A 2 1/2-month mini-tournament is shaping up in the Western Conference for the final three of eight playoff spots, and the Suns and Blazers are in the thick of it with the Utah Jazz, Seattle SuperSonics and Los Angeles Clippers.

All are near the .500 mark and likely will battle it out for those final playoff spots or draft lottery balls.

The Arizona Republic reports that help could be on the way.

Talks continued Wednesday with the Warriors about a trade for Marc Jackson, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center/forward who has been at odds with the Warriors since the off-season when he signed an offer sheet with Houston.

Sources said the Warriors and Suns still were haggling over a first-round draft pick that would have to be included in the deal. The Suns are likely to want protection if the pick they surrender should end up among the top picks in the draft this year or next.

As for players who would be involved, only a few fit the criteria reportedly sought by the Warriors - players whose contracts expire this summer.

The Suns are not likely to give up a key player in their rotation, which would rule out forward Rodney Rogers.

Forward John Wallace is likely to be included if a deal is made because Golden State wants a player whose contract ends after the season. A second player might have to be included to make the salary-cap numbers add up.

The Suns' chances may have improved when the deadline for a trade exception that Memphis hoped to use on Jackson expired Wednesday.

Rick Bucher writes for ESPN the Magazine.  He's a Peter Vescy wannabe and was the guy who floated the Karl Malone trade rumor earlier this year.  Here's his latest:

"Denver, Phoenix and Golden State have discussed a three-way deal moving former Nugget Rodney Rogers back to Denver, Marc Jackson to the Suns and Raef LaFrentz to the Warriors. The decision facing Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe is to move LaFrentz to clear cap space (Rogers' deal is up at the end of the season) or acquire cornerstone talent. Don't look for a decision until after the All-Star weekend, at the earliest."

The Arizona Republic reports that Suns forward Tom Gugliotta's return to the active roster has been delayed by pain in his right foot.

According to team physicians, Gugliotta suffered a stress reaction in the foot after he practiced Monday for the first time since he was placed on the injured list three weeks ago with tendinitis in his left quadriceps muscle.

Gugliotta, who had hoped to return Thursday at Portland, has suffered repeated setbacks since he suffered a serious injury to his left knee in March 2000.

Tom Gugliotta worked through about half of the scrimmage in an ongoing attempt to re- establish the consistent scoring and rebounding that have been lost since he underwent serious knee surgery in March 2000, according to the Arizona Republic.

"The knee felt good," said Gugliotta, who hopes to return to the Suns' active roster for Thursday night's game at Portland. "Now, I'm going to try to get through two hard days in a row. I think I'm very close. Under the best-case scenario, I think I could be playing Thursday."

The East Valley Tribune is reporting that Marc Jackson, the forward/center of the Golden State Warriors, has added the Suns to his list of possible trade destinations, NBA sources said Friday.

The Houston Rockets gave Jackson a six-year, $24 million contract offer at the start of the season, a deal Golden State matched.

The Warriors are now able to trade Jackson and are seeking to do so. It is not known whether the Suns and Warriors are close to a deal, but Jackson's decision to add Phoenix to his list can at least allow trade talks to become serious.

Previously, Jackson had named only Memphis, Indiana and Orlando as teams he would agree to join.
Suns president Bryan Colangelo would not confirm any trade talks or even that Jackson has added the Suns to his list, but he added, "Any team that lacks an inside presence has been talking to the Warriors.''

Rodney Rogers was suited up and said he could have played in Thursday's improbable 96-91 loss to the New York Knicks, but coach Scott Skiles elected to play it safe with him, according to the Arizona Republic.

But with the Knicks' Kurt Thomas having his way with Bo Outlaw en route to a 27-point, 10-rebound night, Rogers' absence meant a cure wasn't available.

"I could have played, but I guess he decided not to use me," Rogers said. "I was sitting there ready for him. I understand, though. My ankle is still very tender, and he just thought it would be wise not to risk hurting it more."

