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The names that have come up most often in trade talk concerning the Mavs are Sacramento's Kevin Martin, Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala and Washington's Caron Butler. Of the three, Iguodala would be the best fit. He's an excellent defender, athletic, plays hard and piles up a lot of points even though he's not a particularly good shooter. Plus, he just turned 26. Martin's essentially a Mav-in-spirit: good shooter, poor defender. He'd give them scoring they lack at the two-guard, but he won't make them any scrappier. Butler's a better defender than Martin, but it's not anything to brag about. Dallas Morning News

First of all, the 76ers apparently have a better deal on the table with the Suns, who are dangling Amare Stoudemire. Phoenix might even throw in Leandro Barbosa and agree to shoulder Samuel Dalembert's contract as well. Dallas Morning News

Even if the Mavs were willing to take on the contracts of Iguodala and Dalembert or Elton Brand – effectively wiping out their chances of making a big move this summer – the Sixers would probably want more young talent in return. Maybe Beaubois. "I'm not going to trade him," Cuban said. "There are maybe one or two guys in the league I'll trade him for. Other than that, he's pretty much untouchable. It'd have to be an incredible player." Dallas Morning News

When the colorful owner says "we suck right now" and the coach questions their pride and the circus is coming to town this week, it's not a good time for most of the Mavs to be renewing magazine subscriptions. From all accounts, Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson are heavily engaged in trade talks, as they should be. The first rule of any contender is, when all else fails, go for it. Dallas Morning News

Early Monday evening, the Arizona Republic posted a story that included a rumor that Ben Gordon could be a part of a three-team deal that would bring Amar’e Stoudemire to the Pistons. After practice Monday, Gordon said trades and trade rumors are “part of our everyday lives.” But he seemed relatively comfortable he would be with the Pistons for the foreseeable future. “My name hasn’t been in the talks as much this year, so I haven’t had to really think about that or concentrate on that,” Gordon said. “I wouldn’t say I’m at ease. I’m just more focused on what’s going to happen and how I can help us get better.” Michigan Live

Gordon was not asked about any specific trade rumors Monday afternoon, but he discussed how he dealt with them last season in Chicago. “Just going out and playing. Just focusing on what I could control,” he said. “Anytime you can do that, it kind of makes it a lot easier to deal with on a day-to-day basis because if you read all the articles and listen to all the commentators and everybody talking, it can drive you crazy. “I just try to focus on the game and leave all that other stuff alone.” Michigan Live

The Suns' most frequently mentioned potential trade partners are Cleveland and Philadelphia. A trade prospect with Cleveland combines a financial windfall and a young, promising power forward replacement in J.J. Hickson, whom the Suns liked in the 2008 draft when they tabbed center Robin Lopez. Phoenix would stand to save several million dollars in a deal involving center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who received most of his salary up front and could be bought out to move Phoenix toward the possibility of being a luxury tax recipient rather than payer. Arizona Republic

Possibilities with Philadelphia could be stronger with two fronts, a deal between bringing in swingman Andre Iguodala for Stoudemire with perhaps young power forward Marreese Speights or a three-way deal involving Detroit with Pistons guard Ben Gordon winding up in Philadelphia and the Suns getting Iguodala and Detroit power forward Chris Wilcox. The rub with Iguodala, a 26-year-old former Arizona star, is inheriting a contract that will pay him $56.5 million over the next four seasons. Arizona Republic

Stoudemire's declaration that he is leaning toward picking up next season's $17.7 million option also has muddied the trade waters for teams who like him as an expiring deal. The Suns have not been interested in other teams' inquiries about Lopez. "We've shown that we're a good team," guard Steve Nash said. "We've shown glimpses that we can be a really good team. It'd be nice to continue to work at it together." Arizona Republic

A high-level source involved in the Suns’ strategizing estimated that Stoudemire has a “30 percent chance” of being traded. His situation is the most intriguing of all the star players who could be moved by Feb. 18, given his status as an All-Star starter. The plot only became more interesting with Stoudemire’s recent comments/head fake that he’s leaning toward not exercising the early termination option in his contract, which would pay him $17.7 million next season. CBS Sports

