can somebody post it...thanks!

It's T-Day
by Chad Ford


This just in.

Scott Layden was just sent a thank you note by Nextel Wireless.

Nick Van Exel has demanded a trade to the NBDL.

Several New York writers got together and traded Peter Vecsey to the Food Network for Iron Chef insider Ota Shinichiro.

Chris Gatling has gone into hiding.

Kevin McHale just blamed the internet for his interest in Van Exel.

Nick Van Exel has just rescinded his trade request to the NBDL after being informed he would be paid only $30,000 a year to play for the Lowgators.

Shinichiro just landed his first scoop. "Fuki-san, the Knicks are searching for the correct ingredients to make their team a success."

Ditto for Vecsey. "My sources are telling me that Iron Chef Sakai Hiroyuki is using olive oil and thyme to season his sea bass."

And Juwan Howard, once thought to be the king of untradeable players, may now be traded for the second time in two trading deadlines to the only other team in the league that believes his $18.75 million contract is a bargain.

It's the trade deadline, baby. The crap coming from teams smells a lot like the Warriors and Grizzlies. The truth, as Phoenix reminded us Wednesday night, is stranger than fiction. And sometime after the 6 p.m. ET deadline we can all go to bed. . .

Until then, ESPN Insider breaks down what is and isn't going down as we head into the homestretch. . .



Will Howard end up in New York?


God help us. This is what we've come to.

Knicks president Scott Layden and Mavs owner Mark Cuban stayed up late Wednesday night discussing a trade involving two of the most underachieving big men in the NBA. Of course, Cuban left Layden at the alter when he learned that Marcus Camby might have a problem with injuries.

Word leaked Wednesday night that the Knicks and Mavs were talking about a mega-deal that would send Juwan Howard to the Knicks in return for Camby, Shandon Anderson and Charlie Ward. However, by late Wednesday night those talks had stalled, according to the Newark Star Ledger.

The Mavs, apparently, had misgivings about Camby's ability to return from his torn right hip muscle in time to help a team that has title aspirations. "That was the main issue -- we can't be sure about Marcus' health," a Mavs official told the Star Ledger. Knicks coach Don Chaney remained wary that the Knicks could pull off a last-minute trade. "He [Layden] hasn't given me any indication there's a doable deal out there," Chaney said.

The trade talks, which several NBA executives confirmed to Insider Wednesday night, were the first real insight into the direction Layden may be taking the Knicks: the dreaded "R"-word -- rebuilding. Though Howard's contract resembles Charles Barkley at a Vegas buffet, his deal is up after next season. By moving dead weight like Anderson and Ward, the Knicks would free up considerable cap space. However, considerable is all relative when talking about the Knicks. They would still have to clear another roughly $20 million just to get under the cap by the summer.

Why would Dallas do such a thing? Its defense is terrible and Camby and Anderson would both be upgrades. Furthermore, the Mavs are still looking for a big man to anchor their team. Obviously, Howard isn't getting it done and an injured Camby is still worth more than a healthy Shawn Bradley.

Cuban and coach Don Nelson told the Dallas Morning News Wednesday night that their chances of making a trade were "slim". Of course, last year at this time Cuban gave the Mavs a one-percent chance of making a deal -- and then landed Howard in one of last year's blockbusters.