You've got to love it when trade rumors surface in Toronto and New York about a player being on the block in Arizona. That's what we saw over the weekend, as outlets in both places had Suns forward Amar'e Stoudemire being traded before the deadline. They probably should have checked with the Suns, however, as a source close to the situation told HOOPSWORLD today that there is absolutely no truth to the notion that they're shopping Amar'e.

It's not hard to see where the trade talk is coming from. Shaquille O'Neal isn't happy about the level of intensity he's seeing from his teammates in general and Amar'e specifically. He's been more than vocal on that point. Say what you want about Shaq, but he's in the best shape I've seen him in for a long, long time and he believes he can help another team win a championship before his time is up. Imagine how he must feel after putting in all that work to get into shape only to have his teammates let up.

Amar'e is expected to be one of the biggest names in free agency during the summer of 2010, and that won't change a whole lot even with his current lackadaisical approach to the game. It will generally be assumed that he'd play harder for a different coach or in a different system. That said, if you're a general manager looking to spend the bulk of your cap space on a franchise player, there may be better options available in 2010 than a guy who seems to have quit on his current team. Amar'e should keep that in mind as he thinks about how he wants to finish the 2008-09 season . . .whether that's in Phoenix or somewhere else.

Mavericks Shopping Kidd

It shouldn't come as a huge surprise to anyone who's closely following the Dallas Mavericks that the team is making calls to find out what they might get for Jason Kidd. Kidd's ending deal could net a team close to $20 million in cap space, but the Mavericks are hoping a trade might net them some pieces to help them make a playoff run THIS year.

A source close to the situation told HOOPWORLD the Mavs have had talks with Portland, but the Blazers were unwilling to part with Jerryd Bayless, who was the centerpiece of the discussion from the Dallas side.

Hmmmm. Jerryd Bayless. A high-energy point guard who changes ends with lightning speed and gets to the foul line with the greatest of ease due to his fearless attacking offense. Sound like anyone you might have seen in a Mavericks "jersey" recently?

It seems the Mavericks have belatedly seen the error of their ways.

Bogans and The Nets?

Speaking of New Jersey, an unconfirmed rumor came our way today via a source that has been right in the past. Apparently the Magic have been offering Keith Bogans around in their quest for a power forward. The Nets have been introduced into the discussion, with Orlando targeting Eduardo Najera. There's no word yet on how willing the Nets might be to part with Najera, though Kiki Vandeweghe did say recently that he's not looking to make major changes. Of course, trading Najera might not be considered a major change. Despite his significant contributions in Dallas and Denver, Najera does not appear to be a part of the big picture in New Jersey.

First Look At Tonight's Action

Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers: The Bucks are reeling from the loss of Michael Redd for the season, and the Pacers are reeling after a thorough dismantling at the hands of the Orlando Magic last night. Danny Granger injured his hand in the loss to Orlando, but is listed as "probable" for tonight. Expect to see a focused and angry Pacers team take the court in Indy.

Sacramento Kings @ Boston Celtics: The Kings continue their fruitless trip through the Eastern Conference with a stop in Boston tonight. The Celtics are playing their best basketball of the season, which doesn't bode well for the Kings. Actually, even Boston's worst ball of the season would be too much for the Kings at this point. Tony Allen is questionable for tonight's game and Brian Scalabrine is out following a concussion. Sheldon Williams is questionable for the Kings.

Washington Wizards @ Miami HEAT: Add Andre Blatche's name to the long list of missing Wizards, which is the last thing Washington needed. At this point they should carefully consider putting Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler on the injured list until at least Gilbert Arenas is ready to return - otherwise they might lose another All-Star before Arenas is ready to come back. It's been that kind of season for Washington (again). The HEAT have knocked off Orlando and Atlanta in consecutive games and continue to look like they could make some noise come postseason play.

