Per Alex Kennedy via Twitter, the Pacers no longer see it that way, which could prompt the team to trade the injured star wing man.

After all, the Pacers have been getting by just fine without Granger, who will be 30 in April and has missed the entire season with an injured knee. In fact, Paul George has taken over as the team’s go-to player in his absence, and has put the Pacers on his shoulders.

The bad news is that while the Pacers probably wouldn’t mind getting something out of Granger, they might be out of luck. After all, Granger is about to be on the wrong side of 30, still isn’t 100%, and is due over $13 million both this year and next.

Indiana could easily still find a taker – they just may have to be willing to significantly lower their asking price. Then again, just because Granger is no longer “untouchable” doesn’t necessarily mean the Pacers are calling every team in an effort to unload him.

As it stands, there have been no teams tied to Granger, and he continues to rehab on his way back to the court, which could be within a couple of weeks. Just don’t be surprised if trade rumors start swirling now that the organization has made it known that their star player could be had by the highest bidder.

And they’re not just fodder for the cannon.

The Redick trade rumors are legit, and he’s extremely likely to be dealt come Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Redick himself has said all along that he understands if it happens, but that he personally hasn’t heard anything from the front office about a trade. I actually tend to believe him, but things can change rather quickly in the NBA.

To prepare ourselves for what I view as an inevitable trade, let’s take a look at the top five J.J. Redick trade rumors that have been swirling around, and see if we can’t decide on one that could stick:

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are the most recent team to be mentioned along side Redick, but they’re not the most likely suitor. They could use him to stretch the floor and play defense, as they’re thin at the wing spot, but it’s unclear who they’d ship off in return for Redick’s services. Jerryd Bayless could potentially be a part of a trade, but it’s anyone’s guess what that final package would look like.

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee has been tied to Redick for half of the year, and is looking like a very realistic landing spot. They have reportedly already offered up Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and a future first-round draft pick for Redick, while packages with Milwaukee could also possibly include Monta Ellis and/or Drew Gooden. The Bucks are shaping up to be a playoff team, and landing an outside shooter who can defend could help round them out quite a bit.

Chicago Bulls

Chicago said good-bye to consistent three-point shooting when they traded away Kyle Korver, while they tried signing J.J. Redick a few years back. It seems their interest in the former Duke star hasn’t waned. The Bulls have been tied to Redick, and it appears the interest is mutual. Chicago is looking to unload Carlos Boozer, while they could also include Nate Robinson or Marco Belinelli on any potential deals.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers were lumped in with the Timberwolves as teams being interested in acquiring Redick, but both teams have been quiet on the matter. I’m not sure what Indiana would give up to land Redick, but he certainly would fit on their roster. The Pacers don’t have much consistency on the wing beyond Paul George, and with Danny Granger struggling to return, there’s no guarantee that will change without a trade. I can see D.J. Augustin and maybe even Tyler Hansbrough being lumped in a deal, but it’s anyone’s guess if Indiana is actually serious about making the move and who would be in a package.

Minnesota Timberwolves

As stated above, Minnesota is also rumored to be smitten with Redick, and could be in play for a trade. They have been trying to move veteran point guard Luke Ridnour ever since Ricky Rubio got back to full health, while we all know Derrick Williams is available for the right price. I don’t think the Magic are in love with either of those players, but one or both could be part of a package if Minnesota decided they couldn’t pass on landing Redick.

Ultimately, I see the Magic doing right by Redick and either trading him to a contending team at a fair price, or letting him stay in Orlando and hit the free agency waters on his own terms. I have the Bucks as the front-runners due to their several pieces to trade, with the Bulls coming in second. After all, Redick did initially try to sign with them a few years back, and they could really use him right about now.

It should be no shock, then, to learn that Redick is a hot commodity in trade talks as Thursday’s deadline rapidly approaches. He’s been tied to the Knicks, Bulls, Bucks and various other teams throughout the year, thanks to his solid defense, elite outside shooting, and steady defense on the perimeter.

The latest culprit to step up in the J.J. Redick trade rumors? The Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis just gone done swinging a trade that sent star forward Rudy Gay to the Toronto Raptors, but as a team that is going to the playoffs and wants to round itself out for a deep run, they could use some guard help and some touch outside.

That’s why, according to Chris Vernon via Twitter, they’re “making a push” for Redick’s services via a trade.

There isn’t much concrete information as to how close a deal is or what players would be involved, but few would argue that the Grizzlies would improve with the move.

