NBA-National Basketball Asssociation roundup

Reuters

Feb 20 (The Sports Xchange) - Free-agent center Jason Collins worked out for the Brooklyn Nets this week in Los Angeles, and the Nets are strongly considering signing Collins to a 10-day contract, ESPN.com reported. If Collins is signed, he could become the NBA's first openly gay player to take the court, and first to play in any of North America's four major team sports - NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. Collins, 35, has not played in an NBA game since April 17, 2013, when he was playing for the Washington Wizards. He played in 38 games that season for the Wizards and Boston Celtics, averaging 1.1 points. Collins made an historic announcement about his sexual orientation to Sports Illustrated in April 2013, in a story that ran in the magazine's May 6 issue after the end of the regular season. No team has signed him since. - - - Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will play in Thursday's game against the Miami Heat, the team announced several hours before tipoff. Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee. - - - Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia and will be out the rest of the season, the team announced. McGee averaged 7.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in five games this season. In six seasons with the Nuggets and Washington Wizards, he averaged 8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots. - - - An MRI performed on Minnesota Timberwolves center Ronny Turiaf revealed that he suffered a right knee bone bruise that will sideline him indefinitely, the team announced. Turiaf has appeared in 23 games this season, including 10 starts, and is averaging 4.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 20.9 minutes per game. - - - Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, the team announced. Billups will begin rehabilitation immediately and will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks. The 37-year-old Billups is averaging 3.8 points in 19 games this season. (Editing by Larry Fine)