Some team executives believe Stoudemire, surmising that opting in would be the best move if Stoudemire doesn’t believe max money will be there for him this summer. Others find ignoring the ETO implausible for any player with a choice between signing a long contract under the current collective bargaining agreement and waiting for the new one, which clearly will be worse for the players. CBS Sports

One league source familiar with the market for Stoudemire expressed skepticism about rumblings that Stoudemire could be headed to Philadelphia. The person said there’s no consensus among the Sixers’ brass that Stoudemire would be the player they’d want to commit max money to – especially after the Elton Brand fiasco. From the Phoenix side, the person said, owner Robert Sarver’s non-basketball businesses (banking and real estate) have been hit too hard by the recession to make the Suns a credible landing spot for Samuel Dalembert’s $12.2 million due next season – not to mention Andre Iguodala’s four years and $56 million remaining. CBS Sports

Tyrus Thomas isn’t as big a name as Stoudemire, but league sources agree he’s far more likely to be dealt by Feb. 18 – if not sooner. One person familiar with the situation said it would be surprising if the Thomas situation stretched into next week after his recent dustup with coach Vinny Del Negro over losing his starting job to rookie Taj Gibson. CBS Sports

Sources say the Bulls would prefer to package Thomas in a bigger deal that would clear cap space for a major free agent signing -- such as a scenario detailed here involving the Celtics’ Ray Allen. CBS Sports

Team executives differ widely in their assessment Marcus Camby’s availability, with some convinced Camby’s gone and others equally convinced he’s going nowhere. The truth is somewhere in between. A person familiar with the Clippers’ internal discussions said the team would move Camby and his $7.65 million contract only in a deal that would yield a significant player who could help them next season – or the cap space to sign one. CBS Sports

The Clips are a small deal away from clearing the $15-$16 million necessary to sign a max player. If they can’t improve their 2010-11 position dramatically, Camby stays. Two of Camby’s former teams, the Nuggets and Knicks, are intrigued by the possibility of bringing him back for an encore. CBS Sports

Miami and Charlotte remain in the mix with the Rockets and Trail Blazers for Wizards center Brendan Haywood. The Blazers continue to steadfastly reject any scenario that includes Rudy Fernandez or Nicolas Batum. CBS Sports

As of now, George Karl is in the last year of a six-year contract that is paying him $3 million plus incentives. The team picked up a three-year option on the deal in 2006. According to Forbes magazine, it puts him well behind other coaches, based on last season’s figures. Some have won titles in their careers such as the Lakers’ Phil Jackson ($10 million salary), Celtics Doc Rivers ($5.5 million) and Charlotte’s Larry Brown ($7 million); and others still look to reach the mountaintop such as the Knicks’ Mike D’Antoni ($6 million) and Golden State’s Don Nelson ($6 million). Denver Post Blog

There are roster expenditures to think about. Carmelo Anthony is a max contract player. His negotiations are coming up next season as he can terminate his contract and become an unrestricted free agent in 2011. Nene can do the same thing next season. J.R. Smith will be in the last year of his contract next season, so a decision has to be made there. Kenyon Martin will be in the last year of his contract. Chauncey Billups will be in the last guaranteed year under his current contract. Denver Post Blog

The only Nuggets with guaranteed contracts beyond the 2011-12 season are Chris Andersen, Renaldo Balkman, and most likely Ty Lawson, but the team has to pick up the rookie’s option next season to make it official. All of this with a shrinking NBA salary cap, and a collective-bargaining agreement decision looming in December that could result in a lockout in 2011-12. Denver Post Blog

But after Monday's practice, which Allen Iverson again missed due to his daughter's illness, Eddie Jordan wouldn't commit to Iverson starting when he comes back. "That's a topic we have to discuss," Jordan said. Later, Jordan said, "We're going to talk about that as a staff. We've had some of those discussions. We'll cross that bridge when we cross that bridge." Philly Burbs

The 19-31 Sixers have won three in a row - all against teams with a .500 or better record at the time - with Iverson absent and Willie Green starting in his place. The 6-foot-3 Green and 6-4 rookie Jrue Holiday have given the Sixers better size and matchups in the backcourt than when the 6-1 Lou Williams and 5-11 Iverson started. They've also cut down on opponents' dribble penetration, allowing teammates to stay on their man rather than having to rotate over to help on the ball. Philly Burbs

