As the NBA inches toward the Feb. 21 trade deadline, who might be on the move? Jason Kidd wants out of Jersey, Damon Stoudamire is out of Memphis, and Chris Webber is back in Golden State. Read on as we track the NBA's best, worst, and most notable for the coming week...
 

   Quick Hitz  
    In the PAINT...
    On the SHELF...
    Best and WORST...
    Three-POINTERS...
    Quick ANALYSIS...
    And the final WORD...

  In the PAINT... 

GAME OF THE WEEK
Spurs @ Suns, 10:30 pm ET, Thursday, Jan.31
This is rematch of the best series of last season's playoffs, in which the Spurs gooned their way past the Suns and went on to win the NBA title. These two have already met once this season, with Phoenix winning in San Antonio 100-95.

GRUDGE MATCH OF THE WEEK
Zach Randolph, PF, Knicks @ Portland, 10:30 pm ET, Fri., Feb.1
How ticked off is Randolph going to be during this one? Not only will he likely face some boos in Portland, but he arrives with a Knicks team that's going nowhere fast while the Blazers are suddenly a team on the rise since getting rid of Randoph.

  On the SHELF... 

- Timberwolves' guard Randy Foye played his first game of the season for Minny on Jan.29, after sitting out the first half of the campaign with a stress reaction in his kneecap.

- Celtics' PF Kevin Garnett has an abdominal strain that is making him day-to-day. James Posey, Leon Powe, and Brian Scalabrine are filling in.

- Nuggets' SF Carmelo Anthony remains iffy because of a sore ankle, which opens the door for Linas Kleiza to keep seeing big minutes.

-Rockets' C Yao Ming sat out his team's Jan.27 contest because of an upper respiratory infection, and is day-to-day. Luis Scola appears to be the top candidate to replace him.

- Wizards' SF Caron Butler has a strained hip flexor that may keep him out a few games, meaning Andray Blatche is likely to see more game action.

- Clippers' C Chris Kaman is day-to-day because of a sore shin, which means more playing time for Al Thornton and Aaron Williams.

- Hawks' G Joe Johnson reportedly has a sore left ankle, but it has not kept him from playing (although it is obviously hurting his shooting).

- Bucks' SG Michael Redd is day-to-day after straining his left knee, which should mean more playing time for the underrated Charlie Bell.

- Spurs' point guard Tony Parker is out indefinitely after seeing his numbers become very inconsistent lately due to bone spurs in his left heel. Expect Jacque Vaughn to take over at the point.

- Sonics' rookie SG Kevin Durant has a bruised right thigh that might limit him a little going forward. If it does, look for Jeff Green and Wally Szczerbiak to play more.

- Heat C Shaquille O'Neal will be gone for a few weeks because of an aggravation of his sore hip. Mark Blount has been very good filling in.

- Bulls' PG Ben Gordon remains out because of a sprained right wrist, meaning an even bigger role for Thabo Sefolosha.

- Pacers' PG Jamaal Tinsley is day-to-day with a sore knee. Travis Diener is getting the starts in his place.

- Magic PG Jameer Nelson may be back soon after missing five games to a sore right foot. That should spell bench duty again for Carlos Arroyo.

- Mavericks' PG Devin Harris is day-to-day with a sprained left ankle, which should result in Jason Terry possibly getting some starts for the Mavs.

- Cavaliers' reserve center Anderson Varejao suffered an ankle injury on Jan.27 and is day-to-day. With him out look for Ira Newble to see more action.

- Cavaliers' shooting guard Aleksandar Pavlovic is out up to two months because of a sprained foot. That means Larry Hughes will get a chance to get his season back on track.

- Grizzlies rookie PG Mike Conley recently suffered a rib and chest injury, and is likely to miss a few games. That opens the door for Kyle Lowry to start for the Grizz.
Rajon Rondo recently returned from a few games out with a sore back, but now may be limited by a sprained ankle. That could mean more playing time for Eddie House.

- Bulls' PF Joe Smith has had to get his knee drained of fluid, but he continues to play for Chicago. Nevertheless, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah are seeing more minutes.

- Bulls' PG Chris Duhon recently returned from a bruised left knee but the Associated Press says he will likely miss a few more games. That opens the door for Thabo Sefolosha to play more.

  Best and WORST... 

TOP 3 TEAMS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. New Orleans Hornets (Western Conference)
If Morris Peterson starts playing like he can, the Hornets' starting five rivals the Suns.' It's great they're hosting the All-Star weekend.

2. Phoenix Suns (Western Conference)
Even with Grant Hill struggling with injuries lately they just keep rolling along. They're really clicking into high gear.

3. Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference)
The recent injury to Kevin Garnett is a bad sign and they had a rough patch in mid-January. But they're still the best in the East.

BOTTOM 3 TEAMS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Miami Heat (Eastern Conference)
There's a very good chance the Heat will finish January with just one win. That takes some doing.

2. Seattle SuperSonics (Western Conference)
With an upset over the Spurs on Jan.29 they avoided going winless in January. Which also takes some doing.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves (Western Conference)
It's great that they have Randy Foye back, for some unknown reason they're still not giving regular minutes to future stars Gerald Green and Corey Brewer.

TOP 3 PLAYERS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Chris Paul, PG, Hornets
His team is the best in the deeper West and he's averaging 21 points, 11 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. What else is there to say?

2. LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers
If he could hit more of his free-throws, teams would have no answer for him. Not that they really have one now.

3. Steve Nash, PG, Suns
Forget about his lack of defense. Nash still makes everyone around him better more than any other player in the game. And he's one of the NBA's most clutch shooters.

