Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

With Thursday's trade deadline looming, will teams showcase assets?; Has Howard taken over Shaq's Superman nickname?; Garnett hopes to return Tuesday; How will Bibby impact the Hawks?; The Cavs' Gibson has a great All-Star Weekend; Updating Agent Zero's progress; and more...
TUESDAY SHOWCASE? 
Gasol in in L.A., Shaq is in Phoenix, Bibby is in Atlanta, and Kidd (at least seems to be) in Dallas. All that movement must be putting pressure on the GMs of other NBA contenders before Thursday afternoon's trading deadline . . . right?

We'll see. There are two schools of thought about that Feb.21 cut-off: one is that all the trading so far will lead to more trading before Thursday, because certain teams have become more competitive. The other school of thought is that most of the deals that are likely to happen, have already happened. So which is more probable?

Maybe we'll get a hint Tuesday night. That's when the NBA officially starts up its stretch run. And with 10 games on the slate, several NBA teams may be looking to showcase their tradable assets for the Thursday deadline. Keep a close eye especially on the Philadelphia-Minnesota and Memphis-Seattle contests for players who might see more-than-usual playing time.

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CAVALIERS 
For months now, rumors have swirled around Cleveland that the Cavs are looking for a top-tier point guard. But a couple of events over the weekend have probably changed their situation in that regard. Not only is the Jason Kidd-to-Dallas deal seemingly back on (which takes the Cavs out of the running for him), but Cleveland's own top point guard had a great All-Star Weekend. On Friday second-year playmaker Daniel Gibson kicked off the weekend by being named MVP of the Rookie Challenge game, then followed that performance up with an impressive second-place finish in the 3-point Shootout.

CELTICS 
He didn't play in the All-Star Game and he hasn't played for the Celtics for nine straight games. But Tuesday Kevin Garnett may be ready to get back on the court for Boston. The team has been cautious with their Big Ticket since he pulled an abdominal muscle, but the Boston Globe reports he will try to play Tuesday as the team visits Denver. One positive for the Celts is that in Garnett's absence, young big-man Leon Powe has shown he is NBA-ready. That said, the 41-9 Celts are no doubt ready to get their top player back in action.

HAWKS 
Now that Mike Bibby is a Hawk, how will it affect the Atlanta roster? In the big picture, it could mean a playoff berth for the 21-28 squad (and would be their first since 1999, the longest current playoff drought of any NBA team). In the smaller pictures, Bibby's arrival will mean changed roles for several players. The guy who may be affected the most is Joe Johnson. Not only will his passing numbers likely decrease a little, his number of shots may also be affected (since Bibby has averaged 14 field-goal attempts over his career). That said, the scoring numbers of players such as Josh Smith and Marvin Williams may actually increase, since they now have more of a pure point guard running the show.

HORNETS 
After hosing a thrilling and successful All-Star Weekend, New Orleans has to feel good about their team's future in the Big Easy. The fact that home-town hero Chris Paul had a great showing in the All-Star Game also helps. Paul was the Western conference's best player, leading the team with 14 assists to go along with 16 points and four steals in 27 minutes of the East's 134-128 win. Paul's performance and the game's success are perfect timing for the Hornets, who entered the All-Star Weekend as one of the NBA's more struggling franchises. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that team has the option to terminate their lease with the city if the Hornets do not average 14,735 fans for this season and next, which raises the specter of relocation.

MAGIC 
Has Dwight Howard officially taken the 'Superman' nickname over from Shaquille O'Neal? It certainly looks that way. After O'Neal - - who started his career with the Magic, and has a 'Superman' tattoo on his shoulder - - missed his first All-Star Game in 15 years over the weekend, Howard stepped up and laid claim to being the NBA's most exciting and dominant big-man. Howard wowed fans and fellow NBA players with a signature flying throw-down in Slam Dunk Contest, in which he wore a Superman shirt and cape. At 6-11, Howard became the tallest-ever winner of the Dunk Contest.

MAVERICKS 
It's still not official yet, but the Jason Kidd-to-Dallas trade appears to be almost completed. The Newark Star-Ledger reports that Nets' president Rod Thorn says the deal "appears to be a go" after days of confusion, wrangling, and obstacles. According to several news sources, a new wrinkle to the revised swap has New Jersey swingman Antoine Wright included as the package the Mavericks receive from the Nets. The 24-year-old Wright is enjoying a solid season for New Jersey and would help Dallas in the depth department considering all the players they are reportedly set to give up in the trade.

NETS 
With several reports saying the Jason Kidd trade is back on, it looks like the Nets are set to throw themselves into rebuilding mode. And if the trade does finally go through before Thursday's NBA dealing deadline, Devin Harris will be the key young building block the Nets will get in return for Kidd. Which raises the question: what will happen with Marcus Williams? For a few years now Williams has appeared to be Kidd's heir apparent at the point position in Jersey, but once Harris arrives it will be tough for Williams to lay claim to that mantle.

RAPTORS 
As a young and emerging team, the Raptors often only get attention for their promising pair of young big-men (Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani) and their promising pair of young point guards (Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford). Over the weekend however, a different pair of Raptors showed the NBA that they're exciting building blocks too: Jason Kapono and Jamario Moon. Kapono looked great in winning his second straight 3-Point Shootout, establishing himself as the NBA's finest long-range marksman. And while Moon didn't win the Slam Dunk Contest, he looked very good with some high-flying acrobatics and played well in the Rookie Challenge.

SUPERSONICS 
Is Wally World moving to a contender? We might get a hint on Tuesday night. That's when the 13-38 Sonics take on the Grizzlies, and Seattle gets a chance to showcase Wally Szczerbiak to potential trading partners. Now 30 and obviously not a cornerstone of the Sonics' rebuilding project, Szczerbiak is averaging an impressive 13 points per game on only 23.5 minutes per contest. His over-$12 Million contract makes him a logical target to be moved, and he's a player who could be a great plug-in for a team wanting instant offense.

WIZARDS 
When will Gilbert Arenas be back for the Wiz? Sooner rather than later. The Associated Press reports the star combo guard has been cleared for non-contract drills, and if those go well then the high-scoring Agent Zero may indeed be able to meet his targeted return date of early March. Arenas had surgery on his left knee in November, just a few months after off-season surgery on the same knee. Last season he averaged 28.4 points and six assists per game.