Green said he would never go to Jordan to tell the coach he prefers to start. "I have to respect the authority that's ahead of me," Green said. "And that's the coach. If coach wants to start a certain five, then we're going with it. That's the way it is with a team. You have to realize even if the team may be a little bit better with me starting, I'm capable of coming off the bench and still producing for this team." Philly Burbs

Glen Davis, whose numbers have risen steadily since his return from a fractured right thumb, said he is ready for an increased role in the offense. In his past three games, Davis has averaged 8.7 points and five rebounds and he was one of the few bright spots in Sunday’s loss. “I’m put out on the floor for a job and that’s to be aggressive,’’ he said. “I’m basically an energy guy, that’s what I do. It wasn’t too long ago that I was a key factor in helping us win. I’m not helping my team if I’m not using my talents.’’ Boston Globe

“Right now, we’re that team that’s playing poorly,’’ coach Doc Rivers said yesterday. “We need to get back to that team that was 23-5. We were playing terrific basketball, we were playing simple basketball, and we were trusting everything. “It really isn’t one glaring thing that we’re not doing. We watched film [yesterday] and there’s so many little things on both ends of the floor. When we need a stop we’re not getting stops, when we need a basket we’re not getting baskets. But it’s not as simple as I just said. It’s execution things, it’s things we know we can do but we haven’t done them. We had a good day [yesterday] and we’ve just got to keep working - one day’s not going to turn anything around.’’ Boston Globe

Rivers said the team lacked discipline and that he disagreed with a player saying the Celtics were better than the Magic. “I was just being honest,’’ Rivers said. “That doesn’t mean we can’t be by the end of the year. At this point, right now, they’re better than us. If we’re trying to win a championship, then that’s not good enough." Boston Globe

Chris Duhon admits his eyes might have been opened when Mike D'Antoni demoted him to the bench two games ago. Tonight, Duhon will be back in the starting lineup, and he's prepared to return with one thing above all else -- energy. As the Post's Marc Berman first reported yesterday, D'Antoni will flip-flop Duhon and Nate Robinson for tonight's game against the Kings at the Garden, returning Duhon to his starting point guard role after a two-game bench banishment. Robinson will come off the bench as a shooting guard after starting at point last Friday and Saturday. NY Post

Duhon, who revealed yesterday his demotion was "a reality check," said this time as a starter he needs to be sure he plays with spirit. Being passive won't work. "I've just got to be myself. I've got to bring energy. That was the main thing," Duhon said. "When I play with energy, it's contagious and guys kind of feed off of that. My main thing is coming out there, being very, very aggressive defensively and bringing a lot of energy to the court." NY Post

Rajon Rondo said yesterday he accepted an invitation to play in the H-O-R-S-E competition on All-Star Saturday Night. Rondo will be joined by defending champion Kevin Durant and Sacramento rookie Omri Casspi. Rondo has some trick shots he’s ready to unleash. Boston Globe

Head coach Jay Triano marvels at the fact that Evans could be out as long as he has with an injury that immobilized him for much of his almost four months and not add a single pound to his bulky 245-pound frame. Evans though sends the credit for that to the trio of assistant trainers Rory Mullin and Ray Chow and assistant strength coach Jonny Lee. "Ray, Roy, and Johnny. It was them," Evans said. "They talked to me, encouraged me, were on me mentally to think about positives, wanted me to eat right. Basically I just kind of gave in to them. I just went with it. I told momma I couldn't really eat no real good soul food. Just eat organic food, lift weights and do whatever conditioning I could do at different stages." Toronto Sun

Hardest of all was giving up candy. Apparently, Lakers forward Lamar Odom isn't the only candy freak in the NBA. "I'm a candy fanatic," Evans says almost proudly. "I'm probably worse than Lamar. All kinds of candy. "Candy is my number one. I had to (give it up). A lot of people would be shocked. My home boys, my mama and them. The kind of money I make, people don't know what I want for Christmas or whatever, so they give me a box of candy. I got quite a few candy (gifts) from different people, so I gave them to my kids." Toronto Sun

