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	Will Scottie Pippen play in the NBA again? Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Scottie Pippen is seriously considering a comeback and hopes to play for a contending team in this season's playoffs. He didn't mention the Bulls as a possible destination. Pippen, who turned 41 on Sept. 25, says he's in better condition and health than at any time in the last five years. -- Chicago Tribune

Word in NBA circles is that Marquette coach Tom Crean could be headed to the Miami Heat as Pat Riley's successor. That would reunite Crean and star guard Dwyane Wade. -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

Vince Carter likely would find the free agent market tight. Orlando has been strongly mentioned as a possibility but that is highly doubtful. The Magic likely won't have the resources but also, league sources said, Orlando brass fears Carter might impede the progress of rising stud Dwight Howard. Other teams mentioned include Charlotte, but the Bobcats simply are not big spenders. -- New York Post

A little birdie says former Celtics and 76ers coach Jim O'Brien would be the front-runner for the Pistons job if Flip Saunders were to leave to coach his alma mater Minnesota. -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

Shawn Kemp is in excellent shape and hoping for one last opportunity to play in the NBA. The best Kemp can hope for is a training camp invitation in the fall and hopefully the right situation. He would love for it to be the Sonics, but the club would have to be convinced that Kemp is serious and won't experience any more episodes with the law. -- Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The Mavs recently lost their third center (D.J. Mbenga) for the season with a knee injury. Though adding another big body isn't a priority, Avery Johnson didn't rule out making a move by Thursday's trade deadline. -- Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Bucks general manager Larry Harris said Thursday that he was focusing on the final 29 games of the season and not on the job status of coach Terry Stotts. -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is convinced the NBA soon will reside there on a permanent basis. Goodman said Thursday that Commissioner David Stern has given him the go-ahead to present a proposal to league owners in April. -- Arizona Republic

The NBA will give the synthetic ball another look during the All-Star Game weekend in Las Vegas. The NBA and Spalding plan to seek feedback from players in developing a better composite ball. Leather balls will be used for the All-Star weekend competitions, but players have been invited to test different synthetic ball materials at their hotel, the Palms Casino Resort. -- New York Times

Rockets center Yao Ming attended Thursday's shootaround. He has been permitted to do "straight-ahead" conditioning and listed "shooting, post moves and learning on tape" as his current regimen. He has not been cleared for any side-to-side movement. -- Houston Chronicle

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