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Friday, February 26

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Last update: 5:15 pm ET

The reality is that the Washington Wizards had decided even before Josh Howard tore his left ACL last week that they would not be picking up his $11.8 million option for next season. The Wiz essentially regarded Howard as an expiring contract when they acquired him from Dallas in the deal that cost them Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, knowing that the ability to pass on the team option in Howard's deal would help Washington create significant salary-cap space this summer to greet the expected ownership transfer to Washington Capitals boss Ted Leonsis. ESPN.com

Yet one source with knowledge of the Wizards' thinking -- while acknowledging that things are still fluid in D.C., with Gilbert Arenas still on the payroll and the transfer of operation control to Leonsis not yet complete -- told ESPN.com this week that re-signing Howard at a lower number has not been ruled out. ESPN.com

The Wizards will lose Howard's Bird rights when they decline the team option, but Howard will be an unrestricted free agent facing an uncertain market in the midst of his recovery from knee surgery. The source said the Wiz do have a level of interest in re-signing the former All-Star swingman, depending on the price. ESPN.com

The Sixers have yet to officially announce that Allen Iverson has played his last game for them, but the players certainly think so. Elton Brand said Iverson was a fine teammate on and off the court, but he’s not counting on him to return. Iverson recently took a second leave of absence to be with his ailing young daughter. “He made guys want to play hard,” Brand said. “He wasn’t late for a meeting or late for a practice. All the [past] stuff you heard wasn’t him here. But I don’t expect him to come back.” Yahoo! Sports

Free agent Larry Hughes is determined to show he can still be productive in the league after being buried on the New York Knicks’ bench. Hughes is getting interest from several teams, his agent Jeff Wechsler told Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. “Larry’s got a chip on his shoulder to show everybody he can still play,” Wechsler said. Hughes was recently waived after being traded to Sacramento. Yahoo! Sports

"He's going to make up his mind at his pace," agent Herb Rudoy told NBA.com Friday. "He's in no rush. He could decide this weekend or sometime next week, but he feels no pressure to rush into a decision." NBA.com

Jason Quick: Agent for Zydrunas Ilgauskas says Blazers have made "preliminary inquiries" about his client ... but join "a long list" of suitors. Twitter.com

Gery Woelfel: FYI: Agent Herb Rudoy tells me Zydrunas Ilgauskas checking out about 8 teams. Bucks aren't one of them. Twitter.com

While Linas Kleiza is enjoying playing for Greek power Olympiakos, he is open to returning to the NBA next season. The Denver Nuggets restricted free agent has until mid-July to opt out of his contract with Olympiakos. Kleiza is averaging 16.9 points and 7.1 rebounds through 14 Euroleague games. “He’s neutral right now,” agent Bill Duffy said. Yahoo! Sports

Free-agent forward Mikki Moore has drawn some interest from teams, even though he’ll likely be out another three weeks after having heel surgery. Yahoo! Sports

Sixers center Francisco Elson is expected to have his contract bought out before Monday’s deadline, so he can be eligible to play in the postseason for another team, a league source said. The Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz are among the teams who could show interest, a source said. The 7-foot center has not reported to the Sixers after recently being acquired from Milwaukee. He is expected to be cleared soon to play after having hernia surgery Feb. 1. Yahoo! Sports

Veteran Nets forward Tony Battie is another buyout candidate before Monday. Yahoo! Sports

Wiz having Clipper reunion: They signed former No. 4 overall pick Shaun Livingston to 10-day contract this morn. He'll be uniform vs. NYK. Twitter.com

Veteran forward Kenny Thomas is a candidate for the Trail Blazers' 15th roster spot, according to the player's agent, Mark McNeil. The Blazers have one open roster spot, and must sign a player before Monday in order for that player to be eligible for the playoffs. Thomas, 32, was waived by Sacramento on Feb.18. "We've talked and we plan to speak again between now and Monday,'' McNeil said Friday. Oregonian

McNeil said two other NBA teams have inquired about Thomas' services. Oregonian

The Blazers are also rumored to be interested in 6-foot-2 point guard Will Conroy, who is playing with Rio Grande in the NBA Development League. “Looking at a lot of options. Nothing decided,’’ Pritchard wrote in an email earlier this week. Oregonian

The Jazz haven’t sat down to talk about candidates, but what’s so intriguing is that they could really go with anybody. A big man might be preferable, but the Jazz also could opt for a wing. They won’t add a fourth point guard, however. Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor wants a player with experience, but that’s not necessarily a 10-year veteran. The Jazz would likely somebody who could help them on the court, but most importantly they don’t want to mess with their chemistry. Salt Lake Tribune

