Four games, 10 points, Hot Commodity

Does any one else find it odd that, as the NBA trade deadline approaches, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway is a desirable asset? Hardaway hasn't averaged 20 ppg, while playing a full season, since the '95-96 season. Hardaway was a fantastic player early in his career, but he hasn't been more than a role player for a decade. Injuries happen, even to All-Stars. It just strikes me as being a little peculiar, that someone who has played in 4 games, and scored a total of 10 points, this season - and won't be back any time soon, in all likelihood - is a candidate to be traded for.

The only reason anyone wants Hardaway is because he has an expiring contract. If they pay him to rehab the rest of this season, they can off-load one of their bad contracts to Hardaway's current team, the New York Knicks - the dumping ground of bad NBA contracts these days, although they hurt themselves with moves like signing Jerome James.

Trading for their own problems for expiring salaries shouldn't be the only recourse for teams who are stuck with bad contracts. But, it does go both ways. Owners shouldn't throw money at every free agent who has a "high-ceiling". Nothing against Steve Francis, Kenyon Martin, and Quentin Richardson, but are they cornerstone of a championship contender? I don't think so. Players should be rewarded for playing well, and playing. Grant Hill was a pretty good player. Problem is, he can't stay on the court.

The NBA needs to fix the way business is done, either via the collective bargaining agreement or by owners refusing to cave into outrageous demands by players and their agents. Sometimes, nothing is better than something ... ask the Nuggets if they'd make the same deal for Kenyon Martin that they did a couple summer ago. Owners in baseball are starting to figure it out. Football teams have an unfair advantage over players. The NBA needs to figure it out before the league goes to shit ... maybe it's already too late.