With February about to hit is, it’s high time we dive into some sleeper analysis, and pick some draft gems well before NBA scouts make them household names.

Here are five NCAA basketball players that aren’t getting enough recognition right now, but could hear their name called in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft:

Doug McDermott, F, Creighton

McDermott combines an excellent basketball IQ with a scary set of post moves and overall elite offensive versatility to be one of the more talked about NBA prospects. The only problem is, he’s vastly underrated and barely projected to be a first rounder. In reality, he’s one of the purest scorers in the entire nation (23.7 ppg), and also packs a punch on the boards (7.2 per game). However, the most intriguing aspect of McDermott’s offensive game is the fact that he’s an elite three-point shooter. Coupling his inside and outside game together, one could make the argument that he’s the most efficient scorer in all of college basketball.

As great as McDermott is offensively, though, he does have his limitations as a defender, and may not have a clear position at the next level due to his size and athletic shortcomings. Some will worry if he’s another Luke Harangody or Luke Babbitt, or perhaps a cross between the two. I think it’d be a cross, and that’s actually a positive. McDermott is tougher and more effective inside offensively than bother mentioned players, yet he has better range than Harangody. Due to these facts, if McDermott can somehow prove his critics wrong about his size and athleticism concerns, he could become very valuable when the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft rolls around.

Pierre Jackson, PG, Baylor

Jackson is a very athletic point guard who arguably is only battling a lack of size as a legit pro prospect. From his handle to his outside shooting, Jackson has a very well-rounded offensive game. He has shown great leadership ability and looks to be getting a handle on what it is to be a lead guard. He’s still not overly inexperienced and his size definitely can work against him, but he’s an excellent athlete that has the fundamentals nailed down, and excels across the board offensively. If he can continue to show NBA scouts that size won’t be an issue, I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see his stock climb him into the first round.

Nate Wolters, PG, South Dakota State

There’s not much I don’t love about Nate Wolters’ game as it translates to the next level. He has terrific size (6’4”) for the NBA point, while also bringing pro-type passing, dribbling, and IQ to the table. He simply has a command of his offense, and decisively picks and chooses his spots when to pull up, take his man to the hole, or get his teammates involved. While his outside jumper can be very effective, the best aspect of his offensive game is his ability to utilize cross-overs and weave through traffic to get easy buckets. And even when he’s not converting, he does an outstanding job at getting to the charity stripe and knocking down freebies (averaging over 5 makes per game for three straight years).

In addition, Wolters has displayed an ability to lead a team, play sound defense, and take his man one on one. He has a bit of a stiff release on his outside jumper and it can come and go, but otherwise there is very little to complain about him on the offensive end. He’ll need to make it into the NCAA tournament again this year to significantly raise his stock, but once there, we could see his draft stock sky-rocket if he performs well.

C.J. Leslie, F, North Carolina State

Leslie has tremendous size, athleticism and length. Add his energy and intangibles, and you’re talking about a rapidly budding NBA prospect. However, due to a shaky shot with little range and some fundamental issues in the paint, Leslie’s stock is slightly grounded still. With that said, he has a great handle for a guy his size, and his build and athletic ability allow him to freely go inside and out on the offensive end. Leslie’s main knock is his lack of a consistent jumper, as well as the idea that he may not have a true position at the next level. If he bulks up, however, he could be a hybrid four with some real potential.

Elias Harris, F, Gonzaga

Harris would normally be a candidate for that dreaded ‘tweener’ label, but he has such good athleticism and strength, that he should easily be able to switch back and forth between the NBA three and four. His game is probably more suited out on the wing, but he really has the skill-set to do anything that is asked of him. The best part about Harris, though, is that through four years of college, he’s gained tremendous experience, and has been a balanced and impressive player nearly every season. He’s not likely to develop into a superstar, but he will defend with effort, crash the boards, make the necessary pass, and offer up versatility and smart play on a nightly basis. He’s insanely under valued in the same light that Chandler Parsons was coming out of Florida, and I think he could be an excellent find at the bottom of round one if he can help Gonzaga get far in the tournament this year and get his name out there a bit more.

Kobe will overtake the likes of Jerry West, Karl Malone and Shaquille O’Neal in becoming the player with the most consecutive All-Star nods. Bryant received 1,591,437 votes, edging out Miami Heat’s Lebron James for the top spot, who received 1,583,646.

Representing the West, Kobe will be joined by Los Angeles Clippers duo Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, his own teammate Dwight Howard and Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durrant in what looks to be an extremely strong starting roster.

