Evan Fournier admitted he occasionally looks ahead towards his restricted free agency.

"Of course. It is in the back of your mind," Fournier said. "You are trying to play your best basketball. When I started playing basketball, it's about winning championships and being a great player. That's what really motivates me, being great. I don't want to be a mediocre player or average.

"I know if I have a very good season, the money is gonna follow."

While Fournier will be a restricted free agent, the Orlando Magic must also consider the fact Victor Oladipo is eligible for an extension next summer. There may not be enough money to go around for the franchise.

"That's a very good question," Fournier said. "But that's not really my decision. I don't really look at the next summer and everything. We have something pretty good going on right now. I feel like we can do something. [His future] is for at the end of the season."

Fournier would like to remain with the Magic.

"I'm very happy to be here. I'd love to stay," he said.

The Memphis Grizzlies will waive Russ Smith and sign Ryan Hollins.

Hollins was recently waived by the Washington Wizards. Hollins gives the Grizzlies a backup for Marc Gasol at center. Hollins was previously with the Grizzlies during training camp.

Smith had a fully guaranteed contract for this season and a non-guaranteed year in 2016-17.

The Philadelphia 76ers' young players are backing the idea of adding veterans to the team.

Chuck Hayes and John Lucas III recently met with Brett Brown.

"I think that will be good for us to have any type of veterans," Nerlens Noel said. "I think [general manager] Sam [Hinkie] is looking into that a little more. . . . You know Chuck Hayes is a big man and I think it's going to help us."

Hayes and Lucas are both in their early 30s and are free agents.

"It's our job to find players. . . . We owe this city," Brown said. We owe this program. It's our best effort to find ways to move it forward. And that's part of it."

The Washington Wizards plan to sign Jarell Eddie of the Austin Spurs.

The Wizards will waive Ryan Hollins to clear room for Eddie. 

Eddie has averaged 14.1 points on 52.5 percent shooting on three-pointers in 11 games this season with Austin.

Carlos Boozer met with the front office of the Milwaukee Bucks to discuss a possible signing.

Boozer had a positive meeting with Bucks coach Jason Kidd and general manager John Hammond in Los Angeles.

Greg Monroe remains out for the Bucks with a sprained MCL and are short on frontcourt players.

Boozer averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 49.9 percent from the field in 71 games for the Lakers last season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had positive and constructive dealings with Roc Nation since they took over Kevin Durant's representation two years ago.

There were initially concerns within the Thunder organization that the presence of Roc Nation would influence Durant to move a bigger market.

But Roc Nation's first major contract was for Robinson Cano to leave the New York Yankees for the Seattle Mariners.

Roc Nation also negotiated with Under Armour for Durant before finally agreeing upon a new deal with Nike.

Dwight Howard emphatically refuted a report he is unhappy with the Houston Rockets.

“I chose to go to Houston (via free agency in the summer of 2013), so why would I just say, 'I'm not happy' and leave,” Howard, who is widely expected to become a free agent again this summer, told USA TODAY Sports. “I chose this place, you know what I'm saying? And I want to make this thing work here. Obviously we haven't been playing great basketball, and personally for myself my numbers don't seem like I've been playing great, but the only thing on my mind is trying to grow as a man and grow as a teammate and a leader. All the BS that's around, sometimes it is frustrating to hear it, because I know who I am as a man and I know what I'm trying to do for this city.”

Howard has a player option for next season worth $23.2 million, but a person with knowledge of the Rockets situation said they are expecting him to opt out and become a free agent.

Kevin Love was set on re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers as free agency began on July 1st, 2015.

"A lot of teams called, but I've never really even considered," Love said. "I've been saying it the whole time, that time when you become a free agent, there's something to be said for, 'Man, I can go wherever I want, live wherever I want, be close to my family if I want.' But this was a situation where the first year is always the hardest.

"I knew that we were going to be able to compete for a championship every single year. I had met with LeBron [James] directly after that, just picked his brain. Asked him what he thought about where we were going in the future. You know 12:01 a.m. on July 1 came around and [Cavaliers' General manager David] Griffin and I were on the phone and I signed on the ninth."

Love didn't grant other teams even a phone conversation.

"Truth be told, I didn't even talk them really," he said. "Teams have reached out to my agent, but as far as getting on the phone with anybody, the only person I got on the phone with was Griff right when he called me at 12:01. That's what people don't understand that when I say that it was really done, it was really done."

Love said there wasn't another situation where he could have as high of a chance of winning as Cleveland.

"The thought had crossed my mind, but there was no situation that was going to allow me to win basketball games like this one, " Love said. "Yeah, I could have gone places and averaged 30 or 25 [points] and 15 [rebounds] or whatever it might have been, but coming here I would still be able to play my game. I knew in season two things would be better. And I think a lot can be said for how well this team gets along and how close we all are."

Paul Pierce won't decide if this will be his final NBA season until the summer.

Pierce admits he's in the worst stretch of his career.

"The older you get and the less and less you're able to do things that you could do before, you start thinking about maybe it's that time," said Pierce.

Pierce signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract last offseason with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Pierce is averaging 4.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 17.5 minutes a game while shooting 29.7 percent.

Evan Fournier sought a contract extension with the Orlando Magic worth well more than $10 million per season before the deadline at the start of the season.

Fournier will be a restricted free agent in the offseason.

Fournier has emerged this season as a better option for the Magic at shooting guard than Victor Oladipo and a better player overall.

The Magic acquired Fournier for the expiring contract of Arron Afflalo.