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Thursday, February 4

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The Los Angeles Clippers have decided to make a coaching change with just 32 games left in the season, relieving Mike Dunleavy of his duties, according to team sources. ESPN.com

Sources told ESPN.com that the Clippers intend to name Kim Hughes as interim coach. ESPN.com

It is believed that Dunleavy -- who has been serving as the Clippers' coach/general manager since Elgin Baylor left the club early last season -- will retain his front-office title. ESPN.com

Adrian Wojnarowski: Sterling always hoped he could fire Dunleavy as coach and get him to quit as GM. No shot. He will stay and get money owed him, friends say. Twitter.com

“I’ve had several conversations with our owner [Donald T. Sterling] concerning what we think is best for the team overall," Dunleavy said in the statement. "We have discussed the possibility of my concentrating only on basketball operations. That option has always been available to me. I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the ideal time for me to direct my efforts toward the many personnel opportunities that lie before us, such as the trade market, the draft and the free agent process. We fully expect to be active and productive on all those fronts.” CBSSports.com

The Suns are still in active trade talks for Amare, with discussions initiated by both the Suns and other teams. The latest is that the Suns have talked to the Philadelphia 76ers about a swap of Stoudemire plus filler for Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert. ESPN.com

While there are a lot of deals the Suns wouldn't do, this is one in which they're interested. It's the Sixers that are holding up the process, I'm told. While nothing's imminent, if Philadelphia GM Ed Stefanski sees an opportunity to unload Dalembert and thinks Stoudemire is the best player he can get, things could get hot quickly. ESPN.com

At the same time, the Suns are planning to make Stoudemire a contract offer in the next few days, according to a source close to the situation. As in every contract negotiation, the contract terms (years and dollar amount) are the main obstacles -- while Stoudemire might want a max contract, that's not what the Suns want to offer. ESPN.com

But I've been told there's another snag: Stoudemire wants a commitment from owner Robert Sarver that the Suns will continue to spend to get back into contention. Stoudemire doesn't want to commit to a team that's going to be in the lottery in future years. So unless the Suns blow Stoudemire away with their offer, they'll reach an agreement only if he is persuaded that the Suns are committed to further spending. ESPN.com

A source told ESPN.com on Wednesday that the Houston Rockets have recently renewed discussions with the 76ers about a deal involving Iguodala and Dalembert for the expiring contract of Tracy McGrady. And as I reported above, the Suns have also entered the mix, offering Amare Stoudemire for Iguodala and Dalembert. The Cavs and Dallas Mavericks have explored Iguodala deals as well. ESPN.com

There is a growing consensus that Bosh is staying in Toronto, until this summer, at least. Several sources around the league have said that Bosh trade talk has stalled in the past few weeks, thanks in large part to the Raptors' recent success on the court. The team is winning, and Bosh has been terrific. ESPN.com

Jamison said the trade rumors have had no affect on his play. "I've been in the league 12 years now. When I don't hear trade rumors, that's when I'm worried. It goes in one ear and out the other. I know what's going to happen. It doesn't affect me at all. it affects family and friends because they the ones that keep asking you. I've been through this every year just about." Washington Post

The Wizards have been reluctant to move Jamison because he ranks among Grunfeld's favorite players. Although Jamison is 33, Grunfeld doesn't want to give away a player who averages more than 21 points and nearly nine rebounds, and he also has little desire to help Cleveland win a championship -- especially after the Cavaliers signed away Larry Hughes five years ago. Washington Post

For weeks we've assumed that Antawn Jamison is the Wizard most likely to be moved, but that's not true, according to GMs who have had conversations with the Wizards. They say the team is reluctant to move Jamison, a franchise cornerstone. Butler, on the other hand, is very much available, and the Wizards shouldn't have much trouble finding interest: Butler has only one year remaining on his contract and he can still play, at age 29 (he turns 30 on March 13). ESPN.com

"I can only speak for myself. I'm fine," Haywood said. "I go out there and play every night. I have a job to do and I go out there and try to be a professional. It hasn't had an affect on how I play." Washington Post

Timberwolves president David Kahn insists that Minnesota has no interest in moving Al Jefferson. Other GMs around the league are equally convinced that Jefferson is available for the right offer, especially if the Wolves can get a big man in return. ESPN.com

The Pistons continue to be very active in trade discussions regarding Prince. While the team would prefer to move Richard Hamilton, I don't think they're going to be able to find a home for him given his enormous contract. ESPN.com

While Murphy may be overpaid, there are few bigs in the league who can rebound and spread the floor the way he can, which gives him value to a number of teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to be the team with the most interest. If the Cavs can't land Antawn Jamison, Murphy appears to be their second option. At a minimum, the Pacers likely will be able to get back expiring contracts and one asset (either a draft pick or J.J. Hickson) for Murphy. ESPN.com

Hinrich could help the Celtics, certainly. He is a solid playmaker and a good defender who can guard multiple positions. He is having a down shooting season, however, and would not be a viable replacement for Allen in that regard. The Celtics could get creative and try to work out a deal for Hinrich alone involving a combination of their other expiring contracts — Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen, Eddie House, etc.–but probably not at the cost of Allen. Doc Rivers had some interesting comments about this Thursday on his weekly appearance with Dennis & Callahan (click here for a full transcript). “The thing that’s happening right now is everybody’s trying to give away their [expiring contracts] to those same teams and those same teams are trying to get a bargain,” Rivers said. “Eventually the trade stuff will end up, I don’t think with us, but around the league everybody’s trying to take advantage of everybody.” WEEI.com

