"I told my agent, 'I don't want to deal with any of this stuff. I don't want to talk to anybody about it. You just keep me updated.'" Felton said of reports he could be dealt off the Charlotte Bobcats .

"I concentrate on the Basketball and don't think about the other stuff."

That's Felton's nature, focusing on the work in a tunnel-vision manner. It's the same way he's tuning out the pain right now from a sprained ankle.

"If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't," Felton summed up. "I want to be here, but if I'm not, life goes on."

The Observer and other media outlets have reported Felton is part of trade discussions between the Bobcats and the Dallas Mavericks. Other teams have inquired about Felton's availability. He will become a restricted free agent in July and rookie D.J. Augustin is developing quickly into a starter-quality NBA point guard.

Felton said he's not offended the Bobcats are considering options.

"Anybody can come up in trade talk. I've seen some of the best in the league get traded," Felton said.

He said he'll play tonight against the Detroit Pistons with a right ankle sprained Saturday against the Washington Wizards.

"It's a little sore, but I don't care about that -- I want to play," Felton said. "If I'm in a little pain, and I can fight through it, I'm going to be out there and help the team out. That's just me, that's just my heart. I love the game."

Singletary's chance

Augustin is expected to miss at least the next four games with an abdominal strain. That figures to open minutes for Sean Singletary, a second-round rookie from Virginia, who came to the Bobcats in the trade with the Phoenix Suns.

Singletary technically has been with four NBA teams. He was drafted by Sacramento, then traded to Houston and later to Phoenix before training camp ever started. Now he can establish himself as the Bobcats' third point guard.

"My confidence is high. I'm ready to make some noise," Singletary said.

"Everybody calls me undersized, but I feel like it's an advantage for me. Nobody is as fast or as quick as me, so I feel I can get to where I want, get the ball to my teammates where they need it and put the ball in the hole, too."

Singletary said the months he spent around Steve Nash in Phoenix were particularly helpful.

"He said, 'Be patient and when you get the chance, be aggressive.'" Singletary recalled. "He was real confident in me and my abilities. Coming from a future Hall-of-Famer, you can't ask for more."

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