Greg Oden

A person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday that the Cleveland Cavaliers were exploring the possibility of signing 7-foot center Greg Oden, the former No. 1 overall pick who has undergone three major knee surgeries. He hasn't played since 2009. While attending Ohio State's game against Wisconsin on Tuesday night, Oden said he hopes to play next season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers lost at home to Golden State, 108-95, as Klay Thompson scored a career-high 32 points for the Warriors, who were missing three starters - guard Stephen Curry (ankle)

GREG ODEN'S next comeback could be with Cleveland. The Cavaliers are exploring the possibility of signing Oden, the former No. 1 overall pick whose NBA career has been sabotaged by injuries, a source told the Associated Press . The team's interest is contingent upon the center's health. CBSSports.com first reported the Cavs and Miami Heat were leading the pursuit of Oden, 25, who hasn't played since 2009 and has undergone three microfracture knee surgeries. Before watching No. 11 Ohio State's win over visiting Wisconsin on Tuesday, Oden said he hopes to be healthy enough to take another shot at pro ball.

Brand-new Trail Blazers center Greg Oden - the 7-foot center out of Ohio State - was introduced yesterday to a few thousand Portland fans at a lunchtime rally, some 16 hours after the team took him with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. "I'm loving it here, and I'm going to have a smile on my face for a long time to come," Oden said. The Blazers also sent forward Zach Randolph, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau to the Knicks for Channing Frye and Steve Francis. The No. 2 pick, Texas forward Kevin Durant, greeted SuperSonics fans at a rally in Seattle, along with Georgetown forward Jeff Green, acquired when the Sonics traded seven-time All-Star Ray Allen to Boston.

PORTLAND - Greg Oden is technically a rookie, so perhaps it is too early to make a definitive judgment as to how his NBA career will turn out. Still, having lost all of last season and large chunks of this one to assorted injuries, Oden has to be aware that his name is being linked to that of another 7-foot center on whom the Portland Trail Blazers once made a sizable, and losing, wager for long-term success. Sam Bowie. Bowie was the University of Kentucky standout now infamously remembered as the player the Blazers took with the second pick in the 1984 draft, behind Hakeem Olajuwon and just ahead of some guy named Michael Jordan.

Greg Oden is ready to move on past school. The 7-foot freshman said yesterday he will leave Ohio State after leading the Buckeyes to the national championship game and enter the NBA draft, where he figures to be one of the top two picks along with Texas freshman forward Kevin Durant. Freshman teammates Mike Conley Jr. and Daequan Cook also said they will make themselves available for the draft. Unlike Oden, they have opted not to hire an agent for now - meaning they will retain the option of returning to school in the fall.

The NBA-leading Miami Heat stretched their winning streak to seven games Tuesday night with a 120-108 pounding of the visiting Sacramento Kings. Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and added 10 assists, Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh each scored 20 points, and LeBron James added 18 points for the Heat, who have won each of their games during this streak by at least 12 points. Isaiah Thomas scored 20 of his 24 points in the third quarter for Sacramento, which dropped its sixth straight.

GREG ODEN, the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, plans to return to the NBA after he is fully recovered from his latest knee surgery, according to a report. ESPN.com, citing sources, reported that the center is hoping to come back next season. The website reported that the Miami Heat is one of several teams interested in signing Oden to a multiyear contract before the end of the current season. Oden, who was drafted by Portland, has not played since December 2009. He has had three surgeries on his knees, the latest on his left knee last February, which led to his release by the Blazers.

Across Ohio, newspapers must be featuring this quote from Memphis forward Joey Dorsey. "It's two great big men going up against each other," the 6-foot-9 Dorsey said yesterday, talking about today's NCAA South Regional final at the Alamodome between Memphis and Ohio State. Benign enough so far . . . "I'm an underrated big man and he's a lot overrated as a big man," Dorsey said. Bingo. He would be Ohio State freshman Greg Oden, the most famous player remaining in this tournament.

Greg Oden grabbed the ball off the backboard, slammed it through the net and screamed. It was the kind of athletic, powerful play that's come to symbolize the Ohio State freshman's considerable talent. Too bad it didn't count. A Central Connecticut State University foul before the shot wiped out the dunk, one of the few times Oden and the top-seeded Buckeyes were stopped during their 78-57 win over the Blue Devils yesterday in the opening round of the South Regional in Lexington, Ky. Oden finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season as the Buckeyes (31-3)

Mike Conley Jr. scored a career-high 23 points and Greg Oden created havoc at the defensive end to lead No. 3 Ohio State past visiting Michigan, 76-63, last night. Conley was a constant for the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-1 Big Ten) as Oden battled foul trouble and sat out 8 1/2 minutes of the second half. The freshman point guard hit nine of 12 shots from the field, including two three-pointers, and made all three of his foul shots. He also had six assists, one steal and one turnover in 38 minutes.

