Williams

	Bibby

	Mutombo

With the trading deadline at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, the names being mentioned most frequently for deals are Dikembe Mutombo, Mike Bibby, Jerome Williams, Brad Miller, Cedric Ceballos and Anthony Carter.

Except for Mutombo and Bibby, it's not exactly a galaxy of stars. But if recent history repeats itself, most, if not all of those players will still be with their respective teams when the deadline expires.

Once a landmark date in the NBA season where such All-Star talent as Clyde Drexler, Kevin Johnson, Mark Aguirre, Tim Hardaway and Larry Nance went to new teams in mid-season blockbuster deals, the trading deadline has seen little or no action in recent seasons.

	Cassell

	Marbury

The last blockbuster came in the lockout-shortened 1999 season, with Stephon Marbury, Sam Cassell and Terrell Brandon switching places. But last season, after such mega-stars as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were being discussed in the days leading up to the deadline, only a journeyman named Anthony Johnson moved, from Atlanta to Orlando, for a conditional second-rounder.

Among the reasons for less activity at this time of the year: When trading dollar for dollar, as stipulated by the collective bargaining agreement, it's hard to match up salaries. Also, many teams are fearful of being penalized by the new luxury cap, which goes into effect next season. Traditionally, you get more movement around the draft, especially now with sign-and-trade deals involving free agents being the way most teams want to go. That's the kind of move the Hawks are expected to make with Mutombo in five months.

The Knicks have been after Mutombo ever since they made a deal for another one of the David Falk's clients, Glen Rice, last September. They've sent word around the league that they will definitely do something, meaning that GM Scott Layden will still be placing calls at 5:59:59 ET.

After dealing off Patrick Ewing, the Knicks sorely need a defensive rebounder and a presence in the low post to force defenses to double down. Mutombo would shore up the first area, but wouldn't be much help at the offensive end, where the Knicks are strictly a jump-shooting team ranked dead last in free throw attempts and second-to-last in offensive rebounding.

	Camby

	Houston

The hangup: So far, The Knicks aren't willing to part with any of their core players, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby. For the Hawks, that continues to be a deal breaker. If Atlanta is going to move Mutombo, their foundation and the only player in league history to earn the Defensive Player of the Year award three times, they want at least a big-time scorer in return. The Hawks continue to talk to Portland, too.

If the Knicks can't do a Mutombo deal now, they'll wait until the summer to try to complete a sign-and-deal move. But they also still have hopes of landing Chris Webber in a similar manner starting July 1.

The Knicks also are shopping hard for a point guard who can break down a defense, and their first choice is the Griz' Bibby. Again, Knicks GM Scott Layden hasn't yet offered one of this core players, making any deal with Vancouver unlikely. Every time Vancouver has asked about Houston, they've been told he's "untouchable." Since he has an opt out this summer, the Grizzlies can't really afford to trade Bibby for him, only to have Houston walk after season's end. The Grizzlies think Camby's OK, but don't want any part of Sprewell.

"For New York to be able to do something, they need to get a third team involved," said a league source familiar with the Grizzlies' thinking. "But it's the old story with the Knicks. Beyond their core players, who else would you want, with those contracts?"

	RIM SHOTS
	Tim Floyd is all but a done deal at Indiana University, from what we're hearing. He already has made it clear that he won't be taking the triangle playbook to Bloomington. Rick Pitino, meanwhile, had his people tell U of Michigan that he isn't interested in their job. Pitino intends to land at a campus where football isn't king.

That's the same opinion shared by Wiz prez Michael Jordan, who has rejected all New York overtures for Rod Strickland.

The Suns did talk to Vancouver about Bibby, the former U of Arizona product they've long had their eyes on. But when the Griz asked about Kidd, the price reportedly went through the GM Place roof. Said one person with knowledge of the deal, the Suns wanted Bibby and Shareef Abdur-Rahim and multiple No.1's.

The bigger question in Vancouver is if the Grizzlies are going to be put up for sale, can they afford to move either Abdur-Rahim or Bibby? Moving one or both those players could cause them to have to drop their asking price.

After Bibby and Mutombo, there's a major drop-off in players, including. Detroit's Williams, Chicago's Miller and Miami's Ceballos.

With Williams becoming free this summer, a number of teams, including Miami and Orlando, are interested in the high-energy rebounder. But the Pistons can always wait for the summer to make a sign-and-trade move.

This has always been the Heat's prime time to make trades. They acquired Hardaway and Jamal Mashburn in major trading deadline deals in 1996 and 1997. But if they make a move this week, it will involve lesser players. The Heat thinks it has to add another big body if it has any chance to win the East, which is why they're making an effort to land the Bulls' Miller, a 7-footer who was with Charlotte last season. Two of the players Miami has made available are Ceballos and Carter, with a Ceballos-for-Miller trade at the top of Miami's wish list.

The Heat reportedly promised the mid-level exception to Carter for this off-season. But based on his play so far, they aren't eager to follow that up, according to persons familiar with their thinking.

With those kinds of bench players being mentioned most prominently, it's a far cry from previous seasons. In the days leading up to last year's deadline, the Pistons had serious conversations with the Suns regarding a blockbuster featuring Hill and Kidd. But as interested as the Suns were in Hill, then uninjured and a premier player, they never agreed to include Kidd in any potential package.

The Bulls reportedly want to give Ron Mercer away, but the $26 million contract they signed him to is seen as a major impediment. Although word is out that the Bulls are making all their players available, they're not so eager to part with Elton Brand, the co-Rookie of the Year last season and the one legit building block they own.

Mitch Lawrence, who covers the NBA for the New York Daily News, writes a regular NBA column for ESPN.com.