Celtics guard Eddie House, during an interview with the Dale & Holley Show on Thursday afternoon, said that teammate Paul Pierce will represent the Celtics in the 3-point shooting contest during the NBA’s All-Star weekend. House explained that he has not received an invitation but that Pierce will have an opportunity to make up for a performance in the 2002 All-Star weekend that he deemed embarrassing. “Paul is actually going to be the one representing the Celtics in the three-point contest,” said House. “Hope all is well with that and he gets a win.” WEEI.com

Terry said Wednesday night that he hadn't heard anything from the league, so he assumed an invitation wouldn't be forthcoming. ESPN.com

I’m hoping you could give us some news – that you’re going to take part in the three-point contest? Eddie House: No, I haven’t got an invite. I think Paul’s actually going to be the one representing the Celtics in the contest, so I hope all’s well with that and I hope he gets a win. WEEI.com

A lot of Orlando Magic fans have asked whether J.J. Redick will compete in the 3-point shooting contest at NBA All-Star Weekend. Right now, Redick doesn’t think so. He said moments ago that the league so far has not asked him to participate in the event. “I would assume at this point that I’m not in it just because I still haven’t heard anything,” Redick said after the Magic completed practice today. “So, maybe next year.” Orlando Sentinel

Dirk Nowitzki has added to his All-Star duties, but he's still the only player on the Mavericks' roster who will be featured in the weekend. Nowitzki will be part of the Texas team in the Saturday night Shooting Stars competition. He's joined by ex-Rocket/current TNT analyst Kenny Smith and Becky Hammon of the San Antonio Silver Stars in the competition, which has a current NBA player, retired NBA player and WNBA player on each team. ESPN.com

The NBA announced today that Celtic forward Bill Walker would be competing in the D-League dunk contest in Dallas in Friday of All-Star Weekend. Just one problem: It didn’t consult Walker. And considering that he would have to accept an assignment to Maine of the D-League to be eligible for the event, he just said he’ll pass. Boston Herald

Expect to see Nate Robinson starting tomorrow night when the Knicks play the Bucks at Madison Square Garden. “It looks like Nate probably will start as the point guard,” Mike D’Antoni said after practice today. “We’ll go with the way we finished up the game [last night], which I thought was good, good energy and then we’ll see what the rotation will look like, but that seems to be the plan right now.” New York Post

Paul Pierce's status has not been determined for the Celtics-New Jersey Nets game Friday night. But Pierce said if the Celtics were in the playoffs, he would be playing. "I can walk on it, it's just a basic mid-foot sprain," Pierce said of the injury he sustained Monday in Washington. "It's not end of the world. I've had worse injuries, I didn't have to go into a boot, I'm still walking around, and it's just about the pain going away. "It's a sprain but it's not the worst sprain that I've ever had. I know my body better than these doctors, to tell you the truth. Like I told you after the game on Monday I thought it was a sprain in the foot. You know the doctors are going to do what's necessary -- tests they have to do. But I told them all along what it was, and at the end of the day, that's what it came out to be. Boston Globe

The Kings and a team from Jerusalem are discussing an exhibition game next season at Arco Arena, the latest impact of Omri Casspi as the first Israeli in the NBA and his immediate popularity in Sacramento. There are no plans for the Kings and a preseason overseas tour in 2010-11, though the chances of that eventually happening obviously increase the bigger Casspi, the 23rd pick in the Draft but challenging for first-team All-Rookie, becomes. NBA.com

You probably have heard by now about the two women who somehow gained access to the Trail Blazers' huddle in Dallas Saturday, and how one of them gained, um, access to Rudy Fernandez. One of the women -- whom Jerryd Bayless described to the Oregonian as "drunk" -- grabbed Fernandez during the incident and gave him a hug. The ladies were allowed to return to their seats. The NBA has said it's investigating the incident. I don't attend many games in Dallas, but I sit courtside at my fair share in Madison Square Garden. And I assure you, if such an incident had occurred at MSG, those women would've been led out of the building in handcuffs. If they were lucky. At two separate games this season, I witnessed a particularly beefy MSG security guard charged with protecting the visiting team's bench virtually challenge an unruly fan to a fight. One of the fans, who was accosting members of the Toronto Raptors' bench, clearly had his beer muscles in full effect and decided to go nose-to-nose with the aforementioned beefy security guard. Bad idea. The bouncer -- for lack of a better term -- walked Joe Six Pack all the way up the aisle, down a flight of stairs, and into a hallway. Lord only only knows what happened next. CBSSports.com

They are starting to get desperate in Ohio, which in that region of the country is easy to do. But this time the state's desperation centers on LeBron James' future. Austin Briggs, a junior at Kent State, has started a web site pleasedontleave23.com and is running a special promotion for Saturday's Knicks-Cavs game in Cleveland. According to the site, "We want to show LeBron James how much the citizens of Ohio care about him. If you plan on going to the game that night, make sure to pick up your FREE "Please Don't Leave" mask to hold up at the start of each quarter. The masks will be passed out on Huron, East 9th and Bolivar, and the Tower City walkway. Thank you for supporting pleasedontleave23.com." New York Daily News

One NBA source said the Suns, so far, have received only “trash” offers for Stoudemire, though there are several teams who have expressed interest in him. The Miami Heat recently scouted two of the Suns’ games, even though the teams won’t play each other again this season. Yahoo! Sports

Stoudemire admits this isn’t new for him. Despite being a five-time All-Star, he has been repeatedly mentioned in trade rumors overthe past few seasons. One rival general manager said the Suns’ willingness to include Stoudemire in such talks should make teams all the more wary about trading for him. Stoudemire also has had major eye and knee surgeries in past seasons. Yahoo! Sports