Lebron will be representing the East alongside teammate Dwayne Wade, New York’s Carmelo Anthony, who has been playing to MVP form this season with the Knicks and Boston Celtic’s pair, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.

The highly anticipated 62nd NBA All-Star game will be held in Houston on February 17th, where the reserves for the game will be chosen by a poll of 30 NBA coaches who will vote for seven players in their own conference but cannot vote for players from their own team. Results will be announced on January 24th.

The starting line-ups have been chosen from votes from the fans, on who they want to see play in this exhibition game and we saw a twist in the way that it was done this year as fans were able to vote on social network sites, Facebook and Twitter.

The coaches for the game will be determined on February 3rd with the team’s leading the Eastern and Western conferences having their coaches chosen.

The fact that Kobe Bryant will be entering his 15th straight All-Star game says a lot about how much of an impact he has had in his 17-year career in the NBA and will play a big part in any future debates on who is the game’s greatest player of all time.

Michael Jordan is considered to be the best by many but had years out of the game while Kobe has remained ‘Mr. Consistent’ and is still playing at the top of his game, leading the league in points.

In last season’s All-star game in Orlando, Kobe came out on top with the MVP for the fourth time, passing Jordan’s record. It is certainly fitting for Kobe to set a record of All-Star games as the match certainly means a lot to him. As well as being MVP on the most occasions he was the youngest ever player to be picked for the match when he was selected when he was 19 back in 1998.

The game is a showcase of the game’s greatest players showing what they can do on a global stage whilst celebrating the game and this year will be no different as fans will flock to the Toyota Center in Houston to watch the game.

That and more will cloud the weekend, to be sure, but right now all we can really distract ourselves is another hefty Friday of NBA basketball action. In turn, that begs for an onslaught of NBA picks, as well. Trevor Gunn is still away (although he shall return), and I’ll continue to fill in on an interim basis.

Let’s take a look at all the games and see who you should be betting on to emerge with a victory on Friday night:

Magic @ Wizards

Orlando isn’t awesome on the road, but they’re twice the team that Washington is (2-11 at home). J.J. Redick continues to play well off the bench and Orlando can catch fire from outside on any given night.

Magic win, 104-87.

Suns @ Pacers

Phoenix is without star point guard Goran Dragic and they’ve been atrocious on the road. Indiana is more rested than usual after having their last game PPD due to bad weather. Look for the Pacers to run over the Suns at home under fresh legs.

Pacers win, 103-96.

Bobcats @ Nets

Make it loss number 17 in a row for the Bobcats, who are a mess and a joke wrapped up in one ball. Brooklyn gets win number one without Avery Johnson this year.

Nets win, 99-90.

Heat @ Pistons

Miami is in another class than the Pistons. Detroit isn’t terrible at home, but this one should still be a breeze for the Heat, even with Dwyane Wade suspended for a game.

Heat win, 111-94.

Hawks @ Cavaliers

Atlanta is cruising right along at 17-9 and is actually a pretty solid road team. Cleveland is just getting their act together again with Kyrie Irving back. They’re no match for Atlanta right now.

Hawks win, 96-86.

Raptors @ Hornets

Toronto gets Kyle Lowry back, but they still can’t play defense and are atrocious on the road this year (2-15). New Orleans is probably the most competitive bad team I’ve ever seen.

Hornets win, 97-93.

Rockets @ Spurs

James Harden will get his numbers, but San Antonio plays too good of team defense to drop this one at home. They’re 11-2 in their own backyard, so I can’t see the Rockets becoming the third team to knock’em down tonight.

Spurs win, 104-101.

Nuggets @ Mavericks

Dallas has been shaky with Dirk Nowitzki semi-back, and I think those struggles continue tonight. Denver isn’t the most consistent team, but as long as Nowitzki isn’t 100%, the Mavs won’t be, either.

Nuggets win, 113-107.

Clippers @ Jazz

I’m about to mess with a 15-game winning streak, and I don’t really care. I know Utah is pretty inconsistent and stands at mediocre 15-15, but L.A.’s remarkable run has to end sooner or later and the Jazz don’t get pushed around at home too often (9-3).

Jazz win, 89-86.

Knicks @ Kings

About the only place the Kings win is at home (one road win all year), so you have to give them a shot anytime they’re in Sac-Town – even if they’re facing a tough opponent. It hinges on DeMarcous Cousins playing, but if he does I’ll take the Kings in a shootout. Here’s to hoping Jimmer Fredette drops 30 points, too.

