Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are not aggressively shopping star forward Carmelo Anthony , but according to league sources, they are softening their stance on trading him. Denver has not withdrawn its longstanding offer of a contract extension, but numerous sources told ESPN.com that Nuggets officials have in recent days let other teams know for the first time they will listen to pitches after previously resisting such discussions. "I'm not sure how soon, but I do think they're going to trade him (between now and February)

A couple of hundred mourners joined the family of Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony at the funeral Monday for his elder sister, Michelle Anthony, in Randallstown. The mother of four children, Michelle Anthony, 38, died Dec. 21 in Baltimore. Details about the cause of death have not been disclosed. A statement released by the Nuggets last week said she died of a "pre-existing condition. " Carmelo Anthony, 26, attended Towson Catholic High School and played college basketball at Syracuse University.

Ever since he left UMBC more than a decade ago, Jeff Bzdelik has been one of those obscure NBA assistant coaches whose nondescript face was rarely attached to his hard-to-pronounce name. Not much has changed for Bzdelik (pronounced buzz-Del-ick) in terms of his profile, except now he is taking obscurity to a new level -- as the still unknown first-year head coach of the NBA's most faceless franchise, the Denver Nuggets. It is a match made in salary cap heaven. Bzdelik, 50, was named last August to succeed Mike Evans as coach of a team that starts three rookies, lists three others on the NBA's lowest payroll and has only two widely recognizable names -- center Marcus Camby and forward Juwan Howard -- on its roster.

The Nuggets are not aggressively shopping star forward Carmelo Anthony , but according to league sources, they are softening their stance on trading him. Denver has not withdrawn its longstanding offer of a contract extension, but numerous sources told ESPN.com that Nuggets officials have in recent days let other teams know for the first time they will listen to pitches after previously resisting such discussions. "I'm not sure how soon, but I do think they're going to trade him (between now and February)

BasketballHawks: Signed free-agent F LaPhonso Ellis, who had been with the Denver Nuggets.CollegeVanderbilt: Named Herb Paterra linebackers coach.Pub Date: 1/31/99

BasketballChicago Bulls -- Waived G Rory Sparrow. Activated F Scott Williams from the injured list.Denver Nuggets -- Activated F Anthony Cook from the injured list. Waived F Jerome Lane.Houston Rockets -- Placed C Hakeem Olajuwon on the injured list.Los Angeles Clippers -- Waived G Elliott Perry. Signed G David Rivers.CollegesOhio State -- Signed football coach John Cooper to a 3-year contract extension.

Basketball Denver Nuggets -- Signed G Reggie Williams (Dunbar).College NCAA -- Cleared San Diego State QB Dan McGwire to play in the East-West Shrine Game. McGwire's amateur status was called into question when he announced his intention to retain attorney Leigh Steinberg to represent him for his pro football career. Denied appeal of 5 years' probation by Upsala.

VS. DENVER NUGGETS* WHEN: Tonight, 9:30.* WHERE: McNichols Sports Arena.* RADIO: WTOP-AM (1500).* OUTLOOK: The Bullets (6-13) conclude a difficult five-game West Coast trip against the struggling Nuggets (4-15). Horace Grant provided a note of encouragement with 25 points in Sunday night's loss to the Lakers, but the Bullets are still looking for a dependable scorer to assist Bernard King. Coach Wes Unseld probably will have to make more extensive use of his bench against the run-and-gun Nuggets, who have had difficulty adjusting to new coach Paul Westhead's helter-skelter style.

Opponent: Denver NuggetsSite: McNichols Sports Arena, DenverTime: 9TV: NoneRadio: WXZL (103.1 FM), WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: The Bullets lost to Portland, 122-104, Friday night despite Tom Gugliotta's season-high 32 points. Denver, in fourth place in the Midwest Division, lost to Sacramento, 115-103, Friday. G Robert Pack (9.5 ppg, 5.4 apg) led the Nuggets with a season-high 24 points, and F Brian Williams (8.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg) had 16 points and 17 rebounds.@

BaseballCincinnati Reds -- Called up P Bill Landrum from Triple-A Indianapolis. Sent 1B Tim Costo to Indianapolis. Transferred 1B Hal Morris from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL because of a shoulder separation. He had surgery Friday.Pittsburgh Pirates -- Signed SS Jay Bell to a four-year contract extension through 1997.Toronto Blue Jays -- Signed 1B Lee Stevens to a minor-league contract. Assigned him to Triple-A Syracuse.BasketballDenver Nuggets -- Placed G Bryant Stith (fractured the second metacarpal in his right hand)