Stoudemire said Wednesday he is seriously considering postponing his free agency to take the $17.7 million player option on his contract for next season. “There’s definitely a chance,” Stoudemire told Yahoo! Sports following the Phoenix Suns’ shootaround on Wednesday morning.“Options are a beautiful thing.” Yahoo! Sports

Asked why he is constantly mentioned in trade speculation, Stoudemire said: “I don’t know. You have to ask the Phoenix Suns organization. You have to ask [Suns GM] Steve Kerr or [owner] Robert Sarver that question. … I’m not sure.” Yahoo! Sports

The Suns are also assessing their options with their All-Star forward. NBA sources say the team is expected to make another contract extension offer to Stoudemire before the All-Star break, though it remains to be seen whether the Suns’ offer will approachthe three-year, $57 million extension Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau Gasol received earlier this season. Yahoo! Sports

“We’re just going with the flow and seeing what the Suns decide to do,” said Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters. “Whatever happens, I think Amar’e will be good with the outcome. … Opting in – that’s a lot of money to walk away from.” Yahoo! Sports

With the Heat toiling through a turbulent season and free agency five months away, Wade was asked Wednesday if he has the patience to wait around for Miami's young players to develop. ``We'll see,'' Wade shot back. ``There's nothing else to that. It's going to be `we'll see' for a while.'' Miami Herald

The Mavericks have their eyes on Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala and Sacramento’s Martin, but a source says they’ve lost interest with the Washington Wizards’ Caron Butler over his so-so season. Yahoo! Sports

Martin Frank: Iguodala on possible trade: "I’m one of the top players in the league and I can give whatever team I’m on a whole different dimension." Twitter.com

Dalembert, ever the optimist, believes he can have at least the base of the first center constructed in 2 to 4 months. "I'm not focusing on [trade rumors] right now," he said. "I'm trying to maximize my talent and help us to win. I'm done trying to point fingers or anything like that. When I came forward last year, people took it the wrong way, tried to make it seem like I was complaining. I don't like complaining. I like consistency." Philadelphia Inquirer

Cuban is much more eager to make a trade after the Mavs' first three-game losing streak of the season. "We suck right now," Cuban said before Wednesday night's home game against the Golden State Warriors. "Where before wemight not have listened, now at least we'll listen. Nothing dramatic has changed except our performance." ESPN.com

Because of this, Ainge wanted to clear the air. He met with Allen and his family for half-an-hour at the Celtics training facility onTuesday in Waltham. “We talked yesterday and he just wanted me to know that he hasn’t done anything or tried anything to seek out a trade,” Allen told WEEI.com prior to Wednesday’s Celtics-Heat game. “He just, based off of what he feels that we’ve done for the organization on andoff the floor, he was like I just owe it to you so that you know there’s nothing that’s been done on my behalf. It’s just teamsinquiring, natural NBA business.” WEEI.com

“We want Ray,” Ainge said. “We think Ray is a huge part of our winning a championship this year.” WEEI.com

After 14 years in the league, Allen understands how it works. “I really understand that this is a business and I got traded when I was the least one to be traded when I was in Milwaukee. Soanything can happen. Anything can happen,” Allen said. “There’s nobody that’s really untouchable in this league, so I appreciatedhis candidness, letting me know and letting my wife know, and my boys were in the office running around. You always hate to see people do business behind your back and kind of not keep you alert, so it just spoke volumes of who he is and as a GM doing hisjob. “But, you know, he still could. I don’t know. It depends on what is thrown out there. So it’s not that I worry about it. It’s a business. My job still has to be done the same.” WEEI.com

In spite of spending the majority of his one-year contract on the sidelines with a thumb injury, Daniels already knows he would like to re-sign with the Celtics this summer. “The locker room is great, it’s a great atmosphere, the coaching staff, everything is good,” he told WEEI.com prior to the Celtics –Heat game, despite a recent claim from Rajon Rondo that the team was having chemistry issues. “So it’s something that I’d like tobe part of. Hopefully it will work out. If not, then I have to deal with everything that happens.” WEEI.com

Daniels won’t get caught up in the length of future contracts, either. So whether he is offered another one-year deal or something longer than that, he’ll stick with doing his job and let everyone else do their own. “I don’t think about stuff like that,” he said. “I worry about things that I can control, and that’s not one of them. I just go out there andplay. I can control how I play when I get out there. As far as what someone wants to do, as far as deal-wise, I let my agent and thefront office talk about that.” WEEI.com

Those same sources however have said that Vince was never shopped and rarely mentioned in talks with other teams and that despite his struggles the Magic have stayed true to their message that Vince is a core piece going forward. HoopsWorld.com

The Magic's most popular player in the trade market seems to be JJ Redick, however sources close to the situation say that while Chicago expressed some interest in a Redick for John Salmons swap, the Magic never engaged the discussion and the talks died off as soon as they started. HoopsWorld.com

Sources close to the situation say that Magic GM Otis Smith has shopped the league and heard what other teams have to offer and that there is nothing out there that makes the Magic better today or tomorrow that's worth breaking up the team for. HoopsWorld.com

Tyreke Evans will be the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, but he hasn’t completely endeared himself to teammates with the way hedominates the ball, league sources say. Make no mistake: Losing 16 of the past 18 games has played a big part with that. There are several teams – including Houston and the Dallas Mavericks – watching the dynamic between Evans and Kevin Martin and wondering whether the Kings will become motivated to trade Martin. So far, their talents don’t seem compatible. Yahoo! Sports

Teams calling the Detroit Pistons about Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince are finding out that GM Joe Dumars isn’t interested in expiring contracts, but getting value for his players. Yahoo! Sports

