GMs around the league were worried that there wouldn’t be much action leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, but once the Carmelo Anthony trade went down, there has been a flurry of activity highlighted by the Nets’ acquisition of Deron Williams.

Here are five more trades that should happen, but probably won’t. They generally include one older player on a bad team that isn’t going anywhere.

Click on each trade’s headline to see it in the ESPN Trade Machine.

1. Steve Nash to Atlanta for Jamal Crawford and two first round picks
Free Steve Nash! The Hawks aren’t the ideal destination for Nash, but the Hawks really need a floor leader and the team has the defensive frontcourt (Josh Smith, Al Horford) to make up for Nash’s weakness on that end of the court. Smith and Horford would work well in Nash’s patented screen-and-roll and he would take the pressure off of Joe Johnson to create as the shot clock is winding down. The Suns aren’t going to get much out of this deal other than cap relief (Crawford’s deal is expiring) and a couple of first round picks, but Nash is 37 years old and deserves to play in the postseason. The Suns aren’t going anywhere anyway.

2. Rip Hamilton to Chicago for Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer
Rip can still play. He’s averaging 13.3 points per game and his shooting 40%+ from 3PT even though his minutes are sporadic. He works hard on defense and has kept himself in great shape throughout his career, so he should be able to contribute for the remainder of his contract. His spot up jumper would be a nice fit alongside Derrick Rose in the Chicago backcourt. The Pistons would be rid of the headache of keeping Rip on the roster without playing him and would get a couple of youngish wings in Korver and Brewer that could actually contribute.

3. Mo Williams to Portland for Andre Miller and Rudy Fernandez
The Blazers are currently sitting in the #5 spot in the West and could use a dynamic point guard who can create and shoot it while Brandon Roy comes back from his knee injury. Williams is good enough to run the pick-and-roll with LaMarcus Aldridge, but he’s also a spot shooter, so he’d be a solid fit if/when Roy does come back and dominate the ball. For Williams, the Cavs would get Fernandez who still has some upside as a 25-year-old swingman who gave Team USA fits in the 2008 Olympics. He’s a career 38% three-point shooter and would do well with more minutes in Cleveland. The Blazers could throw in their first round pick if a sweetener was needed.

4. Gerald Wallace to Dallas for Roddy Beaubois and Caron Butler
The Mavs could use a swingman to replace Caron Butler and Wallace fits the mold. He’s not a great shooter, but he would complement Dirk Nowitzki with his toughness, defense and rebounding. Beaubois is a good young prospect, but the Mavs might smell blood as the Western Conference has been depleted by trades while the Lakers seem more vulnerable than ever. The Bobcats would save about $18 million over the next two years and get a star on the rise in Beaubois. (He had an 18.59 PER in his rookie season.)

5. Steven Jackson to New Orleans for Marcus Thornton, Marcus Banks and Willie Green
The Bobcats continue remaking their backcourt with the acquisition of a good young scorer in Thornton, while also saving $19 million (minus whatever they eventually pay Thornton) over the next two seasons. In return, the Hornets get Jackson, a grizzled vet who can still score in bunches and take the pressure off Chris Paul and David West. Chemistry is always an issue, but Jackson should do fine with an established alpha dog like Paul who is going to be the one setting him up for open shot after open shot.

Part-owner Jordan is on the clock, per Ric Bucher’s sources…

Former Houston Rockets president/CEO George Postolos — whose first attempt to purchase the team, according to the Charlotte Observer, fell apart last summer — has made a new offer that Bobcats president Michael Jordan has until the end of February to match, according to sources.

Jordan negotiated a right of first refusal after Johnson made it clear he intended to sell the team, according to a team source. But it was not immediately known whether the group of investors Jordan has assembled has the wherewithal or inclination to match Postolos’ offer.

The Bobcats are sitting above .500 this season and have a good shot at making the playoffs. But the two big moves that put the franchise in this position — the hiring of Larry Brown and the trade for Stephen Jackson — aren’t long-term moves. Brown could retire at any time and Jackson is 31, so I’d be surprised if both are still with the team after next season. Gerald Wallace made the All-Star Game (deservedly), but he’d be better suited to be a sidekick for a dynamic guard. Other than Wallace, the Bobcats don’t really have anyone to build around, so despite their surprising record, Jordan shouldn’t break his arm patting himself on the back.

