Five Things That Should Happen Before the NBA Trade Deadline Ends

Mid-February is the time of year when the basketball fan is inundated with trade rumours that run the gamut from the plausible to the deliriously wishful.

The downside to these prognostications is that the average fan is held hostage by two particularly nefarious forces: the mouthpieces at the larger sports networks ("cough" ESPN), who spread their own, often twisted, insider take, and certain sportswriters from the larger media centres like New York or Chicago, who put far-fetched homer fantasies out into the mainstream press like there's actually a credible source to such delusional insinuations.

Maybe I'm just getting tired of the various Chicago papers asking current Bulls players how they would feel if Bosh were to magically land in the Windy City. Or Chad Ford proposing that Toronto could even consider any trade offer from Golden State that includes only the portion of their roster that can't create their own shot.

Often, larger media sources fail to accurately gauge the realities of the teams that they talk about; the local media only care about their own and, frankly, barely even consider any other team they may discuss. Thus, trade rumours often swirl with little merit until replaced by another, often just as bogus notion.

Since much of what is going to be said before Thursday evening will be grounded in little more than heresy, I'm going to propose some moves that would make the league a more interesting place: moves that would potentially heighten the playoff race and possibly save us from another over-hyped, under-performed Laker-Celtic Final (not that I'm complaining about the result, mind you...).

In short, moves that would benefit all fans of the NBA, on some level.

So here they are...

Suns Keep Amar'e

For now, fortunately, it appears Steve Kerr has managed to do one thing right and convince Robert Sarver to hold off from dumping Stoudemire until at least the end of the season. Now that Alvin Gentry has taken over the reins, this may be the last time we will see the run and fun Suns in full effect.

The somewhat conflicted integration of Shaq aside, if Nash, Jason Richardson, and Amar'e are firing on all cylinders, this squad could actually make a serious run and, at the very least, scare the hell out of the Western Conference one last time. It would be worth it to at least see them try.

Upgrades in San Antonio and Cleveland

Although these two teams have the best chance of altering the inevitable Laker-Celtic rematch in the Finals, it can also be said that they are both operating a level slightly beneath the defending finalists (we won't mention Orlando here because they have no chance of winning anything significant that is playoff-related by jacking threes and playing with two small forwards in their front court).

Not to say either team couldn't produce an "upset" in a seven-game series, but would there be enough in the tank for them to pull off a second upset once reaching the Finals?

However, both teams could vault themselves a notch by acquiring that final elusive piece. And, ironically enough for their fans, both teams have the means to do so (San Antonio with their multiple expiring contracts and relative, Duncan-granted cap flexibility while Cleveland possesses the ever-attractive Wally Szczerbiak deal). Ideally, both teams could use help around the basket, but there are also perimeter players available who could make a difference...

Liberate V.C.

Yes, I am from Toronto. Obviously, I do not see Vince through rose-coloured glasses. But, I will say that watching him languish on a Nets squad that doesn't appear to have an immediate direction, now that their LeBron fantasy has gone the way of their proposed Brooklyn relocation, is an exercise in pointlessness.

There are a number of secondary contenders aside from the aforementioned two squads that would consider bringing Vince in. And, it would be interesting to see not just if he could still be relevant but how he would perform in games that really mattered. Now that he's actually got his university diploma. I kid, I kid...

Free Marbury

Since we're on the topic of taking players out of purgatory, we might as well address the one player whose case goes beyond the metaphorical. The Dolans are a bunch of jerkoffs who have used their Cablevision empire to run a once mighty franchise into the ground. How about a small, karmic reprieve?

Letting Marbury go will not only remove one dauntingly perpetual dark cloud from the Manhattan basketball skyline, but it will also allow for one of the great basketball experiments of the decade: Starbury in Celtic green.

Will a player of unquestionable talent yet just as questionable motivation be able to fit and contribute to the ultimate veteran squad? Ainge did his part by shipping off Cassell and opening up a roster spot.

The harsh reality is that this is just as likely to work as it is to backfire. The Knicks organization must be at least partially aware of this fact when considering Stephon's move to a division rival. Just let it happen before the Mar. 1 deadline. At the very least, it would make for great theater.

Rebuilding Teams, Give Up Your Assets

With the salary cap projected to go down for the first time ever next year, many teams are looking to fiscally restructure their organizations, and for teams on the other side of playoff contention, just squeaking in as an eighth seed may not warrant the luxury tax.

The playoff landscape could be radically changed if a legit contender were to add one player of the caliber of a Caron Butler. Teams like Washington, Charlotte, or Milwaukee may be better off getting rid of a Butler or Antawn Jamison, or a Gerald Wallace or Richard Jefferson in order to get a better grip on future payroll issues.

And if just one of these players comes to play on a team trying to get over the top, it could make for that much more an interesting stretch run.

This year is unique in the sense of the prohibitive nature of spending that the economic landscape has dictated. Deals that would normally be available are completely unfeasible, but it does open up the floor for any buyers in a league full of sellers.

There are a few teams that could immensely benefit in the short term if they are willing to invest. The odds are that GMs will probably play it tight anyways, so if we're going to be wishful about the action that takes places in the remaining days before the deadline arrives, it might as well be for the sort of moves that lead to a more exciting second half of the season.