Kings win, 115-112.

Blazers @ Lakers

The Lakers got their five-game winning streak snapped in their last game, so they’ll just have to start another one. They look like a completely different team with a healthy Steve Nash running the show, so I like them at home tonight.

Lakers win, 104-99.

76ers @ Warriors

The final game of the night could either be a defensive battle or a blowout by the hands of the potent Warriors. I’m leaning more towards defense, as Jrue Holiday has the ability to shut Stephen Curry down. Philly has been struggling, but perhaps a big win tonight can get them going.

76ers win, 90-88.

Fredette dropped a career-high 22 points in 25 minutes in his last game, and at one point in the 2012-13 NBA season was the most efficient player per 36 minutes. He’s being flat-out abused in Sacramento, as head coach Keith Smart has been going with an insane three point guard rotation. If we’re just being logical, Aaron Brooks never should have been signed, Isaiah Thomas would be playing 30+ minutes a night, and Fredette would be learning behind him or as a combo guard with 15-20 minutes per night. Instead, the sharp-shooter’s confidence has to be weakening after inconsistent minutes and several DNP calls over the course of his young career.

But that has to stop eventually, right? That’s doubtful if he remains with the Kings, as they’re run by money-hungry owners and a coach that wouldn’t even play Jeremy Lin when he was in Golden State. I think (and hope) Fredette’s time with the Kings is coming to an end, and think there are quite a few places he could go where he’d at least be used in a scoring role off the bench consistently, if not much more.

Here are the top five teams I think could be interested in trading for Fredette:

Oklahoma City Thunder

Hey, there were mixed up with Fredette trade rumors before, so why not get them involved again? They need him less now that they got rid of James Harden and found a suitable replacement in Kevin Martin, but they could still use his scoring punch behind Russell Westbrook.

Houston Rockets

Sounds crazy, right? I know, considering all the big moves Houston has made, you’d think a trade for Fredette wouldn’t make a lot of sense – which is why it might make perfect sense. The Jeremy Lin experiment hasn’t exactly passed with flying colors so far this year, while Lin has little to no help behind him on the bench. Fredette could provide some instant offense behind Lin, as well as behind Harden at the two spot.

Los Angeles Lakers

This might be my favorite choice. It’s tough to see the Kings dealing with one of their bitter rivals, but the Lakers are hurting at point guard sans Steve Nash, and Fredette could do wonders in a Mike D’Antoni system. He could learn behind one of the game’s best in Nash, while offering instant offense off the bench.

Utah Jazz

Fredette goes home in this trade idea. Mo Williams has been very solid for the Jazz, but they’re not an elite team and they could always use help on offense. It’s a pure marketing move, but Fredette isn’t without talent and you know the fans would love to have him.

Logically, Fredette probably won’t be traded. He’ll likely ride out the final year of his rookie deal and spend the rest of his basketball days in Europe. But that’s not how it should be. Yes, Fredette has issues on defense and he’s not a great point guard as he stands. But he also can’t help any of that when he’s averaging inconsistent minutes and doesn’t have a firm backing from his coach or his teammates. He’s in an awful situation with several me-first players, and yet he doesn’t get consistent playing time for a team that is well below .500 ball.

In reality, the number 10 overall pick from the 2011 NBA Draft should have been starting from day one on a horrible team, and allowed to grow into the player I still think he can become. Instead, the Kings never gave him a chance and played the final pick of that year’s draft (Thomas) ahead of him, instead. Other point guards like Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight struggled as rookies, but were backed firmly and now are doing much better in year two. If Fredette was on the court consistently and didn’t have to be worried about going back to the bench every time he made a mistake, that could be him, too.

Instead, we have to hope Fredette gets placed in a better environment via a trade this year.

We analyze and pick both contests prior to tonight’s NBA action:

New York Knicks (13-4) @ Miami Heat (12-4) – 8:00 pm ET (TNT)

The Knicks have shocked everyone en route to a hot 13-4 start, but only have one more win than their foes tonight. However, they have the leverage over Miami, as they took care of business in a blowout earlier this year. With that said, the Heat have been looking ahead to this matchup so much that they even fell asleep and lost to the lowly Washington Wizards this week. LeBron James and co. are going to be more than up to the task when they take Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks on at home, where the Heat are an incredible 8-0 to start the year.

