Chris Kaman will lean on Lakers veteran Pau Gasol to show him how things run in Mike D’Antoni’s system. (GETTY IMAGES)

Chris Kaman’s NBA journey has brought him back to where it all began when he was drafted sixth overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2003.

Except, he is returning to L.A. to play with the Lakers. And he is interested in proving the Clippers wrong for trading him to the New Orleans Hornets in the Chris Paul deal.

“After all the years of service I put into that organization, not letting me know that something was going down … I found out off the TV. I thought that was a little unprofessional,” Kaman told the L.A. Times’ Mike Bresnahan. “But I’m just looking for a fresh start. I’m feeling pretty good here.”

After losing Dwight Howard to free agency when he bolted for the Houston Rockets, the Lakers were in need of another big man since Pau Gasol is 34 and coming off an injury-plagued season. The Lakers settled on Kaman, who may not command the same star power as Howard did but is a serviceable big man who won’t blow up the salary cap.

Kaman has only averaged 48 games per year the last three seasons, which is one of the reasons they got him so cheap (one year contract worth $3.1 million). He made $8 million last with Dallas.

He played in 66 games the Mavs, and played well despite limited minutes (20.7). He averaged 10.5 points per game and 5.6 rebounds, but project his stats — given 36 minutes per game — and he would have averaged 18.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.

Depending on how he’ll be used, he could give the Lakers a good option at center next to Gasol if head coach Mike D’Antoni plays Pau at power forward. Kaman has looked good in preseason, averaging 11 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in five games. So, playing the two 7-footers together could work. But knowing D’Antoni he’ll prefer a smaller lineup and go with a forward who can shoot threes.

Kaman has a year to make a good impression and possibly earn one last big contract. “It’s tough when you have a couple rough years, people forget about you a little bit,” he said. “I know that I’m capable of playing at this level with these guys. I’ve done it for 10 years.”

He definitely has all the motivation he needs to go out and have a good year. The wins and losses will take care of themselves. But, Kaman has another chance in the city where it all started and that’s more than a lot of players can hope for.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.

Brazilian point guard Marcelinho Huertas is the key to FC Barcelona’s attack. (EUROLEAGUE.NET)

The Dallas Mavericks found out first hand just how good FC Barcelona Regal is, as the 2011 NBA champs went down 99-85 to the European powerhouse in an exhibition game at Palau Sant Jordi in Spain on Tuesday.

It is Barcelona’s third win in three tries against an NBA team, beating the Phildelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers in previous editions of NBA Europe Live. Forward Pete Mickeal (who attended the University of Cincinnati) and former Euroleague MVP Juan Carlos Navarro each had 19 points to lead all scorers. Center Nate Jawai had 13 while Ante Tomic and Marcelinho Huertas each contributed 12.

Chris Kaman led Dallas with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Darren Collison added 14 while Elton Brand had 10 for the Mavericks, who did not have Dirk Nowitzki. The Mavs All-Star was resting a sore knee.

Most NBA fans may not be familiar with FC Barcelona, but the Spanish club has been one of the dominant teams in Europe for the past decade, winning two Euroleague titles (2003 and 2010) and 17 Spanish League championships. The 2010 Barcelona squad is considered one of greatest Euroleague teams of all time, and it was led by Navarro, Mickeal, Fran Vasquez, and Ricky Rubio.

When Rubio bolted for the NBA, Barcelona turned the team over to another top-flight point guard in Huertas. ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla compares the 29-year-old Brazilian to Steve Nash in terms of ball-handling and play-making ability. Huertas, who is listed at 6-3, could easily make the jump to the NBA. But why would he? He would be wasted in the NBA because teams would be reluctant to hand him the reins of a team, and he’ll probably end up being a backup somewhere (much like FC Barcelona teammate Navarro, who rode the bench with the Memphis Grizzlies).

