of joining Lietuvos Rytas in Lithuania, reports lithuaniabasketball.com.
• Qingdao Double Star of the Chinese league let go of Jarron Collins to make way for Lester Hudson.