Another Piston besides rookie forward Jonas Jerebko will be in Dallas for the All-Star break this weekend. Backup power forward Jason Maxiell is headed there -- not to participate in the festivities, but as the player representative to the NBA Players Association annual union meeting. Detroit Free Press

"Myself not being very outspoken, but I will sit there and listen and understand what's going on," Maxiell said. "It's a great opportunity to understand ... not just what's going on the court, but behind closed doors." Despite speculation of a lockout if an agreement isn't reached before the 2011-12 season, Maxiell chooses to remain confident as the sides appear to be far apart. "That may be the way it is now, but toward the end, we'll be on the same page," he said. Detroit Free Press

Going into Tuesday night's game at Cleveland, the Nets are 4-46 and on pace to break the all-time record for fewest wins in a season. They have also lost six straight games and are now within striking distance of their fourth double-digit losing streak of the season, a feat accomplished by only two other teams, the original Denver Nuggets of 1949-50 and the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who also set the mark for the worst record ever - 9-73. NY Daily News

Through it all, the team's popularity has taken a hit, according a report in the Sports Business Journal Monday. Averaging 13,134 a game, the Nets are last in the league in home attendance. Their TV ratings on the YES Network are also falling, with only .32% of viewers in the New York area watching games, the lowest percentage since the network started coverage, according to the report, which also said the team's nearly 41% drop in TV ratings is the biggest in the league. NY Daily News

Chris Douglas-Roberts has one word for this season with the Nets. "Hell." There is no way to argue with the man. Unless you want to say the Nets' 2009-10 folly really hasn't been that good. NY Post

"A little bit. I'm just more cold. But all that stuff, I don't care one way or the other," said Douglas-Roberts. "Caring about winning? Absolutely. But everything else doesn't matter. All of this is because I want to win. I take losing bad. All of this, everything comes from me being a sore loser. I don't like losing." NY Post

Trying to solve the mystery of Brandon Rush is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. His body language and expressions are the same whether he has scored 20 points or missed 10 consecutive shots. "That's always been me. I never show too much emotion," Rush said. "I never show it when I get down on myself or anything like that. That's always been my personality. It's too late to change me." Indianapolis Star

His teammates have tried to encourage him only to receive an occasional cold shoulder. His coaches have basically given up trying to flip the right switch. Coach Jim O'Brien can't talk about the second-year swingman without looking flustered or throwing up his arms in annoyance. What drives those in the organization up a wall is that Rush has as much potential as anybody on the roster. Indianapolis Star

Dwight Howard put it best Monday night. “Oh my God,” Dwight said after Vince Carter scored 48 in the Magic’s 123-117 victory over the New Orleans Hornets, “Vinsanity is back!” We echo those sentiments. Oh my God, did you see Vinsanity Monday night? Driving to the hoop for dipsy-doodle scoops. Nailing 3-pointers. Crossover dribbles that tied defenders up inknots. Wow — 48 points, 19-of-27 shooting and 6-of-10 from 3-point range. Orlando Sentinel Blog

Cavaliers: Starting point guard Mo Williams, out with a shoulder injury, said Monday he expects West to play. Coach Mike Brown wasn't as confident because he hadn't received final clearance, but that could come at Tuesday's morning shootaround. West has been fitted for a splint on his hand, but it hasn't affected his shot during practice. "It just seems like he never misses a beat," Williams said. "He might be a little rusty, but he'll catch on pretty fast." While West's return is imminent, Williams is scheduled to return sometime in early March and forward Leon Powe, signed over the summer, is on target to return from knee surgery after the all-star break. AP

Carmelo Anthony is listed as probable for the Nuggets' home game tonight against the Dallas Mavericks as he recovers from a sprained left ankle. He took time to joke about what that meant in what has been an on-again, off-again saga with his game status each night. "Probable is like a 50-50 chance," the Nuggets' all-star forward said. "A 50 percent chance that I can be out there or a 50 percent chance that I can take another day off." Denver Post

Outside of Anthony, the Nugget most in danger of missing tonight's game is J.R. Smith, who is out with a sprained right shoulder. The injury happened Friday during Denver's 126-113 win over the Lakers in Los Angeles. Smith was examined by team doctor Steve Traina and is listed as a game-time decision. The Nuggets could be cautious with him as well. They have fared well without Smith, going 5-2. Denver Post

