Carl Braun, who was chosen for five consecutive All-Star games as a member of the New York Knicks, died Wednesday of natural causes. He was 82. Braun died in Florida, the team said. He is the second former Knicks star to die in a week. Hall of Famer Dick McGuire, Braun’s teammate, passed away last Wednesday. - AP
With eight days to go until the NBA trading deadline, George Karl has mixed feelings about whether the Nuggets should make a deal. "I'm 50-50," the Nuggets coach said Tuesday, just before his team blew out the Mavericks to improve to 35-17, the second-best record in the West. "Fifty percent says I don't think anything's going to happen and that's not bad. And there's 50 percent of me every once in a while, after a loss, that goes, 'I wish I had another half a body.' - Denver Post
When Chris Paul went down with a knee injury last month, there became even more of a sense of urgency for USA Basketball to have another veteran point guard in the mix for the World Championships this summer in Turkey. It's Chauncey Billups to the rescue. FanHouse has learned the Denver Nuggets point guard has agreed to have his name in a list of about 25 players that will be announced Wednesday by USA Basketball. The pool of players, which USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said could number as many as 28, eventually will be cut to 12 for the Aug. 28-Sept. 12 World Championships. - FanHouse
League executives who have been speaking with the Cavs and other sources also involved in talks say that whether or not the Cavs make a deal may come down to J.J. Hickson. Simply, several teams want Hickson included in any trade package and, to this point, the Cavs have been balking at many of them. Hickson is not untouchable, but the team has made it clear in talks that it would take a special offer to get him. - Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Thunder are 30-21, good for sixth in the conference and a full three games ahead of No. 9 Houston in the Western playoff race. They're closer to third than they are to ninth, and looking ahead they have one of the league's most favorable remaining schedules. Barring injury, they're going to make it, and they might even be hosting a first-round playoff series. - ESPN
Miami Heat president Pat Riley has emerged as one of the most determined pursuers of Phoenix Suns forward Amar’e Stoudemire, proposing several different packages that make available any of his players short of Dwyane Wade, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Heat have discussed several scenarios with the Suns, including packages that include combinations of young players (Michael Beasley(notes), Dorell Wright(notes)) and expiring contracts (Jermaine O’Neal(notes) and Quentin Richardson(notes)). The Heat are also willing to part with their 2010 first-round draft pick. - Yahoo! Sports
The Houston Rockets are in the discussion stages of a complicated, three-team trade that would send Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks, sources told Yahoo! Sports. The centerpieces of the trade would include the Washington Wizards shipping forward Caron Butler and center Brendan Haywood to the Rockets. The Knicks would send Al Harrington to the Wizards. For the Wizards’ part, they would still need another player, as well as a draft pick and cash to make this a workable scenario, sources said. - Yahoo! Sports
But this year there's something new, information the team never had before. It's hard-core statistical analysis of everything that goes on in every NBA game that provides another layer at the coach's disposal – number-crunching that takes number-crunching to places never before explored in Toronto. "They break stuff down like you've never seen," Triano said of the two men who crunch the numbers and provide the information the Raptors are using more now than they ever have. "It's possession-by-possession, player-by-player, combinations of players, points per possession, where we're scoring, where we're not scoring, it just gives us another tool to help us get better at both ends." - The Toronto Star
With Nate Robinson battling a strained groin, D'Antoni was asked if he prefers Robinson to sit out this weekend's slam-dunk contest. "He has to tell me how he feels," D'Antoni said. "I have no idea how he feels. And if it bothers him, obviously the best thing to do is to rest it. But if he's OK to compete, it's a fun weekend and the NBA has asked him to do something and he's the defending [champion] -- so I can understand why he wants to. But he has to know his body and know what's best for him." - New York Post
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and All-Star Dirk Nowitzki emphasized after the team's 127-91 loss at Denver on Tuesday night that Dallas really missed starting center Erick Dampier. Dampier missed his second consecutive game as he continues to be slowed by an injured left knee that has plagued him for more than a month now. Dampier hasn't looked the same over the last month after starting off fast this year. - Dallas Morning News