Toronto Raptors @ New Jersey Nets: Despite their early success, the New Jersey Nets have struggled through the middle of the season - partially due to injuries. Yi Jianlian's finger injury seems to have created room for rookie Brook Lopez to do more, and he's been stellar for them of late - perhaps even getting into the Rookie Of The Year discussion. The Raptors are finally healthy, with Jermaine O'Neal and Jose Calderon returning over the last couple of games, and as a result the Raptors have won two in a row.

Atlanta Hawks @ New York Knicks: Interesting that the ESPN injury report for the Hawks has Josh Childress listed as "out." He sure is out - waaaaay out. Al Horford and Acie Law, who still play for the Hawks, are listed as day-to-day. The Knicks will be without Eddy Curry, who has been granted a leave of absence by the team. The absence of Al Horford has taken its toll on the Hawks, who have lost two straight coming in, while New York has won four of five and can surpass ninth-place New Jersey with a win and a Jersey loss tonight.

Denver Nuggets @ New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups will likely be teammates in Phoenix next month when the All-Star festivities begin, but in the mean time they've both been showing why they deserve to be there. Paul is without David West and Tyson Chandler, but made up for it last game by just missing a quadruple-double for the second time this season. Billups is without fellow All-Star Carmelo Anthony (likely to return Friday), but Denver has won three straight behind Chauncey's strong play, and that of Linas Kleiza.

Detroit Pistons @ Minnesota Timberwolves: The Allen Iverson experiment is all but over in Detroit, where Joe Dumars is said to be actively shopping his newly acquired star. The Pistons have dropped three-of-five and could slip to sixth in the East with a loss tonight. Meanwhile, Kevin McHale has the Wolves playing some pretty good basketball, having won four-of-five behind the brilliant play of Al Jefferson.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Oklahoma City Thunder: Lionel Hollins has the Grizzlies playing, well, just as poorly as they played for Marc Iavaroni, though it's early in his tenure with the team. Memphis has lost 10 straight and that streak isn't likely to end tonight. The Thunder are playing their best ball of the season, having won three-of-five, and their young core group is starting to come together nicely.

Philadelphia 76ers @ Houston Rockets: OK, Houston fans, let's try this again. The word is Yao Ming will return for real this time, though it's likely a gametime decision, meaning Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest and Yao should all be in the lineup together against the Sixers. We routinely check multiple injury resources and one has Elton Brand out tonight, who two others don't mention it. The Sixers played surprisingly well for a long stretch of games while Brand was out, which has spawned trade rumors surrounding Brand. The Rockets would really just like to have a chance to let their Big Three play together and develop some chemistry before the playoffs begin.

Golden State Warriors @ Dallas Mavericks: It's amazing how much these two teams have changed since the historic playoff series that saw the eighth-seed Warriors knock off the top-seed Mavs. Monta Ellis is back for Golden State, but they're a far cry from making a playoff push, while the Mavs are slipping right out of the Western Conference playoff picture. Trade rumors are swirling around Jason Kidd and Josh Howard, which shows just how badly things are going in Dallas.

COURTSIDE BLOG!

Charlotte Bobcats @ Portland Trail Blazers: The Bobcats are coming off a huge win in LA last night, but the double-overtime marathon will make for a tough start to a back-to-back. The bigger concern for Charlotte is the health of Gerald Wallace, who left last night's game with what was reportedly a collapsed lung. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wallace today. We hope to see him back on the court very soon. There is a chance Dj Augustin (abdominal strain) returns tonight, which would give the Bobcats a big boost. Steve Blake returned to action for Portland on Monday, but didn't look quite ready to return and is listed as "questionable" for tonight's game.

COURTSIDE BLOG!

Chicago Bulls @ LA Clippers: LA's injuries have been well-documented, but they may have Baron Davis back tonight, which would be a good start. Marcus Camby is doubtful for tonight, but should return this week. Chicago continues to be without Drew Gooden, so they're playing center by committee. It hasn't worked out too well, as they've lost five straight coming in. Derrick Rose's drop off has opened up the field for Rookie Of The Year.