GREG ODEN'S next comeback could be with Cleveland. The Cavaliers are exploring the possibility of signing Oden, the former No. 1 overall pick whose NBA career has been sabotaged by injuries, a source told the Associated Press . The team's interest is contingent upon the center's health. CBSSports.com first reported the Cavs and Miami Heat were leading the pursuit of Oden, 25, who hasn't played since 2009 and has undergone three microfracture knee surgeries. Before watching No. 11 Ohio State's win over visiting Wisconsin on Tuesday, Oden said he hopes to be healthy enough to take another shot at pro ball.

A person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday that the Cleveland Cavaliers were exploring the possibility of signing 7-foot center Greg Oden, the former No. 1 overall pick who has undergone three major knee surgeries. He hasn't played since 2009. While attending Ohio State's game against Wisconsin on Tuesday night, Oden said he hopes to play next season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers lost at home to Golden State, 108-95, as Klay Thompson scored a career-high 32 points for the Warriors, who were missing three starters - guard Stephen Curry (ankle)

GREG ODEN, the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, plans to return to the NBA after he is fully recovered from his latest knee surgery, according to a report. ESPN.com, citing sources, reported that the center is hoping to come back next season. The website reported that the Miami Heat is one of several teams interested in signing Oden to a multiyear contract before the end of the current season. Oden, who was drafted by Portland, has not played since December 2009. He has had three surgeries on his knees, the latest on his left knee last February, which led to his release by the Blazers.

The NBA-leading Miami Heat stretched their winning streak to seven games Tuesday night with a 120-108 pounding of the visiting Sacramento Kings. Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and added 10 assists, Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh each scored 20 points, and LeBron James added 18 points for the Heat, who have won each of their games during this streak by at least 12 points. Isaiah Thomas scored 20 of his 24 points in the third quarter for Sacramento, which dropped its sixth straight.

PORTLAND - Greg Oden is technically a rookie, so perhaps it is too early to make a definitive judgment as to how his NBA career will turn out. Still, having lost all of last season and large chunks of this one to assorted injuries, Oden has to be aware that his name is being linked to that of another 7-foot center on whom the Portland Trail Blazers once made a sizable, and losing, wager for long-term success. Sam Bowie. Bowie was the University of Kentucky standout now infamously remembered as the player the Blazers took with the second pick in the 1984 draft, behind Hakeem Olajuwon and just ahead of some guy named Michael Jordan.

Paul Pierce scored 26 points and Ray Allen finished with 22 to help the visiting Boston Celtics beat the New York Knicks, 110-100, in Madison Square Garden last night. Kevin Garnett also had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which rebounded from its 110-109 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The Celtics have now won nine of the last 10 in their rivalry with the Knicks. Al Harrington scored 27 points and David Lee had 18 points and 18 rebounds for New York.

At the Final Four, it was a draw. Roy Hibbert scored 19 points and pulled in six rebounds, Greg Oden had 13 and nine in a national semifinal where the whistle quickly eliminated the battle of the big men. At the barbershop, Oden wins, hands down. "He's got a full beard and he's, like, 19 years old," Hibbert said. "I'm trying to get the patches to fill in. " Normally, Hibbert follows the NHL approach, letting the 'fro grow wild and the beard go unshaven for luck in the postseason.

Brand-new Trail Blazers center Greg Oden - the 7-foot center out of Ohio State - was introduced yesterday to a few thousand Portland fans at a lunchtime rally, some 16 hours after the team took him with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. "I'm loving it here, and I'm going to have a smile on my face for a long time to come," Oden said. The Blazers also sent forward Zach Randolph, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau to the Knicks for Channing Frye and Steve Francis. The No. 2 pick, Texas forward Kevin Durant, greeted SuperSonics fans at a rally in Seattle, along with Georgetown forward Jeff Green, acquired when the Sonics traded seven-time All-Star Ray Allen to Boston.

The franchise center is harder to find than a legit T206 Honus Wagner card and more valuable to boot. But that never stops teams from trying even in an age in which the pro game is drifting away from the classic low-post big man toward a track team of 6-foot-8 guys. There's not much to choose from among this year's crop of college and international centers. Well, if you're not picking first. But many of these guys will spend a decade filling rosters and causing heads to turn in airports all over the world.

Greg Oden, who'll have much of the world on speed dial after this evening, has one big dream. "Wherever I'm drafted, I want to go to a Boys' Club and be able to go swimming," Oden said yesterday. "I want to go swimming at a Boys' Club. One day in Indianapolis, I went swimming, and a whole bunch of kids came over. It was fun. " Such lightheartedness is what endears people to the 7-foot, 250-pound Oden - who, barring cataclysmic events, will be the first pick in tonight's NBA draft, going to the Portland Trail Blazers.