NBA

The procedure called for ultrasound wavelengths to "debride degenerated tissue of his patellar tendons," and the next step will be to receive "autologous stem-cell injections next week to stimulate regeneration of the tissue." After missing eight games with tendinitis in the knees, Gasol is hopeful this will allow him to return to full strength before the start of next season.

Gasol will apparently receive stem cell injections in the knees next week to stimulate regeneration of the tissue the FAST procedure treated. A 12-week timetable would put Gasol back on the court sometime during early August, which means he'll have plenty of time to get in shape for training camp. Of course, which team's camp that will be remains a mystery at this point.

This comes as expected. Gasol will now rehab and rest his knees as he prepares for next season, but it's still to be determined if that will be with the Lakers.

Cleveland is putting a renewed focus on improving on the defensive end of the floor as well as developing their youngsters the right way, so this is a logical next step after the hiring of Mike Brown. Brown is also familiar with Handy from their days together with the Lakers since Brown is the one who hired him, so Handy could very well be hired by the Cavs.

The Zen Master recently turned down a coaching job with the Nets and reportedly is in "listen mode" at this point. If he returns, Jackson is reportedly looking for a Pat Riley-type role overseeing a team's basketball operations department. The Raptors have been prominently linked to Jackson ever since Leiweke was hired as the new president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and the fit makes a ton of sense if Jackson wouldn't mind taking over a franchise that has cap issues and probably needs a serious overhaul, which has never really been Jackson's M.O. At this point, only time (and dollars) will tell.

Gasol, who suffers from tendonosis in both knees, will go through a procedure called FAST Technique, which uses an ultrasonic energy probe to treat the scar tissue. The procedure doesn't sound serious and it's unlikely this will affect Gasol's ability to be ready for training camp. The Lakers said they won't know a timetable for Gasol's return until after the procedure is completed.

In other words, it would take the perfect roster for Jackson to even consider a return to the sidelines. ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne reports that if Jackson "doesn't have influence over (a) franchise, Phil might just stay retired for now," according to a source. Jackson is in "listen mode, not looking mode," and Shelburne adds that Jackson's conversations with the Nets were "very limited" and he was not interested in the role they presented.