According to team sources, Morris Peterson's agent has sparked trade rumors by shopping around for a deal.

No deal appears to be imminent, however.

Peterson is in a contract year and Rob Pelinka is concerned about seeing his value diminish.According to team sources, Morris Peterson's agent has sparked trade rumors by shopping around for a deal.

T.J. Ford sustained a sprained right ankle after getting fouled driving to the basket in the closing minutes of Friday's loss to the Bulls.

He is listed as a game time decision for Saturday's contest at Memphis.

Morris Peterson's name has been thrown around in trade rumors recently, but he remains committed to helping the Raptors.

"Right now I'm happy," he said. "I'm just trying to get back healthy, that's my main focus, so I can get out on this court and help this team."

"I don't read the papers," said Peterson, who took part in a light practice yesterday after missing Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves because of a sore right hamstring. "I don't know (what's going on), but I've heard about a couple of things that people have been talking about.

"This is my seventh season (in the NBA) and every year you hear something about your name being in trade rumours. And that's just part of the game," he said. "My first year, my name was in trade talks and I was walking in the locker room, head down, and Dell Curry came up and said, 'This is nothing. Get used to this every season.' This is not something I'll let affect me."

There are undercurrents to Mo Peterson's status that caused eyebrows to be raised when Raptor officials said about 45 minutes before game time last night that he wouldn't be in the lineup.

The seven-year veteran and longest-serving member of the team is in the final year of a contract that will pay him slightly more than $4 million (U.S.) this year, making him one of general manager Bryan Colangelo's biggest assets on the trade market.

League sources have told the Star that "several" teams enquired about Peterson's availability earlier this season when coach Sam Mitchell took him out of the starting lineup to give the job to Fred Jones.

Teams starved for outside shooting ? New Orleans, Denver or the Clippers ? could have some interest in Peterson for his ability and his contract.

Raptors forward Morris Peterson missed Wednesday night?s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a sore right hamstring.

Peterson is averaging 11.9 points and 4.1 rebounds in 20 games this season. He was fined after missing practice on Tuesday night after arriving late from the Christmas break.

Joey Graham started in his place.

T.J. Ford has Toronto in first place in the Atlantic Division, even without Chris Bosh.

Ford scored 28 points and Anthony Parker added 19 to lead Toronto to a 100-97 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night.

The Raptors are 6-4 without Bosh (sore left knee), their leading scorer. He isn't expected back until Jan. 3 when Toronto hosts Phoenix.

Chris Bosh worked up a sweat but that?s about it last night and there?s now a possibility he won?t return to the Raptor lineup until 2007.

Willing to heed the advice of a more senior teammate, and still wanting to get some full practices in before coming back from a bone bruise on his knee, Bosh held out the possibility he won?t play until the Raptors face Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns at the Air Canada Centre on Jan. 3.

"A vet told me, 'Don?t open up on the road,' " Bosh said after practice last night.

"I don?t know why, but if a veteran tells me that, I?m going to follow his advice."

Already without star guard Ray Allen, the SuperSonics will attempt to snap a six-game losing streak Saturday against the Raptors. They hope to have forwards Rashard Lewis and Chris Wilcox available.

T.J. Ford went down midway through the fourth quarter and bruised his back on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

He was moving gingerly while moving around the locker room after the game. He is expected to dress on Wednesday against the Clippers in Los Angeles.

?I fell on my butt, that?s all. You?ll see me playing (tonight),? said Ford. ?It?s going to be sore but you?re never going to play this game healthy once the season starts. I?ll go out, get treatment and be ready for (the Clippers).?

Amare Stoudemire dominated with 28 points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes, and the Suns set a franchise record for consecutive victories by beating the Raptors 115-98 Tuesday night.

"I'm just playing Phoenix Suns basketball." Stoudemire said. "Tonight it was working my way, but as a team we came out and played great basketball all the way around."

The Suns try to extend the NBA's longest winning streak in seven seasons at Denver on Wednesday night.