The San Antonio Spurs' victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 1 on Sunday drew a 3.9 overnight rating on ABC Sunday afternoon. That is down 41 percent from the Miami Heat/Boston Celtics Game 1 on ESPN last season and down 26 percent from the Oklahoma City Thunder/Dallas Mavericks Game 1 on ESPN in 2011. The game ranks as the lowest rated conference final opener since 2007 when the Cleveland Cavaliers/Detroit Pistons drew a 3.5 on TNT. San Antonio is the 36th larget market, while Memphis ranks 49th. The NBA hopes to soon negotiate new television contracts with their national partners. While the league is generally seen to be on the rise, the new collective bargaining agreement favors parity and incoming commissioner, Adam Silver, has made it an expected touchstone of his regime to continue that trend.

Masai Ujiri has been identified as the Toronto Raptors' top target to replace Bryan Colangelo as general manager. The Raptors could offer Ujiri a salary in excess of $2 million to leave the Denver Nuggets. Ujiri is reportedly earning approximately $500,000 in the final season of his contract with the Nuggets. The Nuggets, however, are confident that they will be able to retain Ujiri.

The Los Angeles Clippers are interested in signing David West this offseason. The Clippers will have to entice West with the $5.15 million midlevel exception available to teams that are non-taxpayers. West played with Chris Paul as members of the New Orleans Hornets. The Indiana Pacers will be able to pay West more money to re-sign.

Iman Shumpert will play in the Vegas Summer League this offseason for the first time. Shumpert missed last season due to rehab for his torn ACL, while the lockout cancelled the Summer League during his rookie season. “They want to see me be more decisive offensively, which I already knew, but that would be big for me to work on this summer…and come in for training camp ready to do that,” Shumpert said.

Carmelo Anthony would like the New York Knicks to re-sign J.R. Smith this offseason. “Without a doubt,” Anthony said Monday when asked about Smith. “J.R. is a special player. To me, and to everybody on this team, he’s made a huge step forward as a basketball player. We look forward to that, for him to come out and be focused, the way he was focused this season, win the Sixth Man of the Year, help us to win another division title, helping us to win 50-plus games. He was a big help to this team and I definitely would love him back here.” The Knicks could be trumped by a rival team with more cap space since they can only offer the early Bird exception beginning at $4.9 million per season.

A death threat was made against Tony Parker with five minutes left in the San Antonio Spurs' win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday in Game 1. The Bexar County Sheriff is investigating a 911 call played on Sunday in which threatened Parker. Security was immediately increased but it was determined there was no immediate threat. Parker was escorted to his home by deputies.

Damian Lillard is being accused of standing by while his entourage beat up two brothers in Portland's Old Town district on Saturday morning. Jermaine Ulinwa said that he took a photo of Lillard with his cell phone after he spotted him walking toward a parking lot. “So I took a picture. And so Damian Lillard was upset that I took his picture, so when he turned around he's like, "Did you just take my picture?" said Ulinwa. “And his entourage just turned around too and they're like, ‘did you just take a picture of Damian Lillard?’ ... and I said 'Yeah, I did.' And so I saw that he was clearly upset, they were upset and I was like, 'Can I apologize to him? I'll go up right now and apologize to him,'” the brother said. Philip Ulinwa says he was punched and kicked repeatedly, enough to break his nose and require stitches in his lip. "I'm getting hit from behind, I'm trying to fight the guy in front, trying to defend myself and there's guys trying to hold me down," said Ulinwa.  Lillard was recently named the 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year. “Damian Lillard basically instigated it, because he actually looked like he was going to go up to my brother and start fighting him. And since he did that, the rest of the guys started getting riled up too and like they thought it was okay to just start fighting out of nowhere,” said Phil Ulinwa. Police confirmed they are investigating the incident. “What we do know for certain at this point is Damian Lillard is not a suspect in this incident at all," said Portland Police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson. "Police did talk to him there. He remained at the scene. What we don’t know is if these people were actually associated with him or people standing in a group or hangers on. We're not really sure yet." 

The Houston Rockets have emerged as an attractive free agent possibility for Dwight Howard, according to sources. Howard became familiar with the area after spending part of two summers ago working with Hakeem Olajuwon. Howard is also intrigued by the possibility of playing with James Harden. Howard will engage in the free agency process and is expected to hear pitches from the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks and the Rockets.

Dwight Howard expressed to Mitch Kupchak during his exit interview that he was frustrated by how Mike D'Antoni used him during his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to sources. Howard also felt marginalized by D'Antoni, feeling he looked to Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash for leadership and suggestions. D'Antoni elected not to retain Chuck Person on his coaching staff, who is a confidant of Howard. Furthermore, Steve Clifford has become a head coaching candidate for several NBA vacancies. Clifford was with Howard for five seasons with the Orlando Magic. One source described the potential departure of Clifford, coupled with the loss of Person as "removing the buffers," between Howard and D'Antoni, "which is a bad thing." Howard has been careful not to make public comments after what happened last season with Stan Van Gundy, but the situation with D'Antoni doesn't appear to be irreparable. "It's not a, 'It's me or Mike,' situation for Dwight," said a source. Howard is a free agent and can sign a five-year, $118 million contract with the Lakers, or up to a four-year, $87.6 million deal with a rival team that has cap space.

The Toronto Raptors will announce on Tuesday that Bryan Colangelo's tenure as chief decision-maker of basketball operations is over, but sources say he will remain with the franchise in a corporate role. Colangelo has always been viewed as loyal to the organization and it appears as though new MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke and ownership will honor that. Colangelo will coincidentally represent the Raptors at the lottery on Tuesday. MLSE has hired a search firm to narrow a list of candidates, though Ed Stefanski will likely guide the front office until a new GM is hired.

The Sacramento Kings have been sold to Vivek Ranadive, which makes the status of Geoff Petrie as basketball president an unknown. Petrie is preparing for the 2013 NBA Draft as though he will still be the Kings' decision-maker. Petrie is signed through the end of June. "I haven't had the opportunity to talk to anybody yet (from Ranadive's group)," said Petrie. "But my understanding is the sale probably won't officially close for a couple more weeks. How that plays into communication, I really don't know at this point." The Kings need a point guard and also must plan a strategy for Tyreke Evans' restricted free agency. "You're closing in on some planning, just structural, ownership-driven involvement that will have to happen in a much more compressed time frame here," Petrie said.

Terrence Williams was arrested on Sunday in Kent, Washington after making alleged threats to the mother of his child while also brandishing a gun, according to police. At about 1:55 p.m., police were called to the home of the victim, who has a 10-year-old son with Williams, who was there for a scheduled visitation. An argument broke out in the parking lot and Williams allegedly took out a gun. Williams left before police arrived, but he was later taken into custody. The Celtics signed Williams to a 10-day contract in February and was eventually signed for the remainder of the season and all of next season. Williams' contract becomes guaranteed if he isn't waived before Oct. 31.

MLSE has been in negotiations with Bryan Colangelo for him to return to the Toronto Raptors in a "significant" capacity, according to sources. But the Raptors also remain in full pursuit of Masai Ujiri to assume full control of basketball operations. MLSE faces a Monday deadline to make a decision on their option on Colangelo's contract for next season. Sources tell Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that Colangelo will remain with the Raptors in a "corporate", non-basketball role.