Barcelona's number one goal is to sign Marcelinho Huertas, but they could turn back to Ricky Rubio if they are unsuccessful.

Huertas wants to join Barcelona and has a deal in place with them, but Caja Laboral holds his rights and the decision is ultimately up to the team.

If Rubio re-signs with Barcelona, he would return to the NBA as soon as a lockout is resolved.

FIBA recently declined to provide the NBA clearance to sign Bismack Biyombo, the Observer has learned.

Biyombo was drafted seventh overall by the Bobcats in June, but is still under contract to a Spanish team and the Spanish Federation is enforcing that contract.

In an email reply to an Observer inquiry, FIBA spokesman Andrew Robotham wrote:

“The NBA has indeed requested a Letter of Clearance (LoC) for the Player Bismack Biyombo. In accordance with the NBA/FIBA Agreement, FIBA has contacted the Spanish Federation in order to obtain the LoC.

“However, the Spanish Basketball Federation refused to issue the LoC in view of the fact that the Player is still under contract with a team in Spain. ‘’

That Spanish team, Fuenlabrada, reportedly has Biyombo under contract for the next two seasons and expects a buyout of about $1.4 million to release Biyombo to the Bobcats.

The Los Angeles Lakers later on Friday will officially announce that famed Italian head coach Ettore Messina is to join Mike Brown's coaching staff.

After spending the past 22 seasons as a head coach - winning four Euroleague titles with Virtus Bologna and CSKA Moscow along the way - Messina will take on a new challenge and a new role.

Messina was most recently head coach of Real Madrid.

“It will be an interesting time for me," he said of his two-year deal with the Lakers, which carries a Euroleague opt-out after the first season.

“I want to take care of the technical part of the game, just like when I coached youth teams after some years when my role was recruiting players on the market."

Because of the current NBA lockout, the 51-year-old does not yet know when he can get to work with Kobe Bryant & Co in LA.

“If the lockout is long, it will cause us some problems," he argued.

"Teams like Dallas and San Antonio have experienced reliable systems, while our team will need to change its identity after a decade with the triple-post offense. And it would be tough to start the season after only a week of training camp."

According to Marca.com, Andrei Kirilenko recently approached Spanish League power Real Madrid about a contract, but the club balked over his $5.8 million salary request.

Kirilenko was paid $17.8 million last season, when injuries again limited his contribution to the Jazz. In 64 games, he averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Kirilenko has said all along his No. 1 career choice would be re-signing with Utah.

Rudy Fernandez will pass on a six-year, $26 million offer from Real Madrid.

Fernandez would have become the highest-paid player in the Spanish ACB.

Fernandez is due to make just $2.2 million during the 11-12 season before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Dallas traded its 26th overall pick, Jordan Hamilton, to the Portland Trail Blazers for Fernandez as part of a three-team, draft-night swap. The Mavs also sent the 57th pick to Portland and received point guard Petteri Koponen.

According to the report from Marca.com, support from Mark Cuban helped convince Fernandez to decline the offer.

In an interview with a Spanish radio station, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka expressed interest in playing in Europe if the lockout dragged into the start of the NBA season.

“If there is a lockout, and there are not many complications to play in the CBA, I would like to return here to play,” Ibaka is quoted as saying.

Ibaka is still under contract with the Thunder for two more seasons, and FIBA has not determined whether NBA contracts would be valid during a lockout. But, unlike many of the NBA players who have shown interest in playing overseas, the native of Congo is familiar with international basketball. He played with Ricoh Manresa in the Spanish ACB league in the 2008/2009 season.

Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported on Sunday that Real Madrid will offer a six-year deal to Rudy Fernandez worth $4.35 million annually.

Fernandez is due $2.2 million next season and would become a restricted free agent in 12-13.

Fernandez was traded to the Mavericks on the night of the draft.

Fernandez is expected to honor the remainder of his NBA contract and then return to Spain.

Pau Gasol says his preference is to play in Spain if the NBA season is canceled, although the Los Angeles Lakers center isn’t ruling out China either.

Gasol says “if there is a lockout, Spain would be the first choice—I wouldn’t say only one, but the first” on Friday.

China, he adds, has “great potential” as an alternative to Spain.

Gasol says sitting out a season would be too “weird” especially as the NBA is coming off a “great year” with the Dallas Mavericks beating the favored Miami Heat in the finals.