Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your Eggs Blackstone.

Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News: "At least Carmelo Anthony had something to take away the pain Monday night. An avid Texas football fan, the Nuggets forward ran out of the locker room briefly wearing just a towel while cheering the Fiesta Bowl win against Ohio State. Anthony now hopes he'll have something to cheer about today. Anthony will see a hand specialist after being hurt in the Nuggets' 135-115 win against Indiana at the Pepsi Center. X-rays showed Anthony has a probable nondisplaced fracture on the third metacarpal of his right hand."

The Knicks Blog: "Several sources with knowledge of the situation have told TKB that the Portland Trailblazers are getting serious about trading for David Lee. Blazers ownership thinks Lee is the perfect 6th man who will be 26 in April and can be part of their long term plans. As we know Lee has leverage because he doesn’t have to sign with a team he is traded to, but playing in Portland with their young core would be very attractive. The Blazers’ organization feels Lee’s style of play would fit perfectly in Portland as he can play in both the half court system and get out and run as well as any forward in the NBA. Plus he’d be a 'flex' forward who could make them a big half court team or a smaller quicker team depending if he subbed in for LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden or Nicolas Batum."

Ira Winderman, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The Shaun Livingston comeback is over. At least for now. At least with the Miami Heat. Livingston was informed of his release after Monday night's 91-84 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena, with the team expected to make a formal announcement later this morning. The former Los Angeles Clippers point guard was signed as a free agent on Oct. 3. He had been attempting a comeback from a gruesome Feb. 26, 2007 knee injury that left him with a dislocated left kneecap and three torn ligaments. While the comeback had been limited to four appearances totaling 41 minutes this season — his first NBA action since the injury — his release was based more on the salary cap that fitness."

Janny Hu, San Francisco Chronicle: "On the court, there was progress; on the injury front, a stalemate. The Warriors finally got Corey Maggette back from a strained right hamstring Monday night, only to have Stephen Jackson exit with the same ailment. [...] Jackson was having one of his best games of the season when he pulled up lame chasing Deron Williams on the final play of the first half. The Warriors' team captain said he felt a 'pop' in his hamstring and remained doubled-over in pain as Williams streaked in for a layup. Jackson limped into the locker room and did not return."

Darnell Mayberry, The Oklahoman: "Thunder center Nenad Krstic has had his work visa approved and is now eligible to play in Tuesday night's game against New York. Thunder coach Scott Brooks did not say whether Krstic would play against the Knicks, but Krstic was expected to be in uniform. Krstic signed with the Thunder on Dec. 30. He played with the New Jersey Nets for four seasons after being drafted in 2002 and has been playing in Russia for the last year."

Mitch Lawrence, New York Daily News: "Donnie Walsh flew out with the Knicks Monday to Oklahoma City, but left town without talking to Stephon Marbury's union-appointed representative about a buyout. 'Nothing new, nothing new,' Walsh said, walking off the practice floor at the team's facility in Greenburgh. Starting Tuesday against the Thunder, the Knicks are playing every other day during the four-game trip that ends Monday in New Orleans. For a team that has lost 11 of 16 road games, that's a big break not to have to play any back-to-back games. And it works out perfectly for Walsh. 'I'm sure we'll talk, but there's nothing formal set up, which is the way we've been handling this,' Walsh said, referring to talks with Marbury's rep, union attorney Hal Biagas. 'We don't have a specific day ... But being on the road with the team allows me to see how we play. I want to do that, but I also can get a lot of other work done, since we've got some days off.'"

Mark Kram, Philadelphia Daily News: "Groggily, the Sixers staggered off their plane back in Philadelphia at 3:30 a.m. Sunday, just hours after losing to the Spurs in San Antonio on a last-second bucket by Tony Parker. It was a fitting conclusion to what was an altogether dismal road trip, a less than cheerful holiday swing through Boston and points west. By the end of it, they won just one of six games and found themselves buried at the bottom of Atlantic Division with 13-20 record. If you have the feeling that the Sixers have been this way before, no, you are no hallucinating. It was only a year ago that the Sixers fell to 18-30 before winning 22 of their last 34 to secure an unlikely playoff berth under coach Maurice Cheeks."

Dave D'Alessandro, Newark Star-Ledger: "Mikki Moore, one of the most popular Nets in recent years, hugged about 25 people before taking the court for warmups Monday night. But he's not feeling particularly good about life in the Kingdom lately, either. 'It's hard — especially when you're not being used like you want to be used,' said Moore, who starts at power forward but plays only 20 minutes per night. 'Being a starter, I guess, doesn't really mean too much when it's crunch time. I don't know if it's because (Natt wants to try) other lineups, or the organization's decision. I have to play my role, and whatever they ask I'll do, because I have to earn my check. But everybody's frustrated right now.'"

Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News: "The Nuggets potentially moved slightly under the $71.15 million luxury-tax threshold by trading raw center Cheikh Samb and about $420,000 to the Clippers for a 2015 conditional second-round pick. The Nuggets get the pick if it's one of that draft's last five. But the Nuggets likely must make another move to assure being under the tax line because there are some possible player bonuses that could push them back over it. If they get under the tax line, they would receive about $3 million from a league pool. Samb was assigned to the NBA Development League's Colorado 14ers but joins the Clippers and won't return to the NBADL."

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