It’s going to be the first list in history in which everyone from Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Othyus Jeffers from the D-League’s Iowa Energy is expected to be considered. Two names that could be on the final short list are expected to be Mikki Moore and Rob Kurz. Salt Lake Tribune

Jonathan Givony: Carlos Powell bought out of D-League and signed w/Liaoning in China, his agent Dan Tobin tells us. Tired of waiting for a call-up I'm sure. Twitter.com

Already owning about $23 million in salary-cap space for this summer’s free-agent market, the New Jersey Nets could have tried to clear another $5 million before the trade deadline to give them enough room to sign two max-level players. But with a few talented young players, along with some draft picks to dangle, the Nets didn’t find a deal to their liking. “We had talks with several teams, but we never came close to completing anything,” Nets president Rod Thorn said. “The free-agency market has changed because you have seven teams with $15 million or more under the salary cap. There are a lot of teams who, at least in theory, could sign a max free agent.” Yahoo! Sports

Thorn said most of the teams talking to the Nets were focused on acquiring center Brook Lopez or guards Devin Harris and Courtney Lee. Thorn considers all three to be key pieces of the Nets’ future – regardless of whether Thorn is around to call the shots after the team’s sale is completed. The New York Knicks, meanwhile, made deals to allow them to potentially sign two top-tier free agents. “If we would have made a trade, we would have had to get rid of a real good player in order to get down to where the Knicks got where you have at least the possibility of signing two players,” Thorn said. “They gave up a lot to get there. Just because you get there doesn’t mean you’re going to sign people under the salary cap. You’ve got to look at the environment and try to make the most rational decision you can. Yahoo! Sports

One source with knowledge of Memphis' thinking told ESPN.com that Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins was high on Thabeet going into the draft as well. Yet Heisley is widely regarded as the voice that pushed hardest for the selection of Thabeet, which only makes this story wilder. You'd figure box-office reasons would be the primary consideration when an owner wants a certain player drafted. The decision not to select local collegiate star Tyreke Evans at No. 2 gets even more curious when you're reminded that Heisley was hooked more than anyone else in the organization on Thabeet's size (7-foot-3) and wingspan. ESPN.com

Dan Steinberg: Caron on Gil, via sports radio interviews: "He truly is a good dude so I wish him the best.” Twitter.com

What he wants to say to the public about the gun incident: Javaris Crittenton: “Just that I am sorry for the incident to all of my fans and all of my family too, all the kids that look up to me. It wasn’t good. At this point, just moving forward and having positive thoughts and just working really hard getting ready for next season.” Sports Radio Interviews

On the brief conversation he had with David Stern expressing his sorrow for what happened and him wanting to move forward: “Yeah that is it. I just want to put this behind me. It was definitely a mistake. A mistake that shouldn’t have happened, but you know everything happens for a reason and really opened my eyes and I just want to move forward. Positive thoughts and positive people around me and doing the right thing.” Sports Radio Interviews

Lakers center Andrew Bynum was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for criticizing referees after the Lakers' 101-96 loss Wednesday at Dallas. "It's hard to win when it's five against eight," Bynum told reporters after the game, a thinly veiled reference to the three referees. Los Angeles Times

Art Garcia: Wizards were fined for Caron Butler's straw-chewing habit. No league directive (yet) to check his mouth during games. Twitter.com

While it still seems to be a pretty silly use of the NBA's time, the league's decision not to allow Caron Butler to chew on a straw when he plays has some merit to Jason Terry. "Kids are going to do what we do,'' he said. "That's just the way it is. I can see why they're doing it for safety's sake. But I don't know about all those years in Washington.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Now Brand can’t even bring himself to tune into the All-Star game. “I haven’t watched it since ’06,” Brand said. “It’s tough. It’s tough to see guys where you think, ‘I can play better than him’ or ‘I could do this.’ “The young stars end up taking over for the older guys. There are a lot of young guys with a lot of game. I saw it when I was a young guy taking guys’ spots. But I’m not ready to concede my spot yet.” Yahoo! Sports

“It’s been a roller coaster from not playing in the fourth quarter to not starting to getting big minutes and being the go-to guy again,” Brand said. “It’s been an up-and-down year, as it is with the team. It’s both sides’ [fault], the team and mine. You can’t do much playing 18 minutes a game.” Yahoo! Sports