The Indiana Pacers have asked a steep price from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Troy Murphy: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, J.J. Hickson and a No. 1 draft pick. So far, Cleveland has balked. The Pacers would buy out Z’s contract, though, and he would be free to return to theCavs in 30 days. This is still the Cavs’ No. 2 option behind making a deal for Washington’s Antawn Jamison. Yahoo! Sports

Between now and then, the Nets can’t do much. They’ll keep trying to move Chris Douglas-Roberts, who’s fallen out of favor. And they’ll hold the threat of a D-League demotion over first-round pick Terrence Williams to keep him in line. Yahoo! Sports

League executives say between now and then Brown is determined to move point guard D.J. Augustin for a veteran big man. Michael Jordan and Rod Higgins wanted to draft Brook Lopez with the ninth pick in 2008, but Brown demanded they pass on thecenter for Augustin. Bobcats management had gone so far to tell Lopez’s agents they were picking him. Yahoo! Sports

You'd think Carter, who played serious minutes for the Nuggets until rookie Lawson arrived this season, would be clamoring for atrade. And a source said earlier in the season the Nuggets had been thinking of Carter, 34, as possibly being fodder in a deal bythe Feb. 18 trade deadline. But Carter won't be going anywhere. He was asked what he would say if told by the Nuggets they want to deal him. "I ain't going nowhere,'' Carter said. "Because I got to approve it. So I ain't going nowhere.'' FanHouse.com

"Everything is cool. It doesn't bother me,'' Carter, averaging 4.0 points and 3.0 assists for the 33-15 Nuggets, said of his erratic playing time. "We're in a great position and we're winning. You can't ask for more. Why would I go somewhere else and be miserable? You never know when your name is going to be called. I just stay ready. "Why would I go somewhere for more playing time if they're losing? It's all about winning, and I feel we're in a great position... Iwouldn't want to move my family.'' FanHouse.com

It likely won’t involve moving six players out of town, as Burke did over the weekend, but there’s a good chance the Raptors willacquire some new blood prior to the Feb. 18 deadline. “We’re talking to a few teams to see if there’s anything we can do to improve our basketball club,” said Colangelo. “We’ve never sat back and been comfortable. We’re always going to compete and improve our levels of competition. “I’m talking about not only a tweak, but in a big deal, we’re going to be a buyer, not a seller.” Toronto Star

The trade deadline is two weeks from today, meaning 14 more days of rumors and whispers, but the Lakers are not expected to be big players in the market. They have the NBA's second-best record, the league's highest payroll and do not plan on moving any of their starters or sixth man Lamar Odom. "There is no compelling reason to dramatically change this team, in particular its core," Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchaksaid. "We won a championship last year and we feel like we can be as strong this year with the one change we made -- the RonArtest change. "If this is the team we go into the playoffs with, we'll be happy with our roster, provided we stay healthy. The caveat, as always, iswe'll look at roster flexibility and areas where we can tweak the roster." Los Angeles Times

Chicago guard Kirk Hinrich, 29, is an intriguing possibility, but he has two more seasons on his contract for a total of $17 million. The Lakers currently have a $93.1-million payroll, are on pace to shell out another $21.4 million in luxury taxes, and don't want toacquire salary beyond this season unless they can also unload salary off next season's payroll, which currently stands at $83.7million toward only eight players. Los Angeles Times

Bower said the Hornets are not considering signing a free-agent point guard to a 10-day contract, although Collison is the only point guard on the Hornets' roster. Reserve Bobby Brown was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers to reduce the payroll to get underthe $69.9 luxury-tax threshold. New Orleans Times-Picayune

NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports Rio Grande Vipers guard Jermaine Taylor will return to the Houston Rockets Thursday. Taylor was sent to the Rockets Development League affiliate January 28 after playing in only 13 games and getting limited minutesduring his rookie season. MyFoxHouston.com

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The beginning of potential dissension began in Detroit two weeks ago after the Celtics fell apart in the second half and droppedanother game to a lesser opponent. There they were, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen in the locker room at the Palace of Auburn Hills, openly talking about the Celtics’ issues and how selfishness was poisoning their quest to remain an elite team. There were no names mentioned. But Rondo and Allen knew who they were talking about and just wanted to get a clear understanding that their individual issues were the same. The Celtics are a confounding bunch, filled with aging superstars, youngplayers emerging into cornerstones, and inexperienced players wondering why Doc Rivers doesn’t give them playing time. Boston Globe

Kendrick Perkins wants to contribute more offensively and believes the Celtics should go more inside-outside instead of the reverse. The big man from Texas is not one to mince words and he has expressed his unhappiness with the offense. The Celtics are not so much a team in turmoil as much as a team whose players are confused about their roles because of theconstant change. Boston Globe

Ray Allen had a very simple message for his backcourt teammate before Wednesday’s game against Miami. “I told [Rajon] Rondo earlier, I said this could be his last shot,” Allen said. “I told him, ‘You’ve got 10, 12-plus years left in the NBA, you’re making great money but this could be yours. “I told him I went to the Eastern Conference finals in Milwaukee and the next year we just assumed we’re going to get back and we didn’t make the playoffs. So, it’s not guaranteed because you did it once or twice. It’s never guaranteed. So, we have to be veryselfish about really wanting to be good now and really taking care of our bodies, making sure we hold each other accountable. Anddoing it in a good way.” WEEI.com

More to the point, Allen sounded like a man who wants desperately to keep the relationships he’s forged over the last three seasons. “All of these guys in this locker room are my brothers and I’m going to proceed forward that this could be it for all of us and we have to treat this season very specially and know that what comes out of it is what we want to come out of it, and that’s achampionship,” he said. WEEI.com

