The Spurs retained the top spot in Marc Stein’s NBA Power Rankings this week.  “We repeat: The Spurs are still a healthy six games up on the rest of the West, still healthier than any other contender and just watched another star (Melo) leave the conference to head East,” he writes.  ”Must be an odd year.”  The Mavericks held at two, the Bulls at three and the Celtics at four. The Lakers received a bump this week, jumping from seventh to fifth.  “Help at the deadline would have been handy, but a W in OKC — even with Perkins out — gave the champs six quality road wins in February, which is progress even when you account for what happened in Cleveland,” writes Stein.

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The NBA trade deadline is today, so rumors are floating all over the place.  We’ve already seen two star players get moved in Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams, but don’t expect another marquee name to be on the move.  Still, significant names are being floated out there.  Kirk Hinrich was traded from Washington to Atlanta; several teams were reportedly after Hinrich, including the Los Angeles Lakers.  Carl Landry was traded for Marcus Thornton, a curious decision by the Kings.  Johnny Flynn could be shipped from Minnesota to the Los Angeles Clippers.

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The rumor mill missed this one: Utah Jazz Deron Williams has been traded to the New Jersey Nets in a deal that will reportedly also include the Golden State Warriors.  The Jazz are reportedly set to receive point guard Devin Harris, power forward Derrick Favors and multiple draft picks.  This move is quite the shocker, as there have been no rumbling about this deal leading up to the trade.  It’s even more surprising because Williams’ future with the team looked to be cemented, at least through his current contract, when head coach Jerry Sloan resigned recently.

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It took a lot to get him, but the New York Knicks finally have their man.  The Knicks have agreed to send Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and Wilson Chandler to Denver for Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Anthony Carter, Renaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams.  The Knicks also sent two second-round picks and a first-round pick to Denver and shipped Eddy Curry, Anthony Randolph and $3 million to Minnesota in exchange for Corey Brewer.  “I’m glad it’s over,” Nuggets coach George Karl told the Denver Post.  ”I’m glad it’s an opportunity to reinvent.  I think everybody handled it as classy as you could handle it.  There’s some sadness to it, there always will be.”

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The Carmelo Anthony trade drama is nearing a close, as the trade deadline is only a few days away.  The latest on the trade front is that the Knicks have upped their offer.  The Knicks are reportedly willing to deal Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Raymond Felton to Denver for Anthony and Chauncey Billups.  In this deal, Eddy Curry, and potentially Anthony Randolph, would go to Minnesota and a first-round pick would to head from Minny to Denver.  There is also talk that the Nuggets would turn around and trade some of the players received from New York in the deal to New Jersey for some first-rounders.  Center Timofey Mozgov may also be headed to Denver in a deal.

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Talk about momentum heading into the break.  Derrick Rose went off last night for Chicago in statement win over the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs have the best record in the NBA, but the Bulls didn’t seem to care.  Rose scored a career-high 42 points and dished out eight assists in the Bulls’ 109-99 win.  “We have a lot of confidence right now, knowing we can beat some of the best teams in the NBA,” Rose said after the game.  ”We just have to keep it going.”  Rose was showered with chants of “MVP!” throughout the game.

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Some people might say that it was the best team in the NBA against the worst.  Well, in this case David came out on top of Goliath yet again.  The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to upset the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers last night after failing to win a game for what seemed like forever up until last week.  The Cavs have had a really tough 2010-11 season, which makes this loss a tough one to swallow for the Lake Show.  “It’s a painful, painful loss,” big man Pau Gasol, who had 30 points and 20 rebounds in the contest, said after the game.  ”It’s very disappointing.  I don’t understand it.”

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LeBron James is the top candidate for the league’s Most valuable Player award according to ESPN’s NBA Awards Watch.  James is the best player in the league and has been great for the Heat as of late, but will Dwyane Wade’s presence distract the voters at the end of the season?  James is followed by Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwight Howard and Russell Westbrook.  It was interesting to see Westbrook a head of Durant (who came in at number eight).  I’m not sure that’s correct, but it isn’t my list.

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The ESPN experts are hard at work with the trade deadline approaching, but they had enough time to propose a couple of trade ideas of their own.  TrueHoop’s Danny Savitzki proposes a deal between Dallas and Charlotte that would send Stephen Jackson to the Mavericks in exchange for Caron Butler.  The move would certainly bolster one of the best teams in the Western Conference, but would be kind of a give-up for the Bobcats.  The motivation for the move would be to clear cap space in the summer when Butler’s contract comes off the books.

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The Cavs recently broke their record-setting losing streak, but there could be more important things on the horizon for this team.  It’s clear that the Cavaliers have hit rock bottom, but the team does have some assets that could be moved before the Feb 24 trade deadline.  ESPN’s Marc Stein discussed some of Cleveland’s trade options in his weekend dime.  “The Cavs would ideally want a first-round pick from a contender interested in pilfering swingman Anthony Parker and his $2.9 million expiring contract for the rest of the season, but word is a second-round pick might get it done,” Stein writes.  “Chicago remains a prime suitor for Parker.”

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