Rumors, moves, injuries and newsmakers...

As losses mount, are losing teams thinking about Michael Beasley?; Updates on Brand and Arenas; Mike Miller may be back soon; Vlad Rad hurts his calf; Gelabale steps up for the Sonics; Updating Roy's injury; and more...

LOOKING FORWARD? 
The trade deadline has passed and the stretch run is upon us. So while the top contenders are focused on winning the top playoff seeds, what are the non-contenders focused on?

The obvious answer might be 'Michael Beasley.' The consensus top prospect for this summer's NBA Draft, Beasley is a truly special player. The Kansas State freshman forward currently leads the NCAA in rebounding (12.5 per game), is third overall in scoring (26.1 points per game) and will be a cornerstone for the NBA team lucky enough to land him. So now the question becomes: who will be lucky enough to draft him?

The bottom-dwellers have to be aware that finishing with the lowest record means getting the most ping-pong balls in the Beasley lottery. Last season, Celtics fans openly campaigned for their team to tank it in hopes of landing Greg Oden. So as 9-44 Miami, 11-42 Minnesota, 14-42 Memphis, and 15-40 Seattle all suit up Tuesday, is Beasley in the backs of their minds?

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BULLS 
He's still not starting for the Bulls, but don't be surprised if Drew Gooden is soon. The veteran power forward was a key part of the recent blockbuster that sent Ben Wallace to Cleveland, and Monday night Gooden played a whopping 38 minutes off the pine for Chicago. Starting power forward Tyrus Thomas saw 28 minutes of action, and could see his role dwindle if Gooden continues to play well. Gooden posted 17 points and eight boards in the 102-94 loss to Dallas.

CLIPPERS 
When will Elton Brand be back in action for the Clips? Probably some time this season, but exactly when is up to speculation. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that the superstar power forward is doing drills but not with contact, and may be a few weeks away from returning from a season-long absence caused by a blown-out Achilles. He might be a nice fantasy pickup to stash on the bench for the stretch run.

GRIZZLIES 
How long will Mike Miller be out of the Grizzlies lineup? Probably not too much longer. The sweet-shooting swingman recently had several tests done on his sore back, and tells the Memphis Commercial-Appeal "it's nothing long term." He is currently day-to-day. As long as he's sitting out to rest, look for Juan Carlos Navarro to continue to start and play well for the Grizz.

LAKERS 
The signing of Pau Gasol really shook up the Lakers' roster, giving several Lakers lesser roles. Yet Vladimir Radmanovic interestingly wasn't one of them, as the streaky veteran forward actually emerged as the team's starting small forward while they wait for center Andrew Bynum's knee to heal up. Unfortunately for Rad Vlad, he hasn't been able to capitalize much on the promotion, and now he's day-to-day with a calf strain. Look for Luke Walton to pick up the slack in the interim.

MAVERICKS  One of the great things about Jason Kidd is he ramps up the whole energy level of whatever team he plays on. Maybe that's what jump-started Erick Dampier on Monday night. The often-erratic but talented center has, like his teammates, been energized latey by the arrival of Kidd and Monday simply dominated in the paint with 16 boards and a season-high seven blocks against the Bulls in Dallas' 102-94 win.

RAPTORS  All season long the Raptors have struggled a bit to find consistent scoring from the wing position, but maybe Carlos Delfino can provide it down the stretch. The athletic Argentine has run hot and cold this season, and lately he's on one of his hot streaks. Monday night he scored 23 points and added five boards in 37 minutes to help the Raps edge the Pacers 102-98. He has at least 18 points in three of his past five outings.

SUNS 
The acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal in return for Shawn Marion has already drawn widespread criticism of Suns' management as a one-for-one transaction. But what about the trade's affect on Steve Nash's production? Marion was Nash's favorite target in the up-tempo Phoenix attack, and now that he's gone Nash's numbers are suffering. In all three games O'Neal has played in, Nash has failed to manage double-figures in assists (posting eight, five, and six, respectively) as Phoenix has gone 1-2.

SUPERSONICS 
Few teams have cashed in as many veterans this year than the rebuilding Sonics, who said goodbye to Kurt Thomas, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West last week. That leaves a lot of opportunity for the remaining youngsters, and Mickael Gelabale may be ready to capitalize. On Sunday the athletic French swingman scored a career-high 21 points and pulled down eight boards in 32 minutes off the bench versus the Lakers.

WIZARDS 
Looks like Gilbert Arenas won't be back as quickly as he hoped. The superstar combo guard had been aiming for an early-March return from his November 21 knee surgery, but now it appears Arenas may take longer than that. He recently told the Associated Press he will need more time to get into game shape. In his absence, Antonio Daniels has been solid filling in at the point for the Wiz but the team still obviously misses Arenas' high-scoring production.

TRAIL BLAZERS 
The word is in on Brandon Roy's ankle injury, and the word isn't too bad. The Oregonian newspaper reports an MRI showed that Roy's sprain is just an aggravation, and that he is likely day-to-day going forward. Roy will likely try to get back into the lineup as soon as possible, but if that takes long then look for increased involvement from Travis Outlaw, Jarrett Jack and Martell Webster.