Kevin Garnett said last night the Celtics have been working through problems with injuries and “bickering.’’ “We want everything to be happening now - bickering, whatever,’’ Garnett said after the 107-102 win over Miami. “You already know the All-Star break is coming around, you’re going to have some things like that. “I think, for the most part, we as a veteran team, we’ve done a great job of sort of just keeping it under control and letting it out of our system. Every team has its ups and downs and we are no different from that. Boston Globe

“We’re not a team here that points fingers, we keep everybody accountable, everybody knows what this is in the locker room. We have anything to be said, it’s said in the closed confinements of the locker room and to each other as men, and I want everybodyhere to respect that.’’ Boston Globe

Davis had a good laugh after reading the list of names, and after narrowing the list down to three names (Big Once, Sweet Feet,and The Eleventh Hour), he chose The Eleventh Hour, thought up by CelticsBlog user Gingi. "Call me Glen Davis a.k.a. 'Uno Uno' a.k.a. 'The Eleventh Hour,'" he said. Gingi, contact Jeff Clark for information on where/when to pick up your tickets to an upcoming Celtics game. CelticsBlog.com

After the game, Brendan Haywood asked me to hand him the box score. It didn't take Haywood long to spot the problem. Haywood immediately pointed at the assist column. The Wizards had just 13 assists. "See, whenever that number is not around that 20 mark, you have a problem," Haywood said. I then told him that the Wizards had 14 turnovers, too, which didn't help. Haywood glanced some more and said, "Look at that." Washington Post

"To be honest, we have guys, Nick [Young] made some shots, but those guys were shooting every time they touched it and then what happened was our whole team became like that," Saunders said. "When guys are taking quick shots, it fuels other guys totake quick shots because they don't think they're going to get it back. I thought tonight, more than anything else, we played veryselfishly." Washington Post

Brian Mahoney: Players on Wizards bench completely indifferent. No clapping, no yelling at refs, nothing. Guess it's understandable in this season. Twitter.com

The Cavs (39-11) decided to run the offense through the 7-foot-1, 325-pounder. It's been a stroke of genius. "I'm used to taking 25, 30 shots a game," O'Neal said. "That's not the case here, and I accept that. We had a couple guys out. "Now I'm getting more touches, and when I get more touches, I'm the most consistent big man who has ever played the game." News-Herald

O'Neal started his career in Orlando, but had an incredible run with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won championships in three consecutive seasons (1999-2000, 2000-01 and '01-02). He added another ring in Miami ('05-06). "I like to put it in business terms. I ran three different corporations my way," O'Neal said. "I ran them successfully. Now I'm an older guy and I'm on my way out. Now I'm a consultant to overlook a new, upcoming CEO (James). "We have a young, exciting CEO. I'm a consultant, a guy who has been there and done that and is a master of his craft." News-Herald

Some Nets said there was confusion on the play where Devin Harris missed a game-tying three after Detroit’s Richard Hamilton misfired on a free throw Tuesday. The players expected a timeout, but Vandeweghe wanted them to push it and defended his decision. "There wasn’t any confusion particularly," Vandeweghe said. "We said the same thing, if you can get something quickly, getsomething." Bergen Record

His minutes are down to a career-low average and so it follows that his other numbers are, too. He’s not a primary scorer. He’s not even the finishing point guard some nights. This is after Bibby, 31, signed a three-year contract before the season. “I didn’t expect it,” Bibby said, “but whatever Coach wants me to do, I’m going to go out there and do it. I’m not out there trying to score 20 points. I’m just trying to get the team into the flow of the game.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After the game, Batum called his injury “no big deal,” and said he intended to play Thursday night against the San Antonio Spurs atthe Rose Garden. But Batum was annoyed at Brewer, saying the Jazz’ starting shooting guard went at his shoulder intentionally. “I know he did it on purpose because he tries to get me every time,” Batum said. “Last game, he did the same.” Oregonian

"We get guys contract extensions." - Dirk Nowitzki, in response to a question about Andre Miller and Monta Ellis having career nights in back-to-back Dallas home games. HoopsWorld.com

Beto Duran: Jerry West and Kobe just hugged for about 2 minutes. West talked into Kobe's ear the entire time, while Kobe nodded his head. Cool moment. Twitter.com

Arash Markazi: You could tell Kobe wasn't in the mood to talk tonight but he finally had enough and walked away in the middle of a Dwight Freeney question. Twitter.com

Mike Trudell: Lamar Odom on playing for Phil Jackson: "Incredible. Every day I learn something new. He understands people, personalities." Twitter.com

Jamal Crawford tied Reggie Miller's record with his 24th career four-point play. Crawford was fouled by Baron Davis late in the third quarter on a deep three point field goal. The shot pulled the Hawks to withinone of the Clippers. RealGM.com

Alan Hahn: Danilo Gallinari got the word from the NBA that he will be in the Three-Point Shootout. NBA has yet to officially announce the participants. Twitter.com

Jared Dudley: Thanks for all the love but i will not be in the 3 pt contest this year. Jahoo.com is reporting that C.Billups will betaking the last spot. Twitter.com

You’re 40 already. Do you have any plans to stop in the near future? Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: As long as God gives me the ability to play and I have the desire to play – whichever goes first – I’m going to play. You still have the passion. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: I still have it. I still love to compete. And I know when to say, “Enough.” I still have the ability to play on thetop level. So I’m going to enjoy it as long as I can. And then, after that, go into some type of coaching. HoopsHype.com