Among those discussions, other sources say, involve Butler going to Dallas in an exchange that almost certainly would include Josh Howard. If the Mavs are able to follow through on their desire to trade Howard, they essentially must do so before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. Howard has a team option at $11.8 million for the 2010-11 season, and as such couldn't be traded after the season unless the Mavs picked up the option -- which would guarantee Howard's contract for next season. - CBS Sports
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he's had no discussions with the Charlotte Bobcats about a rumored deal that centered around a swap of Celtics forward Glen Davis and Charlotte guard D.J. Augustin. Making his weekly appearance on WEEI 850 AM radio in Boston, Ainge shot down one of the many rumors that has begun to swirl as the NBA trade deadline of Feb. 18 approaches. - ESPN
Donnie Walsh: "I don’t expect players of that caliber to be traded because their own team wants to keep them," he said. "If they decide they can’t keep them, they’re going to reach out and try to make trades." The one such player who could be moved, Amar’e Stoudemire, is of little interest to the Knicks and the coaching staff that had him in Phoenix. - Bergen Record
The Suns are believed to be in discussions with as many as six teams, although more may yet show themselves before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. The Philadelphia 76ers remain involved, but have rejected the Suns’ attempts to attach guard Jason Richardson to a larger package that would include Samuel Dalembert and Andre Iguodala. - Yahoo! Sports
While the Stoudemire deal seems intriguing on paper -- he averages 21.2 points and 8.6 rebounds -- his statistics are fraudulent. He doesn't have a post game, preferring to step out to the perimeter. He also hasn't shown he can thrive without Phoenix's wide-open style and Steve Nash setting him up. The Pistons would be smart to stay away. - Detroit News
The Pacers could possibly soften their stance on wanting a forward back in a deal involving Murphy if rookie Tyler Hansbrough starts showing signs that he's getting close to being able to return to the lineup somewhere around the trade deadline. - Indianapolis Star Blog
Even with all three of them healthy, the Nuggets arguably need a fourth competent big man to get past the Lakers, who knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago and have the NBA's most imposing front line. That's why various reports continue to suggest the Nuggets are pursuing disgruntled Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas and veteran Clippers big man Marcus Camby. - Denver Post
If the Celtics trade Allen, the only way he could return is on a mid-level exception deal - approximately $5.8 million - because the Celtics still would be over the salary cap. According to the sources, Ainge is not eager to move Allen and would do so only if he could get a proven scorer with a manageable contract who is considerably younger. - Boston Globe
Tribune: Do you have any regrets over the incident? Tyrus Thomas: "No regrets." Tribune: How do you move forward from it? Tyrus Thomas: "Ain't nothing to harp on. It's over with." Tribune: Are you frustrated? Tyrus Thomas: "Nah. I'm just going to play. There's nothing to be frustrated about." Tribune: Vinny has said he has a clean slate with you. Do you believe him? Tyrus Thomas: "If that's what he said, then that's what it is. It's over with. There's nothing to talk about. It's all good." - Chicago Tribune
As soon as the Nets' locker room opened up, he was surrounded by reporters who wanted to know how he felt about being benched for the first time this season. "That's how it goes," Douglas-Roberts said. "I guess I'm out of the rotation." - NY Daily News
A published report Tuesday quoted Del Harris saying part of “the plan” when he agreed to assist interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe was that it would be temporary. At some point, Harris would become head coach and Vandeweghe would return to his general manager’s position, which was news to Thorn. “If in fact that happened, I was not part of it and didn’t know anything about it,” Thorn said by phone Tuesday before the Nets played the Cavaliers. “If in fact this is true, I should have been informed about it.” - Bergen Record
Carl Landry not only played his first NBA minutes as a small forward, he got his first career start. “Never thought I'd be starting for the first time at the three,” Landry said. With Trevor Ariza out, the Rockets experimented with Landry at the position, a move they had long considered but had never tried during a game. “We don't have a lot of options,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “We're pretty short-handed at twos and threes. Defensively, he has to really concentrate because he's in a different spot. He has to get to shooters. It's a different mentality. - Houston Chronicle
A source familiar with the Sixers' situation said Iverson intends to make his All-Star appearance. Earlier in the week, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan would not address whether Iverson would remain a starter when he rejoins the team; Iverson is averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 22 games since signing Dec. 2 as an unrestricted free agent. - Philadelphia Daily News
San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill is apologizing for nude pictures of himself that were recently posted online. In a statement issued by the team Tuesday, Hill said: "A year ago I made a mistake and take full responsibility for my actions. I have matured and learned from this episode." - AP