Besides, Rod Higgins is still technically the GM, right? Here’s a list of all the big moves that the Jordan/Higgins combo executed over the last few seasons, along with a grade for each move:

2007 Draft — Selected Brandan Wright (#8) and Jared Dudley (#22). Traded Wright to the Warriors for Jason Richardson. Joakim Noah went #9, while Wilson Chandler went #23 and Rudy Fernandez went #24. Wright is on the outs in Golden State, while Dudley is having a career year (8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds) for the Phoenix Suns. (D)

July, 2007 — Re-signed Gerald Wallace. (A)

April, 2008 — Named Larry Brown head coach. (B+)

2008 Draft — Selected D.J. Augustin (#9) and Alexis Ajinca (#20). After a pretty good rookie season, Augustin is only playing 18 minutes in his second year. Ajinca is still with the team but is only playing about five minutes per game. To draft Augustin, the Bobcats passed on Brook Lopez (#10), Jason Thompson (#12) and Anthony Randolph (#14). The Bobcats could have had Courtney Lee at #22. (D)

July, 2008 — Re-signed Emeka Okafor to a six-year contract worth $72 million. He averaged 14/11 the previous season. (D+)

December, 2008 — Traded Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley to Phoenix for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. Diaw is averaging 10-5-4 in 35 minutes per game for the Bobcats. (C-)

January, 2009 — Traded Matt Carroll and Ryan Hollins to the Dallas Mavericks for DeSagana Diop. No big names here, but Diop is being paid like a big name. He stands to make almost $21 million over the next three seasons. (F)

February, 2009 — Traded Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison to the Los Angeles Lakers for Vladimir Radmanovic. While they got rid of a mistake in Morrison, Radmanovic wasn’t the answer and is no longer with the team. Brown is a good rotation player for the Lakers. (F)

2009 Draft — Selected Gerald Henderson (#12). It’s too early to tell with Henderson, but he was supposed to contribute right away. He’s currently averaging 7.9 minutes per game. (C)

July, 2009 — Traded Emeka Okafor for Tyson Chandler, saving the team almost $40 million over the next four years. But why give Okafor that fat extension only to trade him after a 13/10 season? (B)

November, 2009 — Traded Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic to the Warriors for Acie Law and Stephen Jackson. Jackson was on the outs in Golden State, and is playing All-Star-caliber ball in Charlotte (21-5-4). But he’s 31 and still has three years and $28 million remaining on his contract. (B+)

Let’s not forget that prior to naming Higgins general manager, His Airness oversaw the 2006 Draft that saw the Bobcats select Adam Morrison at #3, passing on Tyrus Thomas (#4), Brandon Roy (#6) and Rudy Gay (#8). While some questioned whether Morrison was athletic enough to succeed in the NBA, no one thought that he’d lose his jumper. He’s a career 37% shooter.

The Jordan/Higgins record is spotty at best, and since Brown has a reputation for turning teams around and then moving on, the Bobcats don’t seem poised for long-term success. They won’t have any significant cap space until the summer of 2011, when the contracts of Tyson Chandler and Nazr Mohammed come off the books. They also stand to lose Ray Felton this summer to free agency.

While having Jordan at the helm is good from a marketing standpoint, there’s nothing in his record to suggest that he’s a savvy personnel man. His drafts haven’t gone well and, other than the no-brainer of re-signing Wallace, his best moves are a short-term coaching hire and the trade for a 31-year-old swingman with a questionable attitude. The Bobcats might be better off if Postolos buys the team and gets some new blood running things.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

The New Orleans Hornets started the season a disappointing 3-6, and decided to make a change at head coach, firing Byron Scott.

Scott will be replaced by general manager Jeff Bower, with Tim Floyd as his top assistant, the team said. Floyd formerly coached the Hornets and the Chicago Bulls in the NBA and most recently at USC.

Team owner George Shinn thanked Scott for his service, but said Bower “knows this team better than anyone” and gives the Hornets “our best opportunity to reach our goals this season.”

Scott won NBA Coach of the Year honors in 2008 after he and franchise point guard Chris Paul led the Hornets to a 56-26 record and the Southwest Division title. The Hornets then defeated Dallas in the first round of the playoffs and were within one win of the West finals before losing Game 7 at home to the San Antonio Spurs.

Scott hung on to his job after the early exit but couldn’t survive New Orleans’ poor start, even though the many holes on the Hornets’ roster — with no consistent scorer at the wing positions and little depth — appeared to be beyond his control. A number of league observers considered a coaching change inevitable if the Hornets struggled this season.

The team’s biggest problem isn’t Scott — it’s a lack of talent on the wings. Peja Stojakovic was supposed to be the Hornets’ top perimeter scorer, but he has struggled with a bad back and is getting older. The quickest way for the team to inject some scoring into its lineup would be to trade for Stephen Jackson or Rip Hamilton, two sharpshooting wings that are readily available. But that would require a long-term commitment to one of those players as part of the team’s core.