“I’m here for the long haul,” Brand said. “This story is not over. I’m not one of those guys that lies down and lets it be over. I keep working, keep getting better, get back to where I need to be and where the team needs to be. “It’s going to be like, ‘Oh, remember that? He didn’t play as well. He was hurt.’ But that’s going to be all in the past.” Yahoo! Sports

Shaquille O'Neal sustained a "significant" right thumb sprain that forced him to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers' game Thursday night against Boston. Coach Mike Brown said O'Neal will miss the Cavs' game Friday night at Toronto. "I don't know how long Shaq will be out," Brown said after the 108-88 victory over Boston. "He'll see the doctor and it will go from there." USA Today

Contentious talks between the NBA and the players union pose the threat of a lockout in 2011, and some collegians might want the immediate payday instead of waiting and earning nothing next year if the league shuts down. "The likelihood is people will panic" and enter the draft prematurely, agent David Falk, who represented Michael Jordan during his NBA career, said this week. "You should come out when you're ready to make an impact." USA Today

Falk said underclassmen expected to be drafted outside the top 10 should go back to school unless they have dire financial needs. "Most people look at the money for the next year," he said. "You have to look at what a player can earn over the course of a career." USA Today

Ohio State junior swingman Evan Turner’s stock is rising, but does he have any chance of overtaking Kentucky freshman guard John Wall to become the top pick of the 2010 NBA draft? “Don’t think so, but maybe,” one longtime NBA scout said. Yahoo! Sports

Twenty-two NBA team executives and scouts, including Atlanta Hawks general manager Rick Sund, were at San Jose State last Monday to scout Seattle University junior forward Charles Garcia. The versatile 6-10, 220-pounder is averaging 19.4 points and 8.3 rebounds this season, but has come off the bench the past four games. While one NBA scout said Garcia will go late first round, another projects him as a mid-to-late second-rounder. Yahoo! Sports

One scout said Texas center Dexter Pittman has digressed significantly since his strong outing against North Carolina on Dec. 19 and projects Pittman to be a late first-round prospect, at best. Yahoo! Sports

Carlos Arroyo and JJ Barea headline a 41-strong list of players that expect to be considered for Puerto Rico national team duty this summer. Barea was injured and unable to compete for Manolo Cintron's team at last year's FIBA Americas Championship in San Juan but he is a near certainty to be in the squad when Puerto Rico play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. In the Preliminary Round, Puerto Rico will take on Greece, China, Russia, the Ivory Coast and hosts Turkey in Ankara. Veteran shooting guard Larry Ayuso is on the list, as is one of the Puerto Ricans' surprises at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Javier Mojica - a player who did not compete in last year's FIBA Americas Championship. FIBA.com

Warriors assistant Scott Roth has again been offered the job as coach of the Dominican Republic's national team, according to NBA coaching sources. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose said Friday he would be happy if Vinny Del Negro returns as his head coach next season, and Rose believes there's a good chance Chicago will land a major free agent this summer. "Oh definitely, if he comes back I'll be happy," Rose said on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "If not, that's not really up to me, it's up to the front office. "He's doing a good job with us, the coaching staff is doing a good job with us. He usually lets me go out there and play and lets me make the best of my mistakes. No matter what, he always tells me I'm doing a good job, and he's always showing me video. I don't have anything to complain about." ESPN.com

Why aren't you coaching today in the NBA? Scottie Pippen: Jobs in the NBA are difficult to get. I would like to be there one day, but it's a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Right now, I've been focusing on my family. I want my kids growing up in the right environment. That's where I've been the last few years. I expect to get back to the NBA soon. FanHouse.com

After what you did for the Bulls, why weren't they -- or aren't they -- interested in you coaching them? Scottie Pippen: They made their choices as to who they wanted, what direction they wanted to go in. I have no problem with that. If they aren't interested in me, I can accept that. FanHouse.com

What kind of a coach would you be? Scottie Pippen: I'd be more of a tough practice coach, and more relaxed during games. I would push harder to develop my team in practice, but then try to allow them to exist on their own during games. Not totally on their own -- with some coaching -- but I wouldn't be one of those NBA coaches running up and down the sidelines getting sweaty, beating themselves to death. FanHouse.com

Baron Davis has heard about Kim Hughes' infamous spot in NBA history. "He was worse than DeAndre Jordan," the guard said of how Hughes, his coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, used to chip paint off the rim. FanHouse.com

