NBA Rumors: Where NBA's Hottest Names Will Land

The NBA Trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET, and I predict this day will be more about what didn't happen, as opposed to what did. 

Dwight Howard is the biggest fish in the pond, but it appears he may be off the table. Howard told realgm.com this:

"

I have gotten some bad advice. I apologize for this circus I have caused to the fans of our city. They didn't deserve none of this. I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart. I will do whatever I can to make this right and do what I was put in Orlando to do.

"

That said, nothing is official until he submits the paperwork to waive his early opt-out option for this upcoming offseason.

It appears that an image cautious Howard has decided he doesn't want to be hated, and that he will stay in Orlando.

I believe him at this point. He cares too much about what others think to pull what would be the ultimate gangster move to leave Orlando hanging.

So that is the Howard situation, here is where I see the other hot names of the day landing:

Deron Williams Will Stay With Nets....For Now

The Nets should be looking to trade Williams now, but they won't. For over a year, it has appeared he and Howard were linked to the Nets. If Howard opts in to Orlando this year, Williams isn't likely to return to the Nets, even in Brooklyn.

The Nets apparently had discussed a deal to move Williams for Carmelo Anthony, but it didn't happen and Mike D'Antoni was bounced afterwards.

David Aldridge of TNT and NBA.com tweeted:

All this said, at the end of the proverbial day the Nets will be the biggest losers. As it appears they will go into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn without Williams or Howard next season.

Pau Gasol Will Stay With Lakers

The Lakers apparently haven't found a deal to their liking for Gasol. It appears they will make a deal, but it isn't likely to include PG16.

Los Angeles knows that with Kobe Bryant, Gasol, Andrew Bynum and the piece(s) they could add today, they can make a run at a title.

It seems they will let that string play out for this season.

Jamal Crawford in Minnesota and Michael Beasley to L.A.

Heres a deal that will actually get done. Dave McMenamin of ESPN details the deal:

"

The Lakers revisited talks to acquire Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley on Wednesday, multiple league sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com. Several variations of the trade have been discussed.

One would land Beasley on the Lakers in a three-team deal that would send Portland Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford to the Wolves and Luke Ridnour from Minnesota to Portland.

Los Angeles would give up one of its two 2012 first-round draft picks in the deal and use its $8.9 million trade exception, acquired when it traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks in December, to absorb Beasley’s approximate $6.3 million salary. Portland would also receive the Lakers’ first-round pick.

"

Crawford landing in Minnesota is more about next season in my opinion. The Wolves are a fringe playoff team at best, and that was with Ricky Rubio. Without him, Crawford doesn't create for teammates like Rubio, but has some value next season as a sixth man.

He has a player option for next year at $5 million.

Beasley helps the Lakers tremendously. If L.A. can find a way to swing a deal for a PG then in my opinion, they are the favorites in the West.

We'll see what happens there.

Steve Nash

If he had a "list" then there would be some drama surrounding him, but he has committed to stay in Phoenix for the rest of the season. Sean Deveney of Sporting News says:

"

A source tells Sporting News that, “nothing has changed,” in regards to Nash. That means that the Suns’ plan to keep him for this season and let him hit free agency remains intact, and that Nash has not lodged any sudden trade demand with the team.

The Suns certainly could extract some assets for a Nash rental proposition, but we may not have seen the last of Nash in a Suns uniform after this year—there’s also a chance that Phoenix will re-sign Nash in the offseason. Expect him to stay put, for now at least.

"

Nash could generate a ton of interest were he to ask to be traded, but he's at a different point in his career.

He's had his big paydays and he knows his next deal will likely be his last. At 38, he's content to wait until the offseason to choose the final stop in his career.