With eight days to go until the NBA trading deadline, George Karl has mixed feelings about whether the Nuggets should make a deal. "I'm 50-50," the Nuggets coach said Tuesday, just before his team blew out the Mavericks to improve to 35-17, the second-best record in the West. "Fifty percent says I don't think anything's going to happen and that's not bad. And there's 50 percent of me every once in a while, after a loss, that goes, 'I wish I had another half a body.' - Denver Post
When Chris Paul went down with a knee injury last month, there became even more of a sense of urgency for USA Basketball to have another veteran point guard in the mix for the World Championships this summer in Turkey. It's Chauncey Billups to the rescue. FanHouse has learned the Denver Nuggets point guard has agreed to have his name in a list of about 25 players that will be announced Wednesday by USA Basketball. The pool of players, which USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said could number as many as 28, eventually will be cut to 12 for the Aug. 28-Sept. 12 World Championships. - FanHouse
League executives who have been speaking with the Cavs and other sources also involved in talks say that whether or not the Cavs make a deal may come down to J.J. Hickson. Simply, several teams want Hickson included in any trade package and, to this point, the Cavs have been balking at many of them. Hickson is not untouchable, but the team has made it clear in talks that it would take a special offer to get him. - Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Thunder are 30-21, good for sixth in the conference and a full three games ahead of No. 9 Houston in the Western playoff race. They're closer to third than they are to ninth, and looking ahead they have one of the league's most favorable remaining schedules. Barring injury, they're going to make it, and they might even be hosting a first-round playoff series. - ESPN
Miami Heat president Pat Riley has emerged as one of the most determined pursuers of Phoenix Suns forward Amar’e Stoudemire, proposing several different packages that make available any of his players short of Dwyane Wade, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Heat have discussed several scenarios with the Suns, including packages that include combinations of young players (Michael Beasley(notes), Dorell Wright(notes)) and expiring contracts (Jermaine O’Neal(notes) and Quentin Richardson(notes)). The Heat are also willing to part with their 2010 first-round draft pick. - Yahoo! Sports
The Houston Rockets are in the discussion stages of a complicated, three-team trade that would send Tracy McGrady to the New York Knicks, sources told Yahoo! Sports. The centerpieces of the trade would include the Washington Wizards shipping forward Caron Butler and center Brendan Haywood to the Rockets. The Knicks would send Al Harrington to the Wizards. For the Wizards’ part, they would still need another player, as well as a draft pick and cash to make this a workable scenario, sources said. - Yahoo! Sports
But this year there's something new, information the team never had before. It's hard-core statistical analysis of everything that goes on in every NBA game that provides another layer at the coach's disposal – number-crunching that takes number-crunching to places never before explored in Toronto. "They break stuff down like you've never seen," Triano said of the two men who crunch the numbers and provide the information the Raptors are using more now than they ever have. "It's possession-by-possession, player-by-player, combinations of players, points per possession, where we're scoring, where we're not scoring, it just gives us another tool to help us get better at both ends." - The Toronto Star
With Nate Robinson battling a strained groin, D'Antoni was asked if he prefers Robinson to sit out this weekend's slam-dunk contest. "He has to tell me how he feels," D'Antoni said. "I have no idea how he feels. And if it bothers him, obviously the best thing to do is to rest it. But if he's OK to compete, it's a fun weekend and the NBA has asked him to do something and he's the defending [champion] -- so I can understand why he wants to. But he has to know his body and know what's best for him." - New York Post
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and All-Star Dirk Nowitzki emphasized after the team's 127-91 loss at Denver on Tuesday night that Dallas really missed starting center Erick Dampier. Dampier missed his second consecutive game as he continues to be slowed by an injured left knee that has plagued him for more than a month now. Dampier hasn't looked the same over the last month after starting off fast this year. - Dallas Morning News
Among those discussions, other sources say, involve Butler going to Dallas in an exchange that almost certainly would include Josh Howard. If the Mavs are able to follow through on their desire to trade Howard, they essentially must do so before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. Howard has a team option at $11.8 million for the 2010-11 season, and as such couldn't be traded after the season unless the Mavs picked up the option -- which would guarantee Howard's contract for next season. - CBS Sports
