Eastern Notes: Brown, Thompson, Heat, Okpara, Pistons

After spending the first three years of his NBA career on a standard contract, former first-round pick Kobe Brown signed a two-way deal to stay in Indiana this offseason. The 26-year-old forward said it was an easy decision to return to the Pacers, according to Forbes contributor Tony East.
“Standard [contract] is always the goal,” Brown said. “But honestly… something in my gut just told me I needed to come back to Indy. And I really wanted to be here. I loved it the las