Compiled by Chris Bernucca

NBA: "Embattled former NBA referee Tim Donaghy will open up for the first time in an interview with "60 Minutes" airing next week, sources told the Daily News." Samuel Goldsmith in the New York Daily News 

NETS: "The 51-year-old Vandeweghe has never been a coach, and team officials who are not authorized to speak for the Nets say he was initially reluctant to take the job. But Thorn mandated that Vandeweghe occupy that role, if only because his imprint on the roster is indelible, as he is especially close to Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian and Courtney Lee – the three young players acquired for Kidd, Jefferson and Carter." Dave D'Alessandro in the Newark Star-Ledger 

NETS: "Vandeweghe has agreed to finish out this season as the interim coach. He will be joined by long-time NBA staple Del Harris, who will serve, essentially, as a co-coach with Vandeweghe, replacing the fired Lawrence Frank. If things go well -- and the incoming ownership agrees, of course -- Harris, 72, could take over the coaching reins next season." Fred Kerber in the New York Post 

SIXERS: "Sixers brass present at the two-hour meeting included coach Eddie Jordan, president and general manager Ed Stefanski, assistant general manager Tony DiLeo, and assistant coach Aaron McKie. A source close to the situation said it was 'just the beginning of the negotiation' but also expressed belief that it would end positively. According to this source, the team is agreeable to a one-year deal with Iverson. The Sixers' payroll is below $69.92 million, the NBA's luxury-tax threshold, and the team could offer Iverson the minimum for a player with 10 seasons, $1.3 million, or even more." Kate Fagan in the Philadelphia Inquirer 

SIXERS: "This is a player the rest of the NBA has decided isn't worth the considerable trouble. Iverson - ahem - 'retired' last week in a contrived attempt to attract attention to himself. After burning through the patience of franchises in Denver, Detroit, and Memphis, he would be attractive only to two kinds of teams: a championship contender faced with injury at his position (whatever that is) or a hopeless mess. The Sixers are not a contender. This is the Buffalo Bills signing Terrell Owens - a cynical move made for the sole purpose of bringing a little attention to a team that has proved itself incapable of earning it the proper way, by winning." Phil Sheridan in the Philadelphia Inquirer 

WARRIORS: "Ellis topped 30 points for the fourth time in the past five games and eclipsed 40 for the second time in three games. He kept the Warriors in the game by scoring 16 straight in the first quarter and put the game away with seven straight to open the fourth. 'I was born to do this,' Ellis said. 'It's not impressive to me. I've been doing this all my life.'" Rusty Simmons in the San Francisco Chronicle 

MAVERICKS: "Rick Carlisle was explaining the Mavericks' inability to foul before a 3-point shot tied the game Monday night. But he might as well have been talking about the Mavericks' season. 'Sometimes,' he said, 'you're the statue. And sometimes you're the pigeon.' On this particular night, the Mavericks were able to fly away with a victory." Eddie Sefko in the Dallas Morning News 

BUCKS: "After pre-game introductions, it is customary for the Bucks to form a circle around the free-throw line in front of their bench while one of the players, usually a rookie, is pushed into the middle of the circle to perform an inspirational dance. But Monday night, prior to the Bucks' down-to-the-wire, 99-97 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the Bradley Center, it was Bogut who jumped in the middle and cut a rug for his teammates, who were duly impressed. 'He might have been the best we've had all season long,' said guard Charlie Bell." Tom Enlund in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

JAZZ: "Never in their history have the Jazz shot 60 percent in three consecutive games. The last team to do so was Indiana in games Jan. 29 to Feb. 2, 1994. Had they not missed four of their last five shots in garbage time, the Jazz would have equaled the feat." Ross Siler in the Salt Lake Tribune 

JAZZ: "The Jazz hope to learn for sure sometime soon if veteran forward Matt Harpring really has played his final NBA game. 'We're getting closer to making a decision as we get deeper into the season,' Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor said Monday. 'That's a conversation we'll have sooner than later, and we'll have it before Christmas. When I say 'Christmas' I'm not putting a timetable on it, but it's getting closer to being 'What is the position?' Harpring never did report to training camp, and has remained — with the Jazz's permission — at home in Atlanta due to chronic knee and ankle issues necessitating multiple surgeries." Tim Buckley in the Deseret News 

LAKERS: "By becoming a free agent in 2010 and signing a new contract instead, Bryant would lock in his salary entirely under the terms of the current agreement. His salary would not be subject to amendment in 2011, as it would be with an extension. It would also give Bryant the opportunity to play the 2010 free-agent market — the first time he’s been able to do so since 2004 when he nearly signed with the Los Angeles Clippers before ultimately re-signing with the Lakers. Should Bryant become a free agent in 2010, he would be certain to draw serious interest from every N.B.A. team. Even teams without cap room would likely contact the Lakers in order to explore sign-and-trade opportunities." Larry Coon in the New York Times 

LAKERS: "It's impossible to label the issue 'pressing,' because the odds of Phil Jackson trotting out that lineup during a remotely important section of a remotely important game rank somewhere between 'slim' and 'Pulp Fiction screenwriter Roger Avary blowing his seriously cushy sentence for a fatal DUI accident by sending out inappropriate Tweets.' Oh, my bad. That actually did happen." The Kamenetzky Brothers in the Los Angeles Times 

CELTICS: "Celtics fans have gotten an excitable dose of the old KG in the last three games. He has gone 22 for 27 from the field, including 11 for 12 in Sunday’s’ 92-85 win over the Miami Heat. Garnett swished the winning jumper Nov. 22 in New York, a positive end to an otherwise forgettable offensive game (he shot 4 of 15 for 10 points). Since that basket in New York, Garnett’s production has skyrocketed. He has averaged 18.3 points, 4 more than his season average. And he is taking those elbow jumpers with confidence, unlike earlier in the season when he was hesitant." Gary Washburn in the Boston Globe 

PACERS: "Larry Bird's patience was tested last week when the Indiana Pacers were outplayed almost from start to finish in losses to Charlotte, Toronto and Dallas. The team president called their play 'unacceptable.' Coaches usually are the first blamed in that situation, but Bird said Monday that Jim O'Brien isn't the problem. Injuries are an issue, however." Mike Wells in the Indianapolis Star 

SUNS: "Those are D'Antoni's principles the Suns are re-embracing. They accentuated Nash's skills then and now, making a believer of D'Antoni's friend and assistant, Alvin Gentry. Gentry inherited players who helped D'Antoni - Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire, Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa. D'Antoni inherited expiring contracts of riff-raff, leading to a second losing season that will age him like a president until summer free agency." Paul Coro in the Arizona Republic 

WNBA: "Disgraced Olympic sprinter Marion Jones is hoping to make a sporting comeback in women's professional basketball, the New York Times reported on Monday. The 34-year-old was released from prison last year after serving most of a six-month sentence for lying about her use of steroids and has been working out on the basketball court since October." The New York Times 

Back later with after-school blog links.