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said he's had no discussions with the Charlotte Bobcats about a rumored deal that centered around a swap of Celtics forward Glen Davis and Charlotte guard D.J. Augustin. Making his weekly appearance on WEEI 850 AM radio in Boston, Ainge shot down one of the many rumors that has begun to swirl as the NBA trade deadline of Feb. 18 approaches. - ESPN
Donnie Walsh: "I don’t expect players of that caliber to be traded because their own team wants to keep them," he said. "If they decide they can’t keep them, they’re going to reach out and try to make trades." The one such player who could be moved, Amar’e Stoudemire, is of little interest to the Knicks and the coaching staff that had him in Phoenix. - Bergen Record
The Suns are believed to be in discussions with as many as six teams, although more may yet show themselves before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. The Philadelphia 76ers remain involved, but have rejected the Suns’ attempts to attach guard Jason Richardson to a larger package that would include Samuel Dalembert and Andre Iguodala. - Yahoo! Sports
While the Stoudemire deal seems intriguing on paper -- he averages 21.2 points and 8.6 rebounds -- his statistics are fraudulent. He doesn't have a post game, preferring to step out to the perimeter. He also hasn't shown he can thrive without Phoenix's wide-open style and Steve Nash setting him up. The Pistons would be smart to stay away. - Detroit News
The Pacers could possibly soften their stance on wanting a forward back in a deal involving Murphy if rookie Tyler Hansbrough starts showing signs that he's getting close to being able to return to the lineup somewhere around the trade deadline. - Indianapolis Star Blog
Even with all three of them healthy, the Nuggets arguably need a fourth competent big man to get past the Lakers, who knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago and have the NBA's most imposing front line. That's why various reports continue to suggest the Nuggets are pursuing disgruntled Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas and veteran Clippers big man Marcus Camby. - Denver Post
If the Celtics trade Allen, the only way he could return is on a mid-level exception deal - approximately $5.8 million - because the Celtics still would be over the salary cap. According to the sources, Ainge is not eager to move Allen and would do so only if he could get a proven scorer with a manageable contract who is considerably younger. - Boston Globe
Tribune: Do you have any regrets over the incident? Tyrus Thomas: "No regrets." Tribune: How do you move forward from it? Tyrus Thomas: "Ain't nothing to harp on. It's over with." Tribune: Are you frustrated? Tyrus Thomas: "Nah. I'm just going to play. There's nothing to be frustrated about." Tribune: Vinny has said he has a clean slate with you. Do you believe him? Tyrus Thomas: "If that's what he said, then that's what it is. It's over with. There's nothing to talk about. It's all good." - Chicago Tribune
As soon as the Nets' locker room opened up, he was surrounded by reporters who wanted to know how he felt about being benched for the first time this season. "That's how it goes," Douglas-Roberts said. "I guess I'm out of the rotation." - NY Daily News
A published report Tuesday quoted Del Harris saying part of “the plan” when he agreed to assist interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe was that it would be temporary. At some point, Harris would become head coach and Vandeweghe would return to his general manager’s position, which was news to Thorn. “If in fact that happened, I was not part of it and didn’t know anything about it,” Thorn said by phone Tuesday before the Nets played the Cavaliers. “If in fact this is true, I should have been informed about it.” - Bergen Record
Carl Landry not only played his first NBA minutes as a small forward, he got his first career start. “Never thought I'd be starting for the first time at the three,” Landry said. With Trevor Ariza out, the Rockets experimented with Landry at the position, a move they had long considered but had never tried during a game. “We don't have a lot of options,” Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. “We're pretty short-handed at twos and threes. Defensively, he has to really concentrate because he's in a different spot. He has to get to shooters. It's a different mentality. - Houston Chronicle
A source familiar with the Sixers' situation said Iverson intends to make his All-Star appearance. Earlier in the week, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan would not address whether Iverson would remain a starter when he rejoins the team; Iverson is averaging 14.7 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 22 games since signing Dec. 2 as an unrestricted free agent. - Philadelphia Daily News
San Antonio Spurs guard George Hill is apologizing for nude pictures of himself that were recently posted online. In a statement issued by the team Tuesday, Hill said: "A year ago I made a mistake and take full responsibility for my actions. I have matured and learned from this episode." - AP
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