The Wolves have won only 14 of 59 games this season, and while their attendance is up over last year's anemic figures, the team expects to lose close to $25 million, and some of the minority owners would like to sell the part of the team they own. However, owner Glen Taylor said he doesn't have any thoughts of either selling or moving the team, and he is confident that the present management will eventually have the Wolves competing with the best teams in the NBA. "Nope, I'm too competitive to give up," said Taylor, who also is in deep red ink operating the WNBA's Lynx but believes that professional women's basketball should get its opportunity. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Taylor said he believes Kahn and Rambis are doing what he expected when they were hired. "Yes, I'm pleased with both David and the coaching staff. I just think they've been very patient," Taylor said. "They said to me: Give us a year to look at these guys and let us do an evaluation and let's see if we can get them to improve. My expectation is that when we get to the end of this season, they will make some changes and they'll be comfortable with some of the guys." Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Samuel Dalembert, the 76ers' center, has been named the winner of the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for January, recognizing his philanthropic and charitable work in his homeland of Haiti. Since last month's devastating earthquake in Haiti, Dalembert has made two trips there and has made personal donations of more than $120,000 to the U.S. Fund For UNICEF. Dalembert will receive the David Robinson Plaque, and a $5,000 donation will be made by the NBA to support his foundation. Philadelphia Daily News

The list of South Florida athletes who have been arrested grew on Friday. Coral Gables Police arrested Heat star Carlos Arroyo just before 9 a.m. Friday. Arroyo was arrested on charges of failure to obey a lawful order and resisting arrest without violence. According to Coral Gables Police, a detective followed Arroyo after he saw the Heat player driving slowly and holding up traffic. The detective asked for a marked unit to make a traffic stop on Arroyo. CBS 4

Police said a motorcycle officer made several attempts to stop Arroyo's car before Arroyo finally pulled over. However, Arroyo refused to get out of his car. Additional officers responded to the scene and Arroyo eventually got out of his car. Police said Arroyo attempted to resist being handcuffed when he was taken into custody. According to the arresting officers, Arroyo was "confrontational and challenging" after his arrest and posed a threat to both himself and the officers during the incident. CBS 4

Former NBA and University of Michigan basketball player Robert Traylor must serve 60 days in prison for tax troubles, but a federal judge agreed today to allow him to first travel overseas to play ball for a team in Turkey. Detroit Free Press

Former San Antonio Spur Alvin Robertson is wanted in connection with a human trafficking investigation. According to a press release, the Bexar County Human Trafficking Task Force arrested 6 people following the three month investigation. Three of the seven people investigators say are involved are facing human trafficking charges, one is facing kidnapping charges, and three are facing charges of sexual assault of a child. Murtuza Bhavnagerwala, Raquel McIntosh, Behzad Mehrinfar, Leslie Campbell, Marque Callaway, and Jack Zimmerle have all been arrested and charged. Alvin Robertson has not yet been arrested. WOAI.com

Last update: 7:49 am ET

Sources reveal Rajon Rondo will receive a belated invitation to join 24 other NBA players when they try out for Team USA -- competing in the World Championship in Turkey -- Aug. 28-Sept. 12. Miscommunication apparently caused the Celtics' All-Star to be ignored. That changed once he expressed a fervent willingness to participate. New York Post

After doing an interview in New Jersey this week with a Spanish newspaper, an article was published painting Fernandez as if he wanted out of Portland. Frankly, I was stunned to hear the tone of some of his comments. That wasn’t the Rudy I had been around this season. When I caught up with him in Toronto, I discovered that the Spanish report had some truths, but also some exaggerations. “For sure I talked to Spanish media, but sometimes the Spanish media people write what they want,’’ Fernandez said outside the Blazers locker room before the Toronto game. “But for sure, I want to play more. I am comfortable with you, I can talk to you right now, and for sure I want to play more. And for sure, sometimes I feel like the coach doesn’t trust me with my play. But I talk to coach after the All-Star break, and we talked together about the rest of the season. It was a good meeting. For both.’’ Oregonian

Throughout our conversation, Fernandez made it clear that he was uncomfortable talking about his future because he and the team were in the middle of a playoff hunt. “I don’t want to talk about this right now. I want to focus on Portland and play hard every time I’m on the court,’’ Fernandez said. “That’s my only goal right now.’’ Oregonian

Fernandez said he has every intent of finishing the two years remaining on his contract. The talk of him returning to Spain to play for Real Madrid is overblown, he says. “I only said I won’t close doors,’’ Fernandez said. Oregonian

