The Hawks mentioned impending free agents Chris Paul and Dwight Howard by name in a recent letter to prospective ticket buyers.

Someone is going to get fired over this possible violation of the NBA's tampering policy. Paul and Howard are still property of their respective teams until July 1. "The buzz around our offseason is more than heating up," read the letter. "With massive cap space, 4 draft picks, and free agency rapidly approaching, we sit in the best position in the NBA. Player interest is skyrocketing as the possibilities of landing Chris Paul & Dwight Howard become more and more of a reality. ... This is your opportunity to get on board before its (sic) too late. Once we solidify our signings there will be no seats left."

The Clippers' pursuit of Jeff Van Gundy has stalled, according to Yahoo! Sports, but Lionel Hollins contacted the Clips on Monday to express his interest in the job.

Hollins said early on Monday he wants to stay in Memphis and was shocked that the team gave him permission to speak with other teams, but it didn't take him long to reach out to L.A. Byron Scott, Alvin Gentry and George Karl have also been mentioned as possible replacements for Vinny Del Negro, though there are no indications that Karl will leave Denver this summer.

The Clippers say the decision to part ways with Vinny Del Negro was an "organizational decision" and not done at the request of Chris Paul.

The Paul/Del Negro story has gone from ugly to embarrassing in roughly 24 hours. At first, Paul was reportedly angry at the club because he was being blamed for Del Negro's dismissal after owner Donald Sterling made inflammatory comments about appeasing players. A source later told ESPN that Paul actually refused to get involved in the Clippers' decision-making process, which led to the vice president of basketball ops coming out and saying Paul was not involved in the decision. Paul, who will be a free agent July1, is still expected to re-sign with the Clippers, but this fiasco certainly isn't helping his or the team's public image.

ESPN's Chris Broussard says the Hawks could potentially try to acquire both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in free agency.

With Josh Smith's contract expiring, the Hawks have enough cap room to offer two max deals. Howard has seemed wary of going back to his hometown in the past, but perhaps a chance to pair with Paul would change his mind. CP3 is reportedly upset with the Clippers right now after they threw him under the bus for the Vinny Del Negro firing. Free agency opens on July 1.

Mark Cuban is hoping to sign either Chris Paul or Dwight Howard in free agency.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the hope is that Cuban can land one "transformational player" after striking out in free agency last season. It's possible that one of the two winds up in Dallas, but right now the Clippers remain the frontrunner for Chris Paul and the Howard chase appears to be most seriously between the Lakers and Rockets.

Despite Clippers owner Donald Sterling essentially admitting that the team fired Vinny Del Negro to keep Chris Paul happy, a source told ESPN's Chris Broussard that Paul "refused to get involved in the Clippers' coaching situation."

Things are really a mess with the Clippers right now as more ugly details begin to leak. Sterling admitted that the NBA was a player's league and you had to do things to keep them happy earlier after describing the firing of Del Negro, but a source close to Chris Paul told Broussard that CP3 made it "abundantly clear to the Clippers that he did not want to be involved in any decision about Vinny's future." Broussard also reports that Del Negro privately believes Paul is the reason he was fired, and apparently the front office "was at odds with Del Negro for much of the season." Whether it was a front office decision, a Chris Paul decision or a combination of the two, nothing changes the fact that Del Negro is gone and the Clippers now have a peeved star free agent on their hands, and while we still think Paul stays in Los Angeles, things just got a lot more interesting.

Chris Paul is "angry" with the Clippers because he being blamed for firing of Vinny Del Negro, according to ESPN.com.

Owner Donald Sterling stirred the pot a bit and probably could have handled an interview from last week a little better when asked about how Chris Paul affected the decision of firing Del Negro. "I always want to be honest and not say anything that is not true," Sterling said when asked about hanging onto Paul. "So I'd rather not say anything." CP3 is a free agent, so if the report is true, then the team could be hurt in trying to bring him back. More details should emerge on Friday.

Mark Cuban admitted that the Mavericks are "not in a position" to sign two premier free agents during the offseason.

The question was asked in reference to the team's ability to sign Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, but it appears as if Cuban is being realistic in his approach. "I don't see a menage a trois happening in the future," he said. "We're not in a position where we could pull it off." The Mavericks appear to be making Howard their primary target in free agency over Paul.

The Clippers will interview Warriors assistant Mike Malone soon, according to USA Today's Sam Amick.

One of the reasons for the Clippers' interest in Malone is his connection to Chris Paul, who the franchise desperately wants to re-sign this summer. Malone was an assistant on Monty Williams' staff in New Orleans and CP3 often speaks fondly of his time with Williams. The Clippers are also reportedly interested in Alvin Gentry, Nate McMillan and Byron Scott, with Lionel Hollins, Jeff Van Gundy and Brian Shaw possibly in the mix, too.

Alvin Gentry, Nate McMillan and Byron Scott have emerged as candidates for the Clippers coaching vacancy.

Mike Malone, Lionel Hollins, Jeff Van Gundy and Brian Shaw could also be in the mix to take over. The Clippers seem to be taking their time more than their competitors and might not have a coach in place in the near future.