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: When I’m on the streets, it’s a difference from what the media says as far as me being a troublemaker because of the anthem. When I’m walking on the streets, the response I get is different. When it’s all said and done, people on the street know or got a sense about how certain people are. And I get a lot of people that come to me and say, “Man, you had a lot of game” or “You could play” or “Man, they gave you a raw deal” or “Thank you for doing what you did and standing up!” I get that a lot more than the negative. At the end of the day, people are going to have their opinions. You know what they say about opinions? (laughs) It’s like a-holes, everybody’s got one. HoopsHype.com

What happened in the offseason of 1998-99? Did you receive offers to keep on playing in the NBA? Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: Oooh, man, that’s a long, long time. I will tell you this… After the national anthem fiasco, nobody reallywanted to touch me. Then there was the HBO interview with Bryant Gumbel. After that, it was like it killed everything. Because that was after September 11. I could not even get an invitation to go try out with a team. I just laid low, stayed at home, spent more time with my family, trying to do things in the community and see if eventually I could get back into it. At the end, I said… Man, I still have a love for this thing and there’s got to be somebody out there that wants to give me a chance to play. And that’s why I have been overseas and have been ever since. HoopsHype.com

Were your teammates supportive? Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: My teammates were very supportive. Actually, the night that they suspended me, Dale Ellis did exactly whatI did in protest. Silent protest. Even Dikembe was like, “He’s been doing this for months and he hasn’t been bothering anybody! Why do you make a big deal out of it?” They respected my decision because they knew me as a person. I’m not trying to cause problems. But hey, I’m going to follow my heart and my conscience. I’m like, if it’s wrong and that’s the way I see it… I can’t sleep! Because it’s on my conscience so much and I need to get this thing off my chest. You want to think that people are able to take some constructive criticism. But if they can’t take it, and it hurts me in the long run in terms of not being able to get a job, I still say, “OK.” It is what it is. HoopsHype.com

I read you were living in Mississippi, but you left because it got to the point that it wasn’t safe. Is that right? Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf: I spent maybe five years or so in Mississippi trying to do things. Mississippi is a different monster. From minimum wage, education, health care… It’s always like on the bottom of the list in America. It’s real backwards. And I got children to think of. I’ve been there for five years. I was like, I can’t keep spending all of my money hoping people are going to change. I gotta go some place I think it’s better for my family. That’s one of the reasons I left. Also, my house was burned to the ground when I was there. Some suspect it was the Ku Klux Klan maybe because there was some Ku Klux Klan insignia that was left there when the house burned down. So when those things began to happen, I said… It didn’t work for my family here. Let me get on that hill. Y’all can have Mississippi (laughs). I’ma go somewhere else. HoopsHype.com

Hornets All-Star point guard Chris Paul will undergo arthroscopic surgery for a meniscus tear in his left knee in Pensacola, Fla., today, Coach Jeff Bower said Wednesday morning. The surgery will be performed by Dr. James Andrews, and Paul likely will miss up to a month and will not play in the Feb. 14 All- Star Game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The league announced that Denver's Chauncey Billups will replace Paul as areserve guard on the Western Conference team. New Orleans Times-Picayune

Bryant said his left ankle, which he had turned against Philadelphia last Friday, was "stiff and tight" before the game and he hadplanned "to pace myself" against the Bobcats. By halftime, pacing wasn't his choice. He said it got much worse just before half when Lamar Odom accidentally stepped on hisfoot as he was pivoting. 'That made it worse,' he said. 'It set it back to square one.' Riverside Press-Enterprise

Paul Pierce sat on the Celtics bench during Wednesday's 107-102 win over the Miami Heat and then walked without a boot on his injured left foot, but not without saying he was "relieved" that the X-rays and MRI showed that he has just a mid-foot sprain. "I told you guys (Monday) night it was a sprain," he said with a smile. "I will be fine in a couple of days. But somebody wrote that I had a broken foot, and I was like 'Damn, I have a broken foot?' Y'all jumped the gun." Boston Globe

Don’t expect Carmelo Anthony back in uniform for the Denver Nuggets’ Western Conference showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Anthony told Yahoo! Sports late Wednesday that his sprained left ankle will likely force him to miss at least the next two games. Yahoo! Sports

“I’m feeling a little better, but the loss didn’t make me feel better,” Anthony said after the Nuggets fell 109-97 to the Suns. “I don’tknow when I’m coming back, man. They’ve been saying that I’m going to play since last week. I know my body better than anyone.” Yahoo! Sports

Rockets guard Kyle Lowry began on-court rehab of his sprained knee Tuesday with hopes he could return before the All-Star break. Though he is not expected to play in Memphis on Friday, in what would be his first game in Memphis since being traded by the Grizzlies to the Rockets, Lowry said he would not rule out that game or Saturday's game against his hometown Philadelphia 76ers. “It may be sooner or later, it may be after All-Star (weekend),” Lowry said. “I'll take my time, and I won't come back unless I'm ready. Houston Chronicle

This culminated in an extremely underwhelming performance in 2010 thus far, being able to hit double-digit scoring in just 4 of hislast 10 games. While his team is nonetheless surging at 18-3 and is currently ranked in the top-10 of the various polls, Ebanks’ off -court issues and disappearance in Big East play has to be giving NBA decision makers cause for concern when assessing his draft stock for this upcoming spring. DraftExpress.com

Singler’s defensive potential at the next level is somewhat questionable. He has proven to be a solid man defender for Duke whenhe puts his mind to it, but his lack of length and lateral quickness already shows up when defending college players on the perimeter, let alone NBA caliber athletes. Singler is grabbing 8.2 rebounds per 40 minutes pace adjusted, which is solidconsidering his size and Duke’s deep frontcourt and, despite a slight drop from last year, his competitiveness and willingness tomix it up on the glass should be duly noted by NBA types. DraftExpress.com

