Keeping Kidd and Carter
It's been reported in several places that the Lakers have called the Nets and talked over potential deals for Jason Kidd. There might be a time out in those talks, but they could resume again before the deadline.

But even if they do, I doubt the Nets will move Kidd.

New Jersey is and has been one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference since the 2001-02 season. The Nets have won four of the last five Atlantic Division titles.

New Jersey has been hit this season by injuries to Richard Jefferson (right ankle surgery - out until at least early March), and Nenad Krstic (left knee surgery - out for the season).

Given these setbacks, the Nets will be even more reluctant to send away Kidd, feeling if they had a healthy Jefferson and Krstic they wouldn't be in the predicament they are in of fighting to at least get to .500.

Kidd, who is expected to be sidelined until after the All-Star break with a strained lower back, is the central piece in New Jersey's belief that when it has all of its key players back healthy, it can again strongly bid for a division title and take its chances in the playoffs.

By trading Kidd the Nets would basically be starting all over again, especially since if Kidd is moved, it only makes sense to move Vince Carter as well.

I don't see Kidd or Carter going anywhere, and apparently neither does Nets president Rod Thorn who says he doesn't see anything out there that could improve the team in return for the trading away of two of its three best players.

Kings not aggressively courting deals
It's been reported that Sacramento will listen to offers for Mike Bibby, Brad Miller and Ron Artest. Well, the Kings may listen, but I don't see them dealing anyone of those three.

Sacramento has sort of lost its way about what kind of team it wants to have out on the floor. That's a puzzle still being worked out, and whether the right pieces are in place to solve that puzzle isn't likely to be known before the deadline.

Initially, the Kings did a great job of transitioning from an era that included the likes of Vlade Divac, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, Chris Webber, and Peja Stojakovic. They stayed competitive with new faces, and they kept making the playoffs.

Then last offseason for whatever reason they made a coaching change. Rick Adelman was gone after eight seasons, and Eric Musselman was hired as his replacement.

I don't think there's been enough time for the current group of Kings, especially the Big Three of Bibby, Miller and Artest, to find out if they can play for Musselman. So by trading any of these players at this time Sacramento would likely be doing itself a disservice.

Still likely to swing in L.A.
The Clippers and their explosive swingman Corey Maggette are philosophically at odds -- so what else is new?

Maggette wants to be a starter, but for the time being he has settled down and accepted the role of the sixth man.

But with the Clippers not playing well, and the playoffs no certainty for them, they'll be open to hearing what dealing Maggette could bring them -- just like they have been for a considerable amount of the time the Duke product has played in L.A.

The Clippers are probably wondering whether moving Maggette would give them the spark needed to boost them into the postseason. No crystal ball can help them with the answer to that question.

But I think L.A.'s asking price for Maggette is higher than teams want to pay. The value the Clippers put on Maggette is not the same other clubs do, and so I think he's staying put -- at least for the rest of the season.

If it turns out the Clippers don't make the playoffs, then Maggette could be moved in the offseason, especially if he is still not content with coming off the bench.

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