Fournier

Leon Rose has been active at the trade deadline in the past and the Knicks may make a move this season, but they are more sellers than buyers.

The Magic are finally healthy in the backcourt, with [Markelle Fultz](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30427/markelle-fultz) and [Cole Anthony](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/58303/cole-anthony) returning to the floor this past week. If you’re looking for the silver lining, the fact [Cade Cunningham](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/63448/cade-cunningham) is out (many around the league think for the season, although that is not official yet) means the Pistons have put the ball in the hands of rookie [Jaden Ivey](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/66339/jaden-ivey) and he has shown promise. He has been fantastic on the catch of his shoot because of his quick release, something that pairs well with the slashing of [Jalen Green](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/60023/jalen-green) and [Kevin Porter Jr.](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/51051/kevin-porter-jr) After Thursday’s game in San Antonio, Houston has seven games in a row at home. Donovan is searching for something to spark the offense, which remains bottom 10 in the league despite a roster with [DeMar DeRozan](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29479/demar-derozan), [Zach LaVine](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30050/zach-lavine) and Nikola Vucevic. Trying to shake things up, Billy Donovan put [Alex Caruso](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30418/alex-caruso) and [Javonte Green](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/56108/javonte-green) in the starting lineup replacing [Ayo Dosunmu](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/51185/ayo-dosunmu) and [Patrick Williams](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/58321/patrick-williams), and he may stick with that for a while (although Williams was back with Green out vs. Instead, Minnesota is 16th in the league in defense and it hasn’t gotten any better of late (despite [Anthony Edwards](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/58299/anthony-edwards) going on a steals tear). The guy Portland could use to get back next is [Gary Payton II](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30403/gary-payton-ii) to help their defense — they are 24th in the league in defense for the season, but that has been worse of late (28th in the NBA over their last seven games). The Clippers have done a great job with their role players keeping their heads above water — their most-used five-man lineup of [Reggie Jackson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29705/reggie-jackson), [Luke Kennard](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30438/luke-kennard), George, [Marcus Morris](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29694/marcus-morris) and [Ivica Zubac](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30327/ivica-zubac) has a +15 net rating. [James Harden](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29473/james-harden) is back, but so much for being eased into things as he had to play 38 minutes in a 2OT loss to the lowly Rockets (a game where [Joel Embiid](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30040/joel-embiid) fouled out). [Desmond Bane](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/58679/desmond-bane) remains out, but the return of [Jaren Jackson Jr.](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/30575/jaren-jackson-jr) is starting to have the expected impact on defense — the Grizzlies are sixth in the league in defense over their last six games (stats via Cleaning the Glass, and BTW the Griz are 5-1 in that stretch). The conventional wisdom was that having [CJ McCollum](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29927/cj-mccollum) and [Zion Williamson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/50955/zion-williamson) full-time in the Pelicans lineup would spell trouble for the team’s defense, but coach Willie Green has them playing the third-best defense in the NBA on that end. [Brook Lopez](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29382/brook-lopez) is having maybe the best season of his career, playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level on that end of the floor with a league-leading three blocks a game, plus pitching in 15.3 points a night — and the time to do that is a contract year.