David Lee has been invited back to train with USA Basketball this summer and is a candidate to play with the national team at the World Championships in Turkey in August. Lee was part of the player pool last July but opted not to practice with the national team in Las Vegas because he was anrestricted free agent and had not yet signed a contract. New York Daily News

Should Postolos take over, several league executives wonder whether Bobcats coach Larry Brown would use the ownership change as a way to free himself for a possible return to the Philadelphia 76ers. No one is sure about the fates of Sixers GM Ed Stefanskiand coach Eddie Jordan should the team continue to struggle, but Brown has kept a good relationship with owner Ed Snider andhis family is still living in Philly during the season. Yahoo! Sports

Bobcat players offer up as many unprompted tributes to their coach as I've heard in an NBA locker room. Gerald Wallace credited his breakthrough All-Star season to "Coach Brown -- I think that's it." "Just lighting a fire under me," Wallace continued. "He keeps pushing me to do a lot of little things that players don't want to do. Being aggressive, going to the boards. He's always telling me I can be one of the top rebounders in the league with my athleticism and quickness. That was my main thing, is just try to do every little thing that he tells me to do, and so far it's worked out this year." ESPN.com

After Jackson sat out the 2004-05 campaign, his "last season" has been followed by five more. "I think that's all the administration," Jackson said. "Kudos go to [Lakers vice president of business operations] Jeanie Buss in that regard. She ventured to say that she had fertilized the ground and that the seeds had been planted and when I came back from Tahiti, Bora Bora or wherever I was out there in the South Pacific, there was a lot of groundswell behind that." ESPN.com

The fact that Jackson relishes rings with the same Gollum-like obsession as Bryant is what saved their relationship. "He coaches for one reason and that's to win," said Derek Fisher who has been with L.A. for both phases of Phil. "I think Phil aswell as Kobe are so focused on winning and being the best that different things that come up aren't really going to stand in the wayin what the ultimate goal is ... I think they both have done an unbelievable job of putting whatever has kind of gotten in front, and what people would maybe consider getting in the way of their success, they've both kind of pushed those things aside andcontinued to push their way to the top of the list in their respective categories." ESPN.com

To make his point, he cited nine separate defensive statistical categories, including opponents' field-goal percentage, layups givenup and second-chance points allowed. He told his players that they ranked below the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers andthe Miami Heat in almost all of those areas. "Most coaches are more into the feel of the game and the system, but Stan is a big numbers guy," Orlando point guard Anthony Johnson says. "He believes in numbers, and he could spit out numbers for days. Throughout the NBA season, numbers kind of tell the story." Orlando Sentinel

"If I have a gut feeling on something I generally like to check it out," Van Gundy says. "I don't think you can quantify everything. I don't think you can go by the numbers [alone]. But I think they can certainly help you a great deal. And I think anything that can help you support what you think or change the way you think is important. I just don't think you can do it without looking at that stuff." Orlando Sentinel

Sources familiar with Harris’ decision suggested issues far less tidy: The Nets’ front office made it clear to Harris he wouldn’t makethe short list of candidates to take over the head-coaching job this spring. Once Harris was told that, he decided he was done dealing with the immature elements of the Nets’ locker room. “He decided he was just too old to deal with that [stuff],” a source said. Yahoo! Sports

Harris left the Nets after Tuesday’s game and returned to Dallas. Among the reasons were the players couldn’t relate to Harris, 72, many didn’t respect him and weren’t listening to some of his advice, sources said. But there also were other undisclosed reasons. Bergen Record

Undoubtedly, losing played a part in Harris’ decision. He came out of semi-retirement after leaving an assistant’s job with the Bullslast summer to help coach a team that could challenge for the worst record of all time. "He had a wonderful position, a highly paid position in Chicago, left that, left a lot of money on the table, went home to be with hisfamily," Vandeweghe said. "And he came to help a friend, and I appreciate that." Bergen Record

Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing will be the head coach for the sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Feb. 12 at American Airlines Center in Dallas. The exhibition is one event at all-star weekend. The NBA made the announcement a few minutes ago. Adrian Dantley, a Denver Nuggets assistant coach, will coach the rookie squad. Orlando Sentinel

Former NBA All-Star Mark Aguirre said he would be interested in coaching DePaul, the school he led as a freshman to the 1979 Final Four. Aguirre appeared as a guest on WGN-AM 720's Sports Central on Monday night with host David Kaplan. "DePaul interests me period," Aguirre said. "I'm a very close friend of everybody up there. I like DePaul. If it was right and wethought the situation (was) right, you're doggone right I would do that. I would absolutely. I would do that." Chicago Tribune

Other names that have been connected to the DePaul opening are Oregon State's Craig Robinson, Southern Illinois' Chris Lowrey, former UCLA coach Steve Lavin and Utah Jazz and former Blue Demon Tyrone Corbin. Chicago Tribune

Thorn wants to stay as team president, but there have been no assurances. His contract ends this summer. At least one executive in the league office believes Prokhorov has his eye on Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo, popular in the international basketball community, for the Nets’ top job. Others still believe Prokhorov will give Thorn a chance, based on strongbacking from the commissioner’s office and the overall body of his work. Yahoo! Sports

At 4-44, there’s no darker hole in the league. So much uncertainty still hangs over the franchise’s future. Most of the organization’stop officials will be traveling to Dallas for All-Star weekend to meet incoming Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov. League sources say the owner will be approved by the NBA’s board of governors in March, after his work with the Russian Olympic team is finished at the Vancouver Games. Yahoo! Sports