When I spoke to Biedrins’ agent, Bill Duffy, about a week before the trade deadline, he emphasized that Biedrins loved the Warriors’ fans and wanted to stick with the team and “get through this.” I didn’t want to over-analyze it at the time, but I believe that Duffy hopes Biedrins can outlast Nelson. Presumably, Duffy and Biedrins believe if you put Biedrins on a normally coached team, a team that values the subtle things he can do, Biedrins will snap back into his productive level of play. San Jose Mercury-News

The teams courting Ilgauskas are "fighting the good fight," according to one person with knowledge of the situation. But everyone involved knows that Ilgauskas, who has spent his entire career in Cleveland and is viewed by LeBron James as a necessary ingredient in the Cavs' pursuit of a championship, is going back from whence he came. CBSSports.com

Several teams are aggressively pursuing Ilgauskas and are showing interest by creating a mini bidding war, according to league sources. Several teams are offering multiyear deals well above the veteran's minimum salary and are outbidding what the Cavs can offer, sources said. "That's good for Z that a lot of teams have interest in him at his age," LeBron James said Thursday before the Cavs took on the Boston Celtics. "You know somebody but you can never be inside somebody's mind in those situations." Cleveland Plain Dealer

With Zydrunas Ilgauskas reaching agreement on a contract buyout with Washington, Ilgauskas' agent, Herb Rudoy , said Thursday that the Jazz have expressed interest in signing the veteran center. The Jazz have a roster spot to fill following the Feb. 18 trade that sent Ronnie Brewer to Memphis. Rudoy said Ilgauskas was waiting until he clears waivers to start discussing the next step of signing with a team. Ilgauskas has spent his entire 12-year career with Cleveland and is widely expected to return to the Cavaliers, who traded him to Washington in acquiring Antawn Jamison . The 34-year-old Ilgauskas has averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds this season. Salt Lake Tribune

"He knows the league and he knows every team after all these years," Rudoy said. "He's going to make the decision that's best for himself. They are a terrific team with a great coach." Salt Lake Tribune

Despite the interest, James doesn't think he needs to recruit Ilgauskas. "I've got too much history with Z for a phone call, I don't think that would be needed," James said. "He knows I want him to be back here, I'd love for him to be back here especially while we're contending for a title. He's one of the main reasons I want to win a title for this team." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Brian Windhorst: On another matter, I've been informed the earliest the Cavs could re-sign Z is March 22 not 21st as all have been reporting. Twitter.com

Undrafted out of Purdue, Brad Miller is in his 12th season and, somehow, slower than when his career began. He's still effective, though, which is why Miller quelled any speculation Wednesday that he might retire when his seven-year, $68 million ends after this season. "You know with my basketball IQ I think I can overcome the shortness of athleticism and quickness that I'm finally starting to lose at my age," Miller said with his typically heavy wit. Chicago Tribune

On a more serious note, Miller, 33, said he would play for the league minimum if that's all the free-agent market yields after his $12.25 million salary this season. "I won't be asking for the same amount," Miller said, laughing. "I do call myself a realist. Hopefully, I'll get more (than league minimum) but it's not about money. I just want to play. I think I have not too many more but definitely one or two more seasons in me." Chicago Tribune

Grizzlies rookie center Hasheem Thabeet will spend about 10 days with the Dakota Wizards in the NBA's Development League. His return date is set for March 8 when the Griz host the New Jersey Nets. Thabeet will have appeared in six games in the D- League. Memphis Commercial Appeal

"Me being the No. 2 pick doesn't mean I have to go and contribute right away," Thabeet said. "There's a reason they drafted me. I just have to work hard, get better and then one day be able to answer the call." Memphis Commercial Appeal

Duffy supported the decision. The Dakota Wizards are the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate. “I think he needs to play,” Duffy said. Yahoo! Sports

Adrian Wojnarowski: Another front office executive on Thabeet: "If he works -- really works -- he can be Dampier." Twitter.com

Kings coach Paul Westphal declined to disclose his immediate plans for Spencer Hawes. Given the extent of Thompson's injury, however, it would be a fair assumption that the one-time starting center will be activated for tonight's game against the Utah Jazz. Here's another hint: Hawes worked with the first unit during Thursday's practice. The third-year veteran was placed on the inactive list for the Detroit game after venting to The Bee about Westphal's fluid lineups and substitutions. On Thursday, Hawes, who a day earlier said he planned to approach his coach about the matter, kept his thoughts to himself. "I'm not going to talk about it," he said. "It's pretty much worked itself out." Sacramento Bee