Determined to set the record straight about who the real class of the Eastern Conference is, look for James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to set the tone with tough defense and good team play on the offensive end. The Knicks aren’t likely to die off quickly in this one, but I’m expecting a fairly cold shooting night overall from them due to Miami’s capability on D. I’m taking the Heat in this one, 114-99.

Dallas Mavericks (8-10) @ Phoenix Suns (7-12) – 10:30 pm ET (TNT)

This one lacks the star power of the first game of the night with Nowitzki still sidelined (knee), but it should still be high-scoring with two offenses that can run the floor and pile on the points. Dallas is a bad road team so far this year (2-7), while the Suns are still trying to figure out what starting lineup they like best. Both of these teams tend to struggle with consistency and this one could easily go either way, but I’m leaning toward the Suns if they can control the tempo of the game. Considering they’re winning the point guard matchup with Goran Dragic leading the way, I’m banking on exactly that. Look for the Suns to take control and run away in the end, 103-94.

There are a few big games on the night, with the Miami Heat playing host to the Brooklyn Nets being one of the earlier ones. The new look Nets will be put to the test tonight against the reigning NBA Champions, who have nothing else on their mind then getting back to the finals, and the Nets are just another team standing in the way.

Here our the Top 5 Locks for Wednesday night:

Phoenix (1-3) over CHARLOTTE (1-1)

The Bobcats managed to get younger this year, that doesn’t mean that they are any better. They ranked near the bottom of every important statistical category, however it is still early in the season. After finishing 7-59 last season, they should win more than seven games, but they will definitely lose more then fifty-nine games.

Phoenix has won ten of the last fifteen meetings between these two teams. Give me the Suns, 98-88.

BOSTON (1-2) over Washington (1-1)

Boston lost their first three games, and eight of their first twelve last season, while still managing to make it to the Eastern Conference finals. So this 1-2 start should not be alarming.

You know who else is going to be bad this year, the Washington Wizards. They could rival the Bobcats for the worst record in the league.

The Celtics roll, 105-80.

MIAMI (3-1) over Brooklyn (1-1)

I might just pick the Heat every chance I get this season.

Having not been able to watch a lot of the two Nets games this season, it’s going to be hard to evaluate them considering the game I did watch was at the end of  their last one when they blew a 22-point lead against the Timberwolves.

Brooklyn is better then last year, I’ll still take the Heat at home, 97-90.

ATLANTA (1-1) over Indiana

With the loss of Danny Granger (knee) for up to three months, the battle in the Eastern Conference just got a little murkier. The Pacers have struggled at times without Granger so this does not bode well for the next three months.

Atlanta had a big turnover in new players this season. They still have a lot of players who can score, including Josh Smith who is going to be a free agent at the end of the year and will attract a lot of attention.

I’ll roll with the Hawks, 95-93.

DALLAS (3-1) over Toronto (1-3)

Kyle Lowry (ankle) will not play tonight and could be out a while longer. This is a big loss for a Raptors team that has trouble scoring anyways.

A bit of a surprise start for the Mavericks this season with their 3-1 record without their best player, Dirk Nowitzki. Dallas has won elven of the past twelve games when playing at home against Toronto. Mavs cruise, 102-90.

Let’s try to get a perfect 3-0 record in our NBA Predictions for Tuesday Night:

CHICAGO (2-1) over Orlando (2-0)

I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the Magic this season, having last their best player Dwight Howard. They are scoring the second most points in the NBA (108.5 PPG), although they have yet to play a game on the road. Chicago is not an easy place to play regardless if Derrick Rose is in the lineup or not, as they rely on a great half court defense, which is ranked 2nd in the NBA in points against per game (87.3).

Chicago is the better team and should cruise at home, 95-85.

OKLAHOMA CITY (1-2) over Toronto (1-2)

It’s still too early in the season to panic about the Thunder only having a 1-2 record. Kevin Martin has picked up the slack scoring wise for James Harden, and before you know it OKC will put some wins together. Four of their next five games are against Toronto, Detroit twice, and the Cavaliers, that should easily be four wins right there.

Oklahoma City is 10-2 over the last twelve games at home. I like the Thunder to get back on track tonight, 112-100.

DENVER (0-3) over Detroit (0-3)

Of the four winless teams left in the NBA, two of them will meet tonight. Denver hasn’t had an easy go of things with three straight road games to open the season, all on the East coast. It won’t get much easier either, as fourteen of their next twenty games are on the road.

The Pistons struggled on the road last season, and they are already 0-2 on the road this season. I’ll take the Nuggets, 108-92.