A look at five talking points that have the league buzzing:

1. Beasley talk.
Having emerged as a tweet-a-holic, Heat forward Michael Beasley has found himself somewhat tethered to the web, and therefore unable to distance himself from recent Heat speculation regarding Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer and others who just happen to play his position.
“I mean, you got to take notice,” the 2008 No. 2 overall draft choice said last week, as the Heat concluded its summer camp at AmericanAirlines Arena. “You’re not going to hear a rumor that somebody is going to come, step in, and fill your spot and you don’t take notice.
“But, at the same time, there is nothing you can do about it but continue to work hard and what happens, happens. If somebody comes in and wants my spot, no disrespect to anybody, but I’m going to fight just like everybody else is.”
As muddled as his rookie season was, clarity about his future remains in short supply.
There has yet to be any assurance of a starting position.
“I’m just going to bring energy for the team, whether I come off the bench ... whether I start the game,” he said.
As for his position, he acknowledges that talk of a full-time shift to small forward is overstated.
“Honestly,” he said, “I think everybody’s making too big of a deal out of it. Even Dwyane Wade doesn’t play one position all year.”
When it came time for coach Erik Spoelstra to play his regulars together at Thursday’s camp-closing scrimmage, Beasley played power forward alongside Dorell Wright, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers, but Spoelstra insisted there was ample opportunity over the week at small forward for Beasley.
“What we did was expand a lot of aspects of his game, and he was able to see so many situations over and over and over again,” Spoelstra said.
Beasley thrived with his mid-range game during the camp, but also had continued moments when he had trouble scoring at the rim, even against lesser talent.
2. Still on the outs.
Despite several withdrawals from this week’s Olympic minicamp in Las Vegas, Beasley remains without an invitation to the session for promising young players. Instead, USA Basketball added Warriors forward Anthony Randolph to the roster last week. Randolph averaged 7.9 points as a rookie last season, compared to Beasley’s 13.9.
3. Another forward?
Amid all the Odom and Boozer scuttlebutt, the Boston Herald reported last week that the Celtics approached the Heat about a sign-and-trade package that would have sent Glen Davis to the Heat for Jamario Moon. With both players restricted free agents and coming off minimal deals, the cap math apparently grew too complex.
4. Campaign trail.
Heat forward James Jones has been named to the negotiating committee for the league’s next working agreement, with the current agreement expiring in the 2011 offseason.
5. Paul bearer.
While the Hornets’ finances have Chris Paul concerned about being dealt, such a move not only would be practically unfathomable by New Orleans but likely would lead the league to seek new ownership. The NBA has invested too much into the Hornets’ success in the wake of Katrina for such a blow.