For most NBA players, the trade deadline should not be stressful. There are nearly 450 players in the league and there probably won't be three percent of them that get traded between now and the deadline Thursday afternoon.
That doesn't mean it isn't nerve-wracking. Players, particularly those with families, fret over rumors, even if they know deep in their heart that the likelihood of anything happening is remote.
Ryan Hollins was traded last month to the Mavericks from Charlotte. He can relate to what other players are going through today and tomorrow.
"Definitely it's tough not knowing the next second if you're going to have to pack up all your belongings and move to another city where you've never lived,'' the 7-foot center said. "If it was just players, it's different. But guys with families, that's tough. It comes with the business. We get paid a lot of money to do what we do. And it's a business, so we got to be prepared to make those sacrifices.''
The Mavericks, by the way, still are working the phone lines with nothing concrete yet. This thing looks like it will go right down to the final hours. They still are chasing Sacramento's John Salmons, but don't be surprised if a name like Marquis Daniels or some other swingman (or a center) pops up.
--Eddie Sefko
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