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Yahoo! Sports reports that the Warriors are “more committed than ever” in moving their disgruntled swingman, but can they find a buyer?

First things first: the 31-year-old has three years and more than $27 million remaining on his contract after this season. This could be a tough pill to swallow for a team that’s already over the luxury tax threshold because it would effectively pay $16-$20 million per season (salary + tax) for his services, depending on what kind of contracts they give up in the trade.

Jackson has a reputation as a malcontent. Whether or not this is deserved is up for debate, but that’s the perception. For that reason, I don’t think teams at are currently legit contenders would roll the dice, so even though teams like the Cavs and Spurs are rumored to be willing to trade for Jackson, there’s just too much risk for too little reward. I don’t think the Lakers, Celtics or Magic would go for it either. The Lakers and Magic already overhauled their wings and the Celtics seem content with their group. Of these teams, Boston would seem the most capable of taking Jackson on due to the veteran leadership of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and the clear pecking order on the wing.

I think we have to look at the next tier of contenders — the Mavericks, Bulls, Hawks, Blazers, Suns, Heat and Hornets — to find a team that is both desperate enough to risk adding Jackson to the roster and willing to spend to contend.

The Bulls and Heat are going to use their cap space next summer, so cross them off. The Mavs are winning and have pretty good chemistry right now, even though they have yet to add Josh Howard to the mix. The Blazers have learned from their past and seem unwilling to take on players with character issues. The Suns and Hawks have financial problems and are unlikely to take on Jackson’s contract.

That leaves the Hornets, who looked to be in cost-cutting mode when they tried to give Tyson Chandler away last season. But then they turned around this summer and traded for Emeka Okafor, who has four more years remaining on his deal after this season. The Hornets are starting Morris Peterson and Julian Wright on the wing and have Peja Stojakovic (and his giant salary) coming off the bench. In short, they are desperate for a player like Jackson who can knock down open shots. Moreover, Chris Paul has the leadership and the heft to bring out the best in Jackson.

New Orleans has a number of players with short deals (Stojakovic, James Posey, Morris Peterson and Darius Songaila) who could be used to facilitate a deal. Are the Warriors just looking to get out from under Jackson’s contract? If so, a deal that includes Peterson and Songaila would save Golden State $16 million over the next three years. Do they want a prospect? Then maybe Julian Wright could be included.

Is Stephen Jackson enough to put the Hornets over the top? I don’t know. But let’s not forget that the Hornets looked to be on the verge just a couple of seasons ago. But as Peterson and Stojakovic have declined, so have the Hornets. They need a good wing, and Jackson fits the bill.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

I’m told that Golden State is mulling several offers, and one person told me he expects something to happen within the next few days. I don’t know the particulars of any supposed offers, but I’m told Cleveland, Denver, San Antonio, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers are all interested in Jackson.

Best fit? New Orleans. The Hornets are really hurting on the wing and need players who can knock down shots. But they don’t have the expiring contract(s) that would allow Golden State to get out from underneath the four years remaining on Jackson’s deal. They’d need to give up a prospect (Julian Wright?) or a draft pick to get the Warriors to bite.

Tyrus Thomas not happy about coming off the bench. “I don’t think it should even be questionable from what I contributed to this team last season and what I did throughout camp, but like I said, he [Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro] is the guy that makes the decisions.” Del Negro gave the start to rookie Taj Gibson, who has started much of the preseason and has played pretty well, averaging 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds. Del Negro said not to read too much into it, so keep Thomas on your list of breakout candidates.

Al Jefferson is out indefinitely with Achilles tendinitis. Coupled with Kevin Love’s hand surgery and the T-Wolves’ front line is not off to a very good start. Jefferson has been going in the second round of fantasy drafts, but expect him to fall into the fourth or fifth depending on what kind of news comes out of Minnesota. It’s starting to look like Big Al is injury-prone.

LaMarcus Aldridge pledges to get an extension signed by Oct. 31. Aldridge’s camp seems to think he’s a max contract player, but the Blazers don’t agree and aren’t willing to do a deal just to get him signed. It’s going to be interesting to see what he eventually signs for. I pegged his value at $13-$14 million per season, but with the projected drop in next year’s salary cap, I wouldn’t be surprised if he signed a deal that averaged a bit less.

Stephen Jackson plans to keep his cool tonight against Kobe. “I’m going to be me, but I guarantee I won’t feed into the nonsense. If it came down to a real fight, I know what would happen. I’m just going to leave that alone, go out and play basketball and try to help my team win.”

– Stephen Jackson, via Fanhouse