Geoff Petrie tends to give his veteran head coaches plenty of autonomy regarding team rules, policy and discipline. Westphal's handling of the Hawes matter was no different. "Paul does a good job defending his players, no matter how poorly they play," the Kings basketball president said. "If you have an issue, the first person who should hear about it is the coach – or me. That didn't happen. "But it's just an event in the course of growing and having a long career. We've got a lot of young guys, and sometimes the testosterone gets in the wrong body parts." Sacramento Bee

For Richard Jefferson, a starter through nearly all of his first eight NBA seasons and a starter in the first 39 Spurs games this season, a recent demotion to the bench is easier to take just by glancing quickly at the locker next to his at the AT&T Center. It belongs to Manu Ginobili. “No, it’s not hard at all to accept,” Jefferson said. “I just want to win. You look at a guy like Manu, who’s been All-NBA, one of the best players in this league, and he comes off the bench. “Starting isn’t a pride thing. I didn’t start (against Oklahoma City on Wednesday), but I was in the game at the very end. That’s been the situation most of these games I haven’t started since the All-Star break. As long as I earn those minutes to be in at the end of the game, I’m happy.” San Antonio Express-News

Charlotte Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson took a nice, little vacation during the All-Star break: tropical weather, good food, umbrellas in the drinks. He'd rather have been working. And it saddens him he might never get the chance to work the Sunday of All-Star Weekend. "I'm not on (NBA commissioner) David Stern's favorites list because of a couple of incidents,'' Jackson said when asked why he's never been selected for an All-Star Game. "I get really depressed when I don't get in because I think that's one of the last things on my 'to-achieve' list. I won a championship (in San Antonio) and I've gotten better every year. My last two goals are to be on first- or second-team All-NBA and to play in an All -Star Game." Charlotte Observer

Jackson thinks there's another agenda at work with him. He got a lot of bad press - deservedly so, he concedes - for two altercations as an Indiana Pacer: the brawl in the stands of a Detroit Pistons game and the warning shots he fired outside an Indianapolis strip club. He says each time he was defending a teammate, but he doesn't pretend those transgressions were trivial. Still, he wonders if their half-lives might never expire when it comes to things like All-Star consideration. He talked passionately about all that Wednesday morning in Salt Lake City. "I thought the All-Star Game was about (assembling) the 20 best players in the league, not the guys who they want (promoted) to sell tickets. Nothing against (the Knicks') David Lee, but he made it and my team has a better record," Jackson said. Charlotte Observer

Disappointed with his effort in a "disgraceful" home loss to Minnesota, Heat forward Michael Beasley returned to an empty AmericanAirlines Arena hours later for some soul searching. ``Some people think I take the game for granted,'' Beasley said Thursday. ``But this is my life, what I live for, how I live. Anytime I feel something is wrong, I try to get my mind right, tune up my machine.'' Miami Herald

Although he wouldn't mention names or detail a specific incident, Spoelstra said there was a level of angst in Thursday's practice that led to some ``testy'' moments. Spoelstra hasn't bothered to hide his frustration from Tuesday's loss, which dropped the Heat to 14-13 at home. With three days to stew before the next game, players apparently are fed up as well as the Heat (29-29) clings to a playoff spot. ``My Indiana teams, guys would get into a lot of fights,'' said former Pacer and current Heat center Jermaine O'Neal. ``That's what you need, a competitive nature, an edge. [Thursday] it was an edge. It's difficult to be in this position, knowing what's at stake.'' Miami Herald

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Had a quick word just moments ago with Caron Butler, who reports that he is feeling much better today after recovering from a reaction to medication. Couldn't resist asking him about the NBA's ban of chewing straws. He too sees the humor in this thing. He just laughed and said he'll do whatever he has to in order to abide by the rules of the NBA straw police. Asked what his new chew will be, Butler said: "I don't know. I'll have to find something quick, though.'' Dallas Morning News

But he knows he can't be that everyday top scorer on the Suns any more than he could replicate the slams that won two Slam Dunk Contest titles. He can still score big and he can still get off a 360-degree degree jam. But both are going to happen only occasionally. "People think because of how much money I make, I'm supposed to average a certain amount of points," said Richardson, the Suns' second-highest-paid player at $13.3 million this season. "What they don't really look at is that it's a team effort in the things I do. I make a lot of sacrifices for the team. I know sometimes people go, 'He could score 20. He could do this every night.' But my role on this team is not to do that every night. My role is to do every other little thing. On some nights, it is about scoring." Arizona Republic

Murray usually chuckles when he's asked if it's difficult changing teams in the middle of a season. ''Everything in the NBA is mostly the same,'' he said after practice Thursday at the Berto Center. ''Everybody does the same thing. There's just different play calls for it. So once I get the calls for everything -- which I'm starting to get -- everything else comes easy.'' Chicago Sun-Times