The ownership bid of George Postolos in Charlotte promises a massive overhaul of the organization, and league sources expect that should the former Houston Rockets president take over the franchise two of his top candidates for general manager will be San Antonio Spurs assistant GM Dennis Lindsey and Rockets assistant GM Sam Hinkie. Yahoo! Sports

But an NBA source said Jordan is not inclined to make a bid for the franchise that matches the number which owner Bob Johnson has in mind. It is believed that a group led by Houston investor George Postolos, the former president of the Rockets, has made a higher offer. One source familiar with the negotiations read Johnson's backing away from the sale to Postolos last summer and the continued extension of the process as a desire to give Jordan another opportunity to put together a stronger offer. But with league owners already skittish about the possible decrease of franchise values due to the perceived low-price sale of the New Jersey Nets (by Bruce Ratner to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov), there will be pressure on Johnson to go for the higher bid and not let his relationship with Jordan outweigh the prospect of more cash. ESPN.com

A source expects the final decision to come by March. Whatever the final sales price for the Bobcats turns out to be, the purchase isn't the same if it doesn't include assurances from Brown. ESPN.com

The Detroit Pistons could be sold. Pittsburgh has a new arena, with a lot of dates to fill between Penguins games. Can the Pittsburgh Pistons be far behind? Don't count on it. But that hasn't stopped speculation about the potential for the Pistons to move to Pittsburgh, a city littered with the carcasses of professional basketball teams that came and failed. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Still, the Penguins said Wednesday they'd "certainly be willing to listen" to a prospective owner with an interest in moving an NBA team to the Consol Energy Center. One skeptic is Mt. Lebanon billionaire Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. In an e-mail, he said, "I don't see any chance that a team would leave Detroit for any city. And I don't know if Pittsburgh could support an NBA team. They would have to compete with the Penguins, and that's hard to do." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

As Don Nelson walked out of the American Airlines Center, he stopped for a moment to exchange pleasantries, handshakes and pats on the back with Mark Cuban. Surprisingly, neither had puncture wounds afterward. "We're gonna go get a beer later," Cuban kidded, rolling his eyes. ESPN.com

Even through those heartbreaks, which has included all but five members of the team missing a significant number of games due toinjury, Allen has found comfort in traveling to the Rose Garden to watch his team overcome the odds and remain in the WesternConference playoff race. “I really enjoy (going to the Rose Garden),” said Allen. “I talk to Nate (McMillan) before most games, go to the locker room afterwards. Those moments are all very special to me. Some of those times, especially early in fall, when I came, I didn’t have a lot of energy, so they really helped to reenergize me.” Blazers.com

“I’m doing much better,” said Allen. “I’m just about finished with my treatments, fingers crossed. Everything is going well so far. It’s been a challenging few months for me too.” Blazers.com

The league is looking into the security lapse that allowed two fans to walk into the Blazers' huddle during Portland's game at Dallas Saturday. Two women walked onto the court and into the Blazers' team huddle during a timeout with 41 seconds remaining in the game. One of the woman wrapped her arms around a stunned Rudy Fernandez from behind. The women were ushered away from the huddle. By any measure, the incident is a major breach of arena security and a league spokesperson said the league is investigating. "We're looking into exactly what happened," Tim Frank, the NBA's vice-president, basketball communications, said in an e-mail Wednesday. Oregonian

How does two women - who Blazer guard Jerryd Bayless said looked like they were "drunk" - brazenly walk onto the court without being holstered by on-court security? And then be able to reach unsuspecting players gathered in a huddle? "The same way someone snuck into a White House function," Mark Cuban, owner of the Mavericks, said in an e-mail Wednesday night. "Someone made a mistake. It happens in every arena." Oregonian

One of the most intriguing questions came from @asdfeijadsk, who asked the Canadian superstar if he’d rather win an Oscar fordirecting or an NBA Championship. Nash replied, “Tough one! NBA title coz of years put in. Films aren’t black & white like ball.” Suns.com

It hasn't exactly been groundbreaking nowadays to hear a retired pro athlete try mixed martial arts. But unlike Herschel Walker, Johnnie Morton, Marcus Jones and Jose Canseco, former NBA All-Star Glen Rice has found involvement in the growing sport without any inclination towards stepping inside a caged enclosure. "No Herschel Walker for me," Rice told MMA Fighting recently with a hearty laugh. "Hey, I applaud what he's doing, but I'm going to stay in the position I'm in right now. I'm going to watch these guys enter the cage, and I'm going to stay on the outside of it." MMAFightings.com

An Ohio resident has filed a civil lawsuit against former Piston Allen Iverson that seeks $2.5 million plus damages stemming from an alleged incident at a Detroit nightspot last spring. Detroit Free Press

Alan Hahn: The Knicks will wear a No. 15 patch on their uniforms for the rest of the season in memory of Dick McGuire. Likely starting Friday vs Bucks. Twitter.com

Mark Jackson: I consider myself a student of the game and a historian. The McGuire name in New York City is royalty when you talk about basketball. I always will be indebted and grateful to Dick McGuire, who passed away yesterday. McGuire is the reason I fulfilled my dream and became a Knick. Dick is the man who made the move to draft me in 1987 out of St. John's, his alma-mater, with the 18th pick in the draft. It wasn't until afterward that I discovered how it played out. That draft, McGuire was calling the shots as it was before the Knicks hired general manager Al Bianchi and coach Rick Pitino. Dick was the guy who made the decision. New York Post

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