With Derrick Rose returning to the Bulls soon, the Pacers rounding into a serious challenger to the Heat in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, and the Bucks looking like a late-seed sleeper, here's a look at the happenings around the Central Division.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer has a new mailbag column in which she discusses the possibility that Marreese Speights will be traded before the February 21 deadline. She believes it's possible if the team believes he will opt out of his $4.5MM option for next season, but says his veteran experience makes him worth keeping around.
- Schmitt Boyer does not know when Lucas Nogueira and Augusto Lima, two Brazilian draft prospects represented by Anderson Varejao's agent, Dan Fegan, plan to enter the NBA draft.
- Schmitt Boyer writes that the Cavs did not make an attempt to trade for Rudy Gay because his contract would have limited their options in future years of free agency.
- Schmitt Boyer breaks down the protections on the Lakers' first-round pick the Cavs own, explaining that Cleveland only gets to swap their own pick with the Lakers if Los Angeles makes the playoffs.
- Schmitt Boyer writes in a separate column that Cavs GM Chris Grant is known to make a lot of moves at the deadline, and she expects him to be active again this year.
- Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star has a feature on Pacers rookie Miles Plumlee, who is currently playing in the D-League.