According to Draft Express:

Huertas is a small and skinny point guard, with solid quickness, excellent ball-handling skills, and the ability to change speeds on the fly and get to the basket at a very nice rate. Once known as a fairly wild player (like many Brazilian guards), Huertas has matured over the last few years, and now looks much more patient and under control, making excellent decisions on the pick and roll in particular, getting everyone on his team involved unselfishly (in a variety of ways), pushing the ball up the floor well, showing excellent court vision, and also being able to score the ball himself when things broke down offensively. He has a nice mid-range game, and is a decent shooter from 3-point range, nothing spectacular (his release is not very quick), but enough to keep defenses honest and prevent them from going underneath screens on the pick and roll.

Against the Mavericks, Huertas had three assists and two steals in 36 minutes. He was also 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

Alex Abrines helped Barca take an early 35-27 lead, but the Mavs stormed back thanks to Kaman and Shawn Marion. Dallas trailed 42-40 at halftime. Barcelona rolled after the break, as a put-back layup by C.J. Wallace made it a double-digit game at 59-49. Navarro and Mickeal powered the European club to a 68-51 margin in the third quarter. Dallas managed to get to within six at 89-83 with three minutes to go, but Tomic and Navarro stepped up in crunch time to seal the victory.

Kevin Garnett and Antawn Jamison will become free agents this summer. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There are some quality players available this summer for those teams that have money under the NBA’s salary cap and here is one jabroni’s opinion on the top talent available:

1-Kevin Garnett

KG played well in the postseason and showed that he can still bring his A game when needed. For the first couple rounds of the playoffs, he was the NBA’s possible postseason MVP.

2-Gerald Wallace

He has decided to opt out and test the free agent market. Wallace is an excellent defender that can also provide 15 points per game to a team that needs a third or even a fourth option on offense. And he will get paid.

3-Chris Kaman

He might be often injured, but he will be in demand. That’s for sure. When DeAndre Jordan signed a four-year contract worth $12.8 million per season before last season, this assured Kaman will get a very similar deal since he is a better offensive option at center. Kaman would be a very nice fit on a team like the Boston Celtics that need a legit center in the low post.

4-Kris Humphries

Humphries isn’t a top 5 PF, but he averaged just under 14 points per game and 11 rebounds per game. He is a solid option that would be a seamless fit for a lot of teams. If the Indiana Pacers hadn’t signed David West last year he would have been a perfect fit on their team. Some team will be very happy with a very good young player.

5-Goran Dragic

Talk about a player that took advantage of an opportunity. Dragic averaged 18 points and eight assists per game in 28 starts when Kyle Lowry got injured. He is a good ball-handler, passer and a solid outside shooter.

6-Spencer Hawes

A lot like Humphries, he isn’t a top-five center, but he is a top-10 center in the NBA. He reminds me a lot of a younger Brad Miller. He’s a good rebounder and passer, a solid scorer and an improving defender.

7-Ray Allen

He can still shoot and would be a solid fit on the Los Angeles Clippers or Chicago Bulls.

8-Nate Robinson

He probably isn’t a starter for most teams, but he provides a lot of energy and scoring off the bench.

9-Brandon Bass

Bass decided to opt out to test the free agent market after a solid season in Boston where he averaged 12 points and six rebounds.

10-Antawn Jamison

His starting days might be numbered, but he’d be an excellent sixth man on a contending team that needs instant offense on their second unit. You wouldn’t want to bring him in to start because he tends to be a chucker, but a very viable option as a backup.

Others that are available are:

Andre Miller

He is a steady influence as a PG and could play late into his career like Jason Kidd has. His game isn’t built on speed and quickness, but rather intelligence and smart basketball play.

Leandro Barbosa

A solid scoring presence off the bench, but he is slowing down a bit.

Carl Landry

Undersized tweener forward, but he gets the most out of his talent and plays hard. He hustles and provides a lot of energy off the bench.

Darren Jacks is contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Email him at djroxalot@gmail.com.