NBA Rumor Mill: Rubio Not Down with OKC or Memphis, LeBron Wants Sasha in Rotation & Bulls Aim to Keep Gordon

Let's face it, the officiating crews in the Playoffs couldn't be any worse if Helen Keller, Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder all came together and ran the show. At least it'd more entertaining and less frustrating. So while you're throwing your controlled over the next weak call, we're making sure you get all you need to know about the rumors going on in the Association. Rubio Objects to Playing for Thunder or GrizzliesThere's always a bit of risk when drafting a foreign player, especially one that knows he has leverage against you to work with. If the rumor from Draftexpress.com is true, Rubio may be pulling an a Spanish version of Steve Francis proportions. Allegedly, Ricky Rubio's camp is letting teams know that he's not interested in playing the point in Memphis. "Rubio doesn't want to go to Memphis, and he especially does not want to pay money out of his own pocket with that huge buyout for the honor of doing so. Fegan [Rubio's agent] wants him in L.A., and if he can't have him there, he wants him in Sacramento. Definitely not Oklahoma City." Blake Griffin and Hasheem Thabeet are stuck, I mean blessed, to be playing for whatever team wants them., Rubio, however, can always stay in Spain if he doesn't like his situation. "He'll pull out if he doesn't like what he's hearing," an NBA source told Draftexpress.com. "Or he can stay in and force the Grizzlies to call his bluff -- would they really take him knowing that he may never come over? That's one way to get him to fall to three."It's understandable why Rubio wouldn't want to play for Memphis, but Oklahoma City is actually an attractive venue to start his NBA career. With Kevin Durant, Jeff Green a move of Russell Westbrook to the 2 and Rubio running the show, the Thunder would have a young and dynamic nucleus. Plus, the Thunder have a good fan base going into their second season. Now's not the time to be a prima donna, no matter how good Ricky is. He's not going to L.A. unless another team offers a trade to move up and grab Blake Griffin.What LeBron Wants, LeBron Gets... Even Playing Time for PavlovicWhen you're the NBA MVP, you can pretty much get whatever you want. LeBron James wants to see Sasha Pavlovic get more playing time in the Playoffs, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer. James suggested Head Coach Mike Brown let Pavlovic get some run. "I think Sasha can be huge for us," James said. "Mentally, if Sasha's in tune, he could be really good for us with his 6-7 or 6-8, 240-pound frame, he could really help us on the defensive end, and he's also an offensive threat. You just cannot leave him open on the offensive end because he can make shots. Mentally, if Sasha's in tune, which I think he can be, and if he's called upon, I think he can be really good for us. We need that type of active body on the defensive end who can take a little bit of the load of myself and Delonte. Mike Brown seems ready to oblige on James' request, not a surprise if you consider that James' play has helped Mike Brown win Coach of the Year this season and preserve his job. "We could use him [Pavlovic] out there." Said Brown, "Sasha is a guy we may consider."Bulls Want To Bring Gordon BackThe only better question than whether there is a shot Ben Gordon can't hit is if he will re-sign with the Chicago Bulls after a great Playoff performance. If Chicago gets their way, the answer will be yes. Gar Forman, the newly appointed Bulls' General Manager made it very clear to that they want Gordon back on the team, according to SLAMonline.com.'We like Ben,' Forman said. 'He's our kind of guy. He's got great makeup and character, a great work ethic. Our goal is to re-sign Ben Gordon. In the conversations we've had, I think Ben wants to stay here in Chicago.'"But how much will Gordon be asking for? Let's not forget that he turned down a five-year, $50 million dollar contract in 2007, which still is unbelievable to me. Now that he was so big for the Bulls in the Playoffs, he is going to demand far more than the near $6.5 million he got this season. Good luck with that, Chicago. You're going to have to move some pieces eventually.