BOTTOM 3 PLAYERS (SEASON-TO-DATE)

1. Ben Wallace, C, Bulls
This guy is making $15.5 Million and he's producing 4.5 points per game and 35 percent from the field. And he's not even top-25 in rebounding.

2. Shaquille O'Neal, C, Heat
He's a class act and a likable superstar, but 14 points per game and a 48 percent from the charity stripe (along with constant injuries) for $20 Million? Yikes. All he leads the league in is fouls-per-game (4.0).

3. Mehmet Okur, C, Jazz
For $9 Million the Jazz are getting a foul-prone center who rebounds less than some guards and is shooting 41 percent from the field.

  Three-POINTERS... 

ON THE RISE

- Chris Webber, F/C, Warriors: He ain't what he used to be, but in spurts Webber is still one of the NBA's more talented big-men, even at the age of soon-to-be 35. His signing with the Warriors gives the team quality post play behind Andris Biedrins.

- Andrei Kirilenko, SF, Jazz: The former All-Star has always been a great defender, but suddenly he's scoring again. Kirilenko averaged 21.7 points over three games last week.

- Larry Hughes, G, Cavaliers: Like Kirilenko, Hughes had fallen from grace a little from previous stardom. Lately he's heating back up for the Cavs after they lost Aleksandar Pavlovic.

ON THE DECLINE

- Vince Carter, SG, Nets: Now 31 and on the heels of a big contract extension, Vinsanity just isn't bringing it like he once did. And if Jason Kidd leaves, things may get worse.

- Jermaine O'Neal, PF/C, Pacers: Even when he was healthy this season O'Neal wasn't his usual stellar self. He's not 30 yet but he's been in the league for over a decade.

- Ron Artest, SF, Kings: Is he fully healthy? Since returning from an elbow injury Artest has broken 20 points just once in seven games.

DEFENSIVE DEMONS

- Ronny Turiaf, PF/C, Lakers: Turiaf has seen more playing time recently with Andrew Bynum out and he has responded by averaging three blocks and a steal over his past four outings.

- Jason Williams, PG, Heat: The rest of his game has been awful lately but Williams averaged a whopping 4.3 steals over his past three contests.

- Amir Johnson, PF/C, Pistons: He barely plays but when he does, Johnson makes things happen. Or that is, stops them from happening for opponents; he totalled six blocks over three games recently.

BURIED ON THE BENCH

- Marcus Williams, PG, Nets: A tough foot injury really curtailed his early season, but now that he's healthy Williams isn't getting a chance to show his skills. That may change if Jason Kidd gets traded.

- Jose Juan Barea, PG, Mavericks: With Devin Harris out he will get a little more burn from the Mavs, but not as much as he should. He's a talent.

- Paul Millsap, PF, Jazz: Probably because he fouls too much, Millsap hasn't been seeing as many minutes lately as he was earlier in the season. Which is a shame, because otherwise all he does is produce.

SIXTH SENSE 

- Jannero Pargo, PG, Hornets: The injury to Bobby Jackson has opened the door for Pargo to become New Orleans' top reserve, and he's been stellar recently.

- Nazr Mohammed, C, Bobcats: He's still not starting for the Bobs but Mohammed's consistent power play is winning him regular rotation minutes.

- Ime Udoka, SF, Spurs: With Manu Ginobili moving into the starting lineup for the Spurs, Udoka should continue to his strong play of late. He does a little bit of everything for San Antonio.

ROOKIE LOOKS

- Juan Carlos Navarro, G, Grizzlies: His playing time goes up and down, but Navarro has quietly moved into second place behind Kevin Durant for the rookie scoring lead. He's averaging 11 points per game and 16 per contest over his past three.

- Luis Scola, F/C, Rockets: Scola got the nod to be the Rockets' starting center recently when Yao Ming was knocked out with a respiratory problem. Even with Yao back, look for Scola to see increased playing time going forward.

- Thaddeus Young, F, 76ers: A Jan.26 start suggests Young is gaining the trust of the Philly coaching staff. He has posted some nice efforts in limited playing time this season.

  Quick ANALYSIS... 

D-LEAGUE CORNER 

- In need of some help in the frontcourt, the Spurs recently recalled big-man Ian Mahinmi from the Austin Toros. The French power forward-center was averaging 18.8 points, 8.0 boards, and 1.3 blocks per contest in D-League play.

- He had some nice moments last season with the Seattle SuperSonics, but it looks like Mickael Gelabale will be toiling in the Development League to improve his game. The parent club optioned him to Idaho on Jan.29.

- The D-League's second annual All-Star Game is scheduled to take place during the NBA's All-Star weekend, and will take place on Saturday, Feb.16. It will feature 20 of the top Development Leaguers, as voted by fans and coaches.

COACH'S CORNER
At first glance it looked like a questionable move for Utah head coach Jerry Sloan to start platooning the emerging Ronnie Brewer and newcomer Kyle Korver at shooting guard. But the addition of Korver's outside shooting has been great for Utah's offensive balance. Since the sweet-shooting swingman arrived at the end of December, the Jazz have gone 11-2.

EXECUTIVE SUITE
The ball is now squarely in Rod Thorn's court. The Nets' president has been told (publicly and not-so-publicly) by Jason Kidd and Kidd's agent that the aging superstar wants out of New Jersey. So what will Thorn do? Kidd has a point in that at almost 35 he's not really a great fit for the 19-26 Nets anymore, and now would be a good time to deal him. The only question is whether Thorn feels he can get enough for his team's best player before Feb.21 NBA trade deadline.
 

AND THE FINAL WORD...  "It's time for us all to move on." -- Jason Kidd to ESPN The Magazine, on his desire to be traded from the Nets.