Amare Stoudemire had an MRI yesterday, but he doesn't have a timetable for his return. Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Although Thursday's MRI was a major hurdle, the Suns do not have a timetable for Amare Stoudemire's return. Stoudemire has said he would play no earlier than the first week of March, but also has mentioned coming back in April or not at all this season as possibilities. -- Arizona Republic

Clearly, Knicks coach Larry Brown wants an established playmaker. He needs a veteran to sell his system to the youngbloods. That way Stephon Marbury can become solely a shooting guard. Brown also craves Theo Ratliff. Sources say the Blazers would do Ratliff for Knicks David Lee and Penny Hardaway or Antonio Davis. Or they'd do Ratliff and Ruben Patterson for Penny or Davis so they can get under the salary cap and have room to re-sign Joel Przybilla. -- New York Post

The Knicks have battled several issues in this tumultuous season, but Eddy Curry's inconsistent play, and his inability to play consistently, are familiar refrains. Though they believed him to be capable of performing at a high level, they have also learned that he is prone to lapses in intensity. -- New York Times

The status of Stephon Marbury's injured shoulder is a concern. He says now he regrets coming back as soon as he did after he missed three games last month. He originally sustained the injury Jan. 16 against Minnesota. -- New York Post

One trade possibility among the Nuggets and Sonics would send Earl Watson and Bryon Russell to Seattle for Ronald "Flip" Murray, Reggie Evans and Vitaly Potapenko, though that would require Denver to create an extra roster spot by moving or waiving a player. -- Denver Post

Yesterday, Allen Iverson admitted that all the talk about whether he should be traded bothered him but that he can handle it. Iverson, who will miss his fourth straight game tonight, blamed the media for much of the negativity that he says not only swirls around the Sixers but also around Philadelphia sports. -- Philadelphia Inquirer

Kevin Garnett said he wanted to make clear is that his relationship with Wally Szczerbiak wasn't the reason why Szczerbiak was traded by the Timberwolves to the Celtics in a seven-player swap last week. -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

One reason executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge feels the Celtics are closer to where they want to be is the addition of Wally Szczerbiak for Ricky Davis. He thinks Szczerbiak is the best player in the deal and added that Davis, while having improved both on and off the court as a Celtic, still was, as he put it, high maintenance. -- Boston Globe

While Danny Ainge clearly wouldn't indicate if anything else was afoot, he did make it clear the team's five future first-round draft picks in the next three years added to the value of someone who otherwise might not be tradeable for whatever reason. Asked if Raef LaFrentz might be one of those ''untradeables," Ainge refused to comment. -- Boston Globe

Don't look for Brian Scalabrine to remain in the starting lineup. That was, as Doc Rivers put it, ''a one-hit wonder" owing to the fact the Suns play small and quick. Rivers toyed with starting Ryan Gomes instead of Scalabrine, but eventually settled on the big guy. Raef LaFrentz should be back in the starting position tonight. -- Boston Globe

Gerald Green, the Celtics' No. 1 pick from the 2005 NBA draft should be activated for tonight's game against the Clippers, although Doc Rivers thought it would be unlikely the rook would play. -- Boston Globe

Timberwolves coach Dwane Casey is tweaking his plays to take advantage of more speed and quickness on the perimeter. Ricky Davis does not need a screen, necessarily, to get open the way Wally Szczerbiak did. Marcus Banks can break down a defender on the perimeter. Those are elements on the roster that were not there when Casey was hired. -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

Forward Kenyon Martin lost his patience with questions about his leaving Denver's bench late in a 13-point loss at Utah on Wednesday night. -- Denver Post

There is a chance that either Chris Bosh or Antawn Jamison will be selected to the Eastern Conference all-star squad but not both. Cleveland's LeBron James was voted in as a starter, Detroit's Rasheed Wallace will likely start at the other forward spot in place of injured Indiana forward Jermaine O'Neal and Boston's Paul Pierce will likely make the squad as a reserve. -- Washington Post

Nets president Rod Thorn said he doubted Robert 'Tractor' Traylor would play this season, after the forward learned he needed heart surgery following a physical with the Nets last summer. -- Journal News

The Bulls believe Kirk Hinrich has not received as much respect from referees this season as other starting guards. Hinrich played through serious foul trouble much of the game Wednesday. He picked up two in the first quarter and finished with five fouls. -- Chicago Sun-Times

The tights-like wrap on the right leg of center Tyson Chandler is not a LeBron James fashion statement (James has been wearing full tights of late). Chandler is nursing a calf strain. -- Chicago Sun-Times

Cavaliers guard/forward Ira Newble, who missed the first 21 games with right foot plantar fasciitis and Monday's game at Charlotte with a migraine headache, is out indefinitely after being treated for a facial abscess on Tuesday. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

The chairman of the company that runs the Anaheim Pond said Thursday that he thinks the SuperSonics are using Anaheim and other cities as leverage to negotiate a better arena deal. "We're absolutely interested when they're serious about moving," said Mike Schulman, Anaheim Arena Management chairman. "I think they're thinking about being serious. Right now they're just trying to get a new deal." -- Los Angeles Times