Latest free agency news, rumors Monday, July 5

SHAQ MULLING HAWKS OFFER: Apparently, the Hawks are still shopping. After getting Joe Johnson to agree to their $119 million max offer, the team has drawn interest from free agent center Shaquille O'Neal, who, according to FanHouse.com, is seriously considering a two-year deal that starts at the mid-level exception of $5.8 million.

Shaq played 53 games, averaging 12 points and 6.7 boards for the Cavaliers last season, which came to a surprisingly quick end for Cleveland in the second round of the playoffs. "I think he wants to see how everything shakes out with all the free agents, but he's seriously considering Atlanta's offer," a source told FanHouse. "He wants to play two more years, and he wants it to be with a contender. He thinks he can help them become a serious one.''

The Hawks have been looking for a stronger presence in the post, and they could transition Al Horford to power forward if O'Neal takes over down low. The Hawks have also been looking into trading power forward Josh Smith, according to sources around the league. [FanHouse]

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NUGGETS VOW TO KEEP 'MELO: Carmelo Anthony will be in Denver next season, no matter what. At least, that's what ESPN.com's Chris Broussard is reporting. A Nuggets official told Broussard that "There is no way we are trading Carmelo Anthony. We're 100 percent certain of that."

The Nuggets have offered Anthony a three-year, $65 million extension that would keep him in Denver through 2015. And though he's eligible to opt out of his contract and become a free agent after next season, a new collective bargaining agreement will be in place, meaning he could end up walking away from tens of millions of dollars. And that is why the Nuggets are confident their star will stay. He has until July 1, 2011 to accept. [ESPN.com]

AMAR'E AGREES: Stoudemire has agreed to a deal with the Knicks, SI.com has learned.

RAPS NEARING DEAL?: While the Raptors wait for Chris Bosh to make a decision, the team has reportedly become "close" to reaching an agreement in principle with a free for some, if not all, of its mid-level exception. Names were not given, but the Toronto Star said Matt Barnes, Ronnie Brewer, Shannon Brown and J.J. Redick could be potential targets. [Toronto Star]

LEE COULD BE TOP SIDEKICK: Free agent forward David Lee has a drawn a lot of interest from teams, especially the Timberwolves. Lee spent all of Saturday in Minnesota and, according to the New York Post, the Knicks have received sign-and-trade offers of Al Jefferson from the 'Wolves and Monta Ellis from the Warriors.

Depending on who else New York gets in free agency, the team may be open to a sign-and-trade with Lee, but it would have to maintain his Bird rights with a salary cap hold of $10.5 million, and the salaries of both Jefferson ($13 million) and Ellis ($11 million) exceed Lee's cap hold. So, as NBA.com's John Schumann explains, Lee's best opportunity would be to play for a team that lands one of the big three free agents: LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. [NBA.com]

NETS EYE REPLACEMENTS FOR THORN: While the Nets await LeBron's decision, they've tried to land a replacement for team president Rod Thorn, who is resigning July 15. And according to the Bergen Record and Yahoo! Sports, Thorn and Nets coach Avery Johnson met with Pistons president joe Dumars and Hornets GM Jeff Bower on Saturday. Thunder GM Sam Presti is also on New Jersey's shortlist of candidates.

Dumars was named the league's Executive of the Year in 2003, and led the Pistons to six straight Conference Finals, two NBA Finals and a 2004 title. Bower helped lead the Hornets to a franchise-best 56 wins in 2008 after they posted just 18 victories three years prior.

The Nets, who got a new owner, new coach and will soon get a new home, have $30 million to spend in free agency and are considered among the top contenders to land big names like LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Thorn's situation was one of the team's biggest drawbacks, but if it can get a new president in place, Mikhail Prokhorov's club may have an ever bigger advantage over others in the Free Agent Sweepstakes. [Bergen Record, Yahoo!]

WADE RETURNS TO MIAMI: Dwyane Wade returned home Monday morning after a string of free-agent meetings in Chicago over the weekend. The Heat leaked his travel plans overnight and told fans to show up at 8 a.m. to welcome the star back home, but the plan didn't work out as hoped.

Wade became aware of the gathering ... after he left Miami International Airport. For the hundreds of Heat fans that got up early to greet Wade -- wrong time, wrong place, no party at the airport. [AP]