Indeed, Powe’s return to the Garden with the Cavaliers last night drew a wistful response from his old coach, even if Doc Rivers was in on the decision not to bring the power forward back last summer due to his knee trouble. “I’d love to have him,” Rivers said. “He’s a great guy, a great spirit, but I understood that we couldn’t. It was a decision we had to make. We needed to go out and get a Rasheed Wallace and get bigger, and things like that. I just wanted him to get a job. “(But) I’d love to have Leon next to me on the bench for the rest of my coaching career. He’s that good of a guy to have in your locker room.” Boston Herald

It was brief. But Wade practiced with the team in non-contact drills for about 30 minutes Thursday. It was the first time Wade worked out with teammates in simulated game work since he strained his left calf in a Feb. 17 victory at New Jersey. Wade has missed the past three games and a return is doubtful for this weekend, when the Heat plays host to Milwaukee on Saturday and travels to Orlando on Sunday. ``It doesn't hurt [and] it doesn't feel great,'' Wade said of the injury. ``Still not ready yet. It's in that stage where I have to continue to get it stronger. I'm just glad I could get out there and run up and down a little bit.'' Miami Herald

We all know that's not going to happen. But Griffin, the Clippers forward who is out the entire season and had Jan. 20 surgery to repair a broken left kneecap, had encouraging information Thursday when asked when he will be back to 100 percent. "Probably sometime in like May,'' Griffin, the NBA's No. 1 pick last June, said in an interview with FanHouse. "At least I'll be able to do workouts without restrictions.'' FanHouse.com

After being hurt in the Clippers' final preseason game, Griffin initially was projected to return to action sometime in January. But the Clippers announced Jan. 13 Griffin was done for the season and would undergo surgery. "I kind of had a feeling in the back of my mind that (surgery) would have to be an option,'' Griffin said. "So that kind of helped me deal with and prepare for it a little bit. I had an MRI and a CT scan in December and it wasn't completely where we wanted it to be but there was still a chance either way. So it was kind of 50-50 in my mind.'' FanHouse.com

Charlotte Bobcats center Tyson Chandler flew to New York Thursday to consult with the foot specialist who operated on him last spring to address ankle and toe injuries. Chandler has missed the last four games with additional pain in his foot and ankle. He's missed 26 of the last 29 games, after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in that foot in late December. Charlotte Observer

The Sacramento Kings say forward Jason Thompson will miss up to two weeks with a lower back injury. The Kings said X-rays on Thursday determined that Thompson has two fractures in his lower back. ESPN.com

Arnie Kander, the Detroit Pistons' longtime strength and conditioning coach, says he's never seen as many ankle, knee and groin injuries as he has this season. And he's not kidding. From opening night to mid-December, three different Pistons guards — Richard Hamilton(notes), Ben Gordon(notes) and Will Bynum(notes) — all missed time thanks to buggered ankles. What's that sayin'? Two's a coincedence, three's a trend. So, like any good NBA trainer who moonlights as a private investigator, Kander donned his deerstalker hat and overcoat, smoked a pipe, and quickly figured out that it was a specific brand of sneakers — *COUGH* Nike Hyperizes *COUGH* — that were making the Pistons' ankles go lame. Yahoo! Sports

Kander, who once referred to current basketball shoes as glorified "moccasins," takes his players ankles very serious. In fact, the Pistons actually fine members of the team who don't tape their ankles because it has shown to be so effective in preventing injury. Kander's hardcore — his ankles have mustaches. Yahoo! Sports

Shortly after Clippers general manager Mike Dunleavy stepped down as coach, Fox Sports circulated a preposterous report that Los Angeles had "reached out" to Isiah Thomas regarding every front-office position of consequence as well as Chief Leak. New York Post

Remember when Thomas, on the unemployment line while pocketing $7 million per season, offered his stained services to the Clips last winter? For free? He used a similar approach to get the Florida International job. Well, at the time, team president Andy Roeser respectfully met with Thomas to hear his pitch. Later on, Dunleavy took him to lunch. Despite being told there were no openings, Thomas hung around Los Angeles for a while and tried to ingratiate himself to Donald Sterling. He thought he was getting over. New York Post

Little did he know Sterling begged team officials to stop Thomas from pestering him -- "Please keep him away from me." This is the same owner purported by Foxsports.com to want Thomas to take exclusive charge of upstairs and downstairs. New York Post