Warriors forward Corey Maggette has played through shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, hamstrings, knee and ankle pains this season, but a dislocated finger will keep him out for at least two games. "I know the paper is going to say 'Maggette is out with a little pinkie injury,' " Maggette joked before missing Monday's game. Actually, Maggette's injured finger is the ring finger on his left hand, and the Warriors' doctors are saying he can't play until after the All-Star break. San Francisco Chronicle

Dallas took its first lead of the game (108-106) on a three-point play by Dirk Nowitzki with 6:40 remaining, and two minutes and 52 seconds later, Monta Ellis was writhing on the floor. "I ran as fast as Usain Bolt to foul Jason Terry and stop the game, because I was really worried about my little general," center Ronny Turiaf said. "It's a freak accident with our best player going down, and that is the story of the season." San Francisco Chronicle

The Warriors said Ellis has a sprained left knee, and an MRI exam is scheduled for today. He glided into the lane for a layup with 3:48 left, got his legs tangled on the landing and then crashed into a cameraman on the baseline. "It was really scary, but it's just a little sore," said Ellis, who had the same knee surgically repaired in high school. "It's not as bad as it looked or as I made it seem." San Francisco Chronicle

Kobe Bryant isn't sure if he'll play in this weekend's NBA All-Star game in Dallas because of his sore left ankle. Bryant missed his second consecutive game Monday night against San Antonio, which lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 101-89. "If I'm not able to play, I won't play. But I'm healthy, I will," he said. AP

Bryant said he can't push off on his left foot. "I can't move to play. Can't go," he said, adding he would be a game-time decision Wednesday at Utah. "If I'm ready to go, I'll play." AP

Bryant: "I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to run through a wall just to run through a wall," he said. "If it's an injury where I feel like I can play through it and have it heal while I'm playing, then I'll play. But if it's the type of injury where it's going to get worse when I play, then I won't." AP

Andrew Bynum said Monday it might take a week for the bruising and swelling to subside in his injured right hip, which means he could be sidelined until the Lakers return from the All-Star break to play the Golden State Warriors next Tuesday. The good news, Bynum said, was his bruised and swollen left knee is vastly improved after he collided with Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte Bobcats last Wednesday and was forced to wear a protective brace. "That's better now," he said before the Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. "The swelling is out of there." LA Daily News

Omri Casspi swears he doesn't know the mother of the 2-pound, 13-ounce infant who made his Sacramento debut Nov. 3 at 9:30 a.m., and was introduced to the world as … Omri. It's not what you think. The Kings rookie doesn't know the father, either. "A baby named after me!" a grinning Casspi responded a few days ago, shortly after learning of his namesake. "That cracks me up. That's a first. Not even in Israel has this happened. An Israeli couple, right? Amazing. Unbelievable." Casspi, an edgy, irrepressible native of a Tel Aviv suburb – a 21-year-old who half-jokingly says he was born to be a King – is six months into an NBA adventure that is fluid and historical and increasingly fascinating. Sacramento Bee

These past few days in particular have been a blur of activity: Pregame and postgame chats with a throng of fans Sunday in Toronto; a post-practice gathering Monday at Madison Square Garden with members of the media, including several Israeli television and print journalists; a private audience with Commissioner David Stern in his Olympic tower office hours later; a reception sponsored by the Israeli Consul General in the early evening and, finally, tonight's long anticipated Kings-Knicks matchup that is being marketed as Jewish Heritage Night. "Omri better be ready," said fellow rookie and Philadelphia native Tyreke Evans, chuckling. "He has no idea what he's in for (tonight). I've played there a bunch of times. That place is going to be rocking." Sacramento Bee

Led by team president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks sent a full delegation of officials, coaches and current and former players to Hall of Famer Dick McGuire's funeral Monday on Long Island. Among the crowd of around 400 at St. Elizabeth Parish in Melville were St. John's icons Lou Carnesecca and Chris Mullin. McGuire, a star at St.John's before he went on to play for the Knicks, died last week at 84. NY Daily News

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