1 Boo to you, too: A.J. Burnett starts for the Yankees against the Orioles (1:35 p.m. MASN). Like Mark Teixeira, Burnett has local ties but chose big bucks over B'more. 2 Softball: showdown: Top-ranked Broadneck plays at No. 3 Chesapeake at 4 p.m. in a matchup of Anne Arundel County rivals. 3 Welcome: to Augusta: Tigers Woods (left) begins his quest for a fifth Masters title (4 p.m., ESPN). 4 Best of the West: The top two teams in the NBA's Western Conference meet when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets (10:30 p.m., TNT)

Improper anchoring caused boat accident nfl An agency investigating a deadly boating accident involving two NFL players and their two friends in the Gulf of Mexico concluded it was caused when the vessel was improperly anchored and the boat capsized after one of them tried to throttle forward to pry loose the anchor. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's investigation also cited carelessness and operator inexperience as contributing factors. The errors came when a storm front was moving in, making the water very rough.

Trading a superstar tends to be dicey business, but for many reasons, the Denver Nuggets did a terrific job in flipping Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups. That's not a knock on Iverson, one of the most remarkable athletes of my lifetime (most guys his size never sniff the NBA, much less average 27.7 points over 12 seasons). It's just that the Nuggets got a player who is almost as good, fits their needs better and won't bolt to another team after this season. The Nuggets have a potential big-time scorer in J.R. Smith, who happens to play shooting guard.

For sport fans outside of New England who have had a bellyful of the Red Sox and Patriots, there's some bad news: The Celtics are pretty good, too. Of course, they have been chugging along with the NBA's best record all season, so that's not exactly a news flash. But Boston's raid through Texas this week unequivocally served notice that the Celts are the clear favorite to win the NBA championship. When Boston journeyed into the so-called Texas Triangle, it was San Antonio, Houston and Dallas - three teams that have combined to win two-thirds of their games - who disappeared.

Michael Jordan was in his second NBA season when the 1986 playoffs began. Having been named Rookie of the Year and twice selected to the All-Star team, Jordan had missed all but 18 games that season with a broken foot and went against the wishes of his doctors by suiting up against the Boston Celtics. It was then, in Game 2 of an opening-round three-game sweep for the eventual NBA champion Celtics, that the 23-year-old guard scored a playoff-record 63 points in a 135-131 double-overtime defeat.

NBA playoff matchups Eastern Conference No. 1 Miami Heat (59-23) vs. No. 8 New Jersey Nets (42-40) Series: Heat, 3-0 Outlook: It's the Nets streaking in with Vince Carter and Jason Kidd leading the way. The Heat struggled with a 7-7 finish and Shaquille O'Neal down with a stomach virus and deep right thigh bruise. He says he'll play tomorrow, but should be slower than usual. But the Nets might have spent themselves just getting there. Pick: Heat in six. No. 2 Detroit Pistons (54-28)

BasketballDenver Nuggets -- Announced the resignation of coach Dan Issel. Named Gene Littles coach.CollegeMEAC -- Named Coppin State senior F Michael Thomas men's basketball Player of the Week, Coppin senior C Rene Doctor women's basketball co-Player of the Week and Coppin sophomore G Lisa Briggs women's basketball Rookie of the Week.Florida International -- Announced the resignation of men's basketball coach Bob Weltlich, effective the end of the season.HockeyNew Jersey Devils -- Recalled D Cale Hulse and D Chris McAlpine from AHL Albany.

BasketballL Dallas Mavericks -- Waived G Daimon Sweet and G Greg Sutton.Denver Nuggets -- Waived G Abdul Fox and G Ryan Yoder.Golden State Warriors -- Signed F Clifford Rozier, the 16th player chosen in this year's NBA draft, to a four-year contract.Utah Jazz -- Signed F Antoine Carr, who spent the previous three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.HockeyDallas Stars -- Fired 13 of their 55 full-time employees.San Jose Sharks -- Announced that LW Viktor Kozlov has decided to report to IHL Kansas City.

EIGHT DAYS before the words "Stop Snitching" became all the media rage in Baltimore, I saw them as I drove with my mother and uncle down Edmondson Avenue. As we were stopped at the intersection of Monroe Street, I looked to my right at the boarded-up house with the wood painted in burgundy. Somebody had spray-painted in white letters: "Stop Snitching." I knew what it meant, of course. I didn't have to wait for the revelation about the DVD called Stop Snitching -- guest-starring Baltimore's own Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets -- to know that something wasn't quite right on the streets of Baltimore.

WASHINGTON - Denver Nuggets coach Jeff Bzdelik turned his team and franchise over to rookie forward Carmelo Anthony yesterday. It may be a move based on desperation as well as inspiration, but it tells you that Anthony is special. Not too many NBA coaches give the keys to a 19-year-old. Not too many NBA coaches are allowed the time to tilt back the seat, kick up their feet and see where the journey ends. But after a shoot-around yesterday at MCI Center, Bzdelik told Anthony it was time for him to take over a team that had lost eight of its past nine games.