Suns forward Shawn Marion had trouble lighting the fire against the Knicks, although he did finish with 17 points and eight rebounds. Midway through the first half, with the Suns en route to an 18-point halftime lead, Marion was forced to the bench, where trainers treated him for neck pain.

"I didn't get hit or anything, but it was really sore and it's not any better right now," Marion said after the game.

Skiles also said he doesn't expect forward Tom Gugliotta, who missed his eighth game with tendinitis in his left quadriceps, to play again in the final game of the three-game road trip at Washington.

Before Stephon Marbury was shipped to Phoenix last summer by the Nets, he knew he was being shopped. According to a source, Marbury told one member of the Nets' family two days before the historic Jason Kidd trade, "I hope they ship me out west. That way I'll have a better chance of being traded to the Knicks," writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

The Coney Island point guard keeps his Knick desires to himself. When asked last night about the Knicks' recent woes, he said, "I really don't care how they're doing. Why should I? It really doesn't matter to me."

League executives believe it's possible the Suns would eventually deal Marbury, probably in the summer. Knick GM Scott Layden had no chance of getting Marbury when he was with the Nets, who would never deal him to their cross-river rivals. Former Knick GM Ernie Grunfeld tried to obtain him from Minnesota four years ago, but his agent David Falk steered him to New Jersey.

Onetime Suns forward A.C. Green set an NBA record by playing in 1,192 consecutive games, a run that ended at the start of this season when no team offered him a contract.

That's Green's second most impressive ironman streak, according to the Arizona Republic.

During his 16-year NBA career, Green openly discussed his belief in abstinence from sex before marriage.

Now comes word that Green, 38, is engaged to be married. His Phoenix-based A.C. Green Foundation sent out a news release to announce the engagement but did not identify his fianc?e.

"I have waited awhile for marriage, but my beautiful fianc?e has definitely been a godsend," Green said in the release.

Peter Vecsey of the New York Post has a collection of rumors for the general fan base to pick apart.

Vecsey claims that Scott Skiles almost became the fourth head coach to resign this season, following Van Gundy, Dan Issel and Tim Floyd. Vecsey's sources say that the Suns talked Skiles out of the decision.

Vecsey also reports that Marc Jackson has three teams in mind that he would accept a trade to: Memphis, Indiana and Orlando. But Vecsey also says that the Mavericks are getting into the bidding, offering a cool $3 million and a 1st round pick. Obviously the Mavericks would have to also part with a player or combo of players.

(Quick note to Vecsey: Loy Vaught doesn't play for the Mavs anymore. Remember that whole Juwan Howard swaperoo? In fact Vaught retired from the Wizards earlier this season.)

Speaking of Howard, Vecsey also reports that he could be moved as part of a blockbuster. Dallas is reportedly showing interest in Jalen Rose. But that deal is dependant on the Pacers swapping Rose for Nick Van Exel. The Pacers reportedly won't budge unless the deal is expanded to include Raef LaFrentz.

(One can only assume that Kiki Vandeweghe is seeking to start clean in Denver. But why are the Pacers even remotely interested in Van Exel? Perhaps the Pacers are trying to broker Nick the Quick to a third team, perhaps Golden State or Toronto.)

Vecsey says the Nuggets rejected a proposed Van Exel-for-Stoudamire package and that the Pacers aren't interested in either Stoudamire or Scottie Pippen. Portland is reportedly shopping both players.

In a game aching to belong to someone, anyone, Stephon Marbury was the obvious choice to grab it.

A New York kid quick to filch that last slice of pizza off the cardboard, not to mention your taxi at the curb, Marbury wasn't about to pass up a fat opportunity to swipe the game for the Phoenix Suns on Friday night at America West Arena.

The Timberwolves, after all, sure didn't seem to want it.

So Marbury, with about seven seconds left on the game clock and four still available on the Suns' shot clock, launched a three-pointer from out front and nailed it, breaking a 100-100 tie to give Phoenix a 103-100 overtime victory over his former team.