Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your whole wheat bagel. At least for now. We'll see how long this lasts.

Ross Siler, Salt Lake Tribune: "With four games remaining on this Eastern Conference trip, the Jazz were thrown into flux Monday as Mehmet Okur left the team and headed to Turkey to attend to a family illness. Okur is expected to remain in Turkey for only a couple of days, said his agent, Marc Fleisher, who will be joining him today. General manager Kevin O'Connor, however, emphasized "we do not know" when Okur will return to the Jazz. With backup center Jarron Collins still bothered by an elbow injury, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was inclined to start second-year center Kyrylo Fesenko in tonight's game, but Fesenko is scheduled to travel to Toronto to resolve a visa issue. At the earliest, Fesenko isn't expected to rejoin the Jazz until Friday's game at Charlotte. That could lead Sloan to start 19-year-old rookie center Kosta Koufos against Samuel Dalembert and Philadelphia. Okur's absence would leave the Jazz without two members of their starting five, though Deron Williams could make his return from a sprained left ankle. Williams went through a full practice Monday, but still is listed as doubtful to play."

Jason Quick, The Oregonian: "Five days ago, Travis Outlaw was down. It wasn't that he was depressed, it was more like he was out of sorts. 'It was weird. A weird feeling,' the Trail Blazers forward said. 'It was like I was in la-la world.' Today, Outlaw feels like he is on top of the world after his 20 points and five rebounds were the catalysts in the Blazers' first road win of the season — 106-99 over Orlando. What changed? Turns out, a phone conversation with Mom got Outlaw on track. [...] 'She asked why I wasn't doing more out there?' Outlaw said. 'She told me, 'Don't just sit there in the corner — cut to the basket, go get rebounds. You need to have fun.'"

Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News: "Nuggets starting center Nene is a no-show on the 2009 NBA All-Star ballot, which will be unveiled today in Phoenix, host city for the Feb. 15 game. Nene's absence likely is because of the fact he played in only 16 games last season while recovering from testicular cancer. Plus, only 10 of 15 centers are listed from each conference. Through six games, Nene is averaging 16.2 points, nine rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots."

Sam Amick, Sac Bee: "Before Kevin Martin even knew the fate of his ailing left ankle, he knew he was facing a tough decision. 'I want to be on that court and to play for this team right now,' the Kings shooting guard said after Monday's practice. 'It's on a different level with how bad I want to be out there. ... I've been playing with my ankle being bad. But after last night, it's time to be smart a little bit. It's time to be smart now.' The wise move, as it turns out, will sideline Martin for seven to 10 days. The decision to rest rather than force a quicker recovery came after Martin had an MRI on Monday that confirmed the sprain. Martin sprained the ankle against Memphis on Wednesday, missed practice Thursday and played Friday despite being '60 percent,' as he had said."

Darnell Mayberry, The Oklahoman: "Thunder point guard Earl Watson dismissed a report in Sunday’s editions of the New York Daily News that he’s seeking a trade. 'To me, it’s kind of like speculation because I’ve never said anything to nobody,' Watson said. 'It wasn’t a direct quote, so I don’t know where he was going with that comment.' The report claimed Watson, the team’s starter, was 'stuck behind rookie Russell Westbrook.' Watson, however, was fourth on the team in minutes played before Sunday’s game against Atlanta. Watson said he hasn’t spoken with his agent, Dan Fegan, or Thunder general manager, Sam Presti, regarding a trade."

Jerry Zgoda, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: "Searching for answers to a young season that numerically has started just like the last one, Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman has made Sebastian Telfair his starting point guard and Randy Foye one of his first players off the bench. Wittman says he has done so because he likes the energy and pace Telfair brings and because introducing Foye into the game off the ball and without it in his hands has seemed to calm a player who started the season trying too hard. The move, though, also has created a bottleneck at the small forward and shooting guard positions on a team that has lost five consecutive games after opening the season with a home victory at Sacramento. With Foye getting major minutes at both guards spots, with Mike Miller playing 35 minutes a night and Telfair getting 25 or more as a starter, there's just not enough minutes at those two positions for Corey Brewer, Rashad McCants, Ryan Gomes and Rodney Carney."

