FanHouse Dan Fegan

As you've heard by now (if you're a fan of one of the crummy teams in the league), Spanish wunderkind Ricky Rubio's camp has put out there that he doesn't want to play in Memphis or Oklahoma City ... the two teams which happen to be selecting No. 2 and No. 3.

No one can really ascertain why, say, Sacramento would be better for Ricky than OKC. I mean, Sacramento is the worst team in the league, and it (um) has its detractors as a mecca of enjoyment among the NBA ranks. But whatever. Rarely do Kings fans have someone holding out on their behalf.

Regardless, does this threat mean anything? Can Rubio and his infamous agent Dan Fegan -- you know him for such hits as Yi Jianlian's La-Z-Boy Workouts, Anderson Varejao's Hold-out and Al Harrington's Trade Demands -- actually dictate his draft selection?

Things have gotten so bad between Anderson Varejao and Cavs GM Danny Ferry that he told ESPN's Chad Ford that he no longer wants to play in Cleveland.

"I just want to be treated fairly and I don't think Danny's done that."
...
"I wanted to come back," he said. "I love the fans and I really love my teammates. But there are others there that have made it very difficult. It's gotten to the point that I don't want to play there anymore. I'm just hoping for a sign-and-trade at this point."

Varejao also made it clear that he's the one behind the decision to hold out for more money, not agent Dan Fegan. And because he's the one calling the shots, he was surprised and perhaps a little put off by the fact Ferry tried to ambush him with a surprise visit to Brazil:

"I was shocked," Varejao said. "He showed up and wanted me to sign a contract. I told him he's got to talk to my agent. He didn't even up his offer. I guess he thought if he just showed up, I would just sign whatever he gave me."

At this point, it seems like the only way Varejao will sign with the Cavs is if Ferry works out a sign-and-trade. If Varejao holds out or plays in Europe (which he suggested he'd be willing to do), he'll still be a restricted free agent next summer, but he just doesn't seem to care. He could sign the $1.2 million qualifying offer made by the Cavs to retain his restricted free agent rights, but he doesn't sound like he has any interest in being underpaid yet again:

I don't think I'll be happy in Cleveland knowing that I was [almost] the lowest-paid player there for three years and am still paid much less than players on the team that I outperform. Life's too short to be unhappy."

And being paid, apparently, is the equivalent of happiness. (It's true! Just ask Kobe Bryant or Jason Kidd.)

The expectations of Warrior Matt Barnes are not being met, dammit! Dude just fired his agent for the second time in two months, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Janny Hu.

Barnes fired his longtime agent Bill Neff right after Golden State's improbable playoff run. Apparently, Dan Fegan wasn't the right match, because now he's gone. Matty now brings Aaron Goodwin into the fold to salvage his free agency, and most likely his one shot to get a long-term NBA deal.

The fact Barnes hasn't gotten the full mid-level from some franchise... is that an indication teams are smartening up? That after Isiah Thomas' infinite ridicule in the wake of Jerome James teams now underrated so-called flukes? Because Barnes could very well be worth the midlevel in the right system. He's an upgrade on Devean George in Dallas, for sure. New Jersey could certainly have used him.

If he doesn't stay in Golden State (and it's either/or between him and Mickael Pietrus), he might have to take a smaller deal and sign up somewhere like Boston. At this point, it's all about avoiding the Bonzi Wells scenario.