A story by the Associated Press used as part of the Cavaliers Insider in Wednesday's Plain Dealer contained some errors. According to Michael Bass, NBA senior vice president, marketing communications, the NBA has not pursued nor had any discussions about investing in or operating the National Basketball League in China. "But we are supportive of any efforts that further basketball in China," Bass said. In addition, while the Cavs have agreed to sell a 15 percent stake in the franchise to Chinese businessman Albert Hung, the NBA's Board of Governors has yet to approve the sale. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Is the sale happening now? Two sources close to the process tell me an announcement is imminent and could come at any time -- as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer has reported. Other sources insist that kind of talk is premature, and point out that in May and August of last year there were also reports saying a sale was imminent, but nothing materialized either time. Lending special credence to the idea that the time is now, however, are the comments of NBA Commissioner David Stern at All-Star weekend, who said that he thought a sale of the team was certain. "And I think that might happen sooner rather than later," he added "within the next 60 days or so." Those involved in the process found such specific comments to be meaningful. Not only were they coming from a very careful and lawyerly speaker in Stern, but they also seemed to suggest that he had insider's knowledge of how the process was playing out -- if key issues remained unresolved, it would surely be foolish to predict a swift outcome. ESPN.com

If there is a sale, will Michael Jordan be the new controlling owner? There are two groups known to be pursuing the Bobcats. The primary figure in one group is Jordan, who sources say would not purchase the team solo, but instead would lead a group of investors. It's not known what percentage of the purchase price would be met with his own money. If he wants to make all the big decisions, however, he'll likely have to dip into his own pocket more than a little. The NBA likes any team's "controlling owner" to own at least 15% of the team. (Remember when Pat Croce was the "owner" of the Sixers, and then he was essentially fired? That was only possible because he owned just a small percentage.) ESPN.com

Two sources close to the process say that of the two groups, Jordan's has the inside track. That would seem to be seconded by Stern himself, who said at All-Star that "if Michael were to be a buyer that would be a good thing." That might have been a pro forma statement -- he's Michael Jordan, the biggest name in basketball history. Of course it's a good thing to have him in the NBA. On the other hand, praising Jordan as an owner is a strange way to behave if you expect to be selling the world on the merits of of George Postolos and his investors. ESPN.com

Seeing how the relationship between Shaq and Kobe developed, with its highs and lows (and very lows), was it really a perfect marriage between you and Magic? Was it a turning point when Norm Nixon left the team and Pat Riley came on board? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: I don’t believe that perfection is possible when you are talking about relationships between players, but I feel that Earvin and I had a well-adjusted and respectful interaction for the 10 seasons we played together. He was a consummate leader on the court and our skills complimented each other. He never failed to recognize and acknowledge those things that I did to make the Lakers successful and I was always quick to acknowledge his contributions to success of the Showtime Lakers. HoopsHype.com

The Cavaliers will install 18 water fountains next week to replace those removed from The Q before the Oct. 27 season opener, bringing the arena into compliance with the state building code. The team obtained a $144 permit for the work from Cleveland's Building and Housing Department on Thursday. Qwest Mechanical Corp. of Strongsville will install the wall-mounted, stainless-steel fountains made by international water-products manufacturer Haws. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Alan Hahn: A little birdie just told me that @MSGTina has been nominated for an Emmy Award for sports reporting in the Tri-State area. Twitter.com

Brian Scalabrine’s much-hyped tan - sprayed on as the price of a wager with morning radio hosts Toucher and Rich from 98.5 The Sports Hub - was considerably more subdued last night. The Celtics forward, in an attempt to return to his pasty self, reportedly spent a long time in the shower attempting to scrub off his new bronzed veneer before coming out for Wednesday’s practice. Last night Scalabrine simply held up his hands and said, “I went to work out and it all came off.” Boston Herald

“I didn’t notice,” said Rivers. “He looked like the same Scal to me, and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not.” Boston Herald

Lamar Odom: I'm at a shoot for Playboy Magazine. Looking for Hef! Haha. Twitter.com

One of the most ridiculous pieces we've seen, as of late, comes from Boston Celtics guard Marquis Daniels, who dropped a pretty penny on a custom, diamond encrusted replica of his own head. The NBA baller recently enlisted popular jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills, whose clientele boasts actresses such as Jessica Alba as well as rappers like Lil Jon, for a piece modeled after his own face. The bling was made using "3D laser-imaging process that took place in the making of the face and head weighing in at over 1,300 grams of 14k gold," the jewelers said on their blog. BallerStatus.com

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