Brian Hanley, Chicago Sun-Times: "The Bulls had yet to decide Monday whether to fill the roster spot of Kirk Hinrich, who is scheduled to undergo surgery today to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Without Hinrich, who was injured Friday in the victory over Phoenix and is expected to miss up to three months, the Bulls could use another pure point guard to back up rookie Derrick Rose. 'We're looking at things but nothing's jumped off the page,' coach Vinny Del Negro said of the team's survey of free-agent or trade options. 'We'll just take it one day at a time, see what's available, see how our team does and go from there.' Larry Hughes, who has yet to play a regular-season game due to a dislocated shoulder, was not optimistic Monday he would be available to return to the lineup tonight when the Bulls (3-4) host the 5-0 Atlanta Hawks. 'I don't think so,' Hughes said. 'We'll see how I feel [today], get another practice under my belt and go from there. But definitely look at [returning] later on this week.'"

Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News: "Dirk Nowitzki called out the team, saying that they haven't 'left everything on the court.' While it can be debated whether such an analysis should be made publicly after six games, Nowitzki elaborated Monday. 'It's everybody, me included,' Nowitzki said. 'We're not good enough to coast through games or coast through a first quarter and just pick it up wherever we want. A 2-4 start obviously is not what we wanted. Nobody can stand here and say this is great. But a couple years ago we started 0-4 and everybody wrote us off.'"

Chris Lau, Detroit Free Press: "After he clears waivers Wednesday, McDyess can sign immediately with any team except the Pistons. There are reports that Eastern Conference foes Boston and Cleveland are vying for his services. NBA rules say McDyess must wait 30 days before he can rejoin his former team. Pistons president Joe Dumars and coach Michael Curry have said they want him back. And he would have an important role as the primary post threat on the second unit."

Mike Bresnahan, LA Times: "Lakers owner Jerry Buss made one thing clear in his 25-minute interview Sunday — he and Bryant are in a better place than a year ago. 'I think Kobe and I have always understood one thing about each other, and that is that our desire to win shapes our personality, especially in our dealings with each other,' Buss said. 'I think there's always been respect independent of the fact that there have been moments of grief. I knew that he was the most competitive of all the basketball players ever and I think he understands that about me as an owner.' Another topic Buss visited a number of times was the shadow the foundering economy might cast over the NBA. 'I think there is an economic cloud on the horizon,' Buss said. 'The [salary] caps and all these things float with the BRI, so we're going to have to wait and see what [effect] this predicted recession has on us.'"

Paul Coro, Arizona Republic: "O'Neal has played in 60 games in only one of the past three seasons — barely eclipsing the mark with 61 last season. By sitting him out of the second game of back-to-back sets, Porter said the idea is to avoid injuries and get 60-plus games out of O'Neal. But the Suns must learn how to play without him better than they did in Friday's loss at Chicago. 'People talk about the old Suns teams,' Porter said. 'Name one of those teams that had a 7-2, 300-pound guy that played in the middle. It's totally different. Just the whole makeup of this team is different. People like to compare them to up-tempo. It's a different team. Can't even come close to comparing Shaq in the middle as opposed to Amaré (Stoudemire) and having Shawn Marion spaced in the corner.'"

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel: "The team that became an NBA scoring machine last season went for more than 11 minutes without a field goal in the second half at Amway Arena. The Incredible Drought, spanning the third and fourth quarters, was responsible for ending the Magic's four-game winning streak and cost them a chance to set a club record. They were attempting to become the first team in the 20-year history of the franchise to record a 5-0 homestand. A case can be made that the Magic aren't yet ready for prime-time. Orlando has played seven games — and lost to the only two teams that have winning records: the Atlanta Hawks and the Trail Blazers. Howard said, 'It's only one game,' but the Magic have sputtered offensively in losses to Atlanta and Memphis and weren't at full throttle against Chicago. Subject them to DNA testing because they haven't regained their identity yet. They are a free-wheeling gang of 3-point shooters who play off Howard in an inside-out attack. But when the shots don't fall, especially the 3s, the ball movement stops. The Magic lose their patience and revert to their playground days, going one-on-one."

Mike Monroe, San Antonio Express-News: "Spurs coach Gregg Popovich knows who is going to start at point guard when his club plays the New York Knicks tonight at the AT&T Center, but he intends to keep the Knicks guessing as long as possible. 'I have decided who is starting,' Popovich said Monday after practice at the team's complex near the Medical Center. 'The chances of my sharing that with you are less than if a meteor were to strike the Earth.' Speculation on who will take injured Tony Parker's spot in the starting lineup has centered on rookie George Hill, but Popovich does have options, including veteran Jacque Vaughn and new guard Roger Mason Jr."

Related: Suicide lines