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The 3 PM ET trade deadline in the NBA has come and gone, and while there were plenty of big names rumored to be on the move, few teams actually had the guts to pull the trigger. There were plenty of deals made, however, including one that might have one Eastern Conference team feeling like it's back in the title conversation. A wrap-up of today's events after the jump.

The Dallas Mavericks seem to have found a winning formula: bench Jerry Stackhouse. The Mavs had a 3-7 record the day Stackhouse requested a trade. He hasn't played a single minute since, and the Mavs have won eight of nine games in his absence.

Knowing this, it's not a huge surprise the team has granted him permission to seek a trade elsewhere. At 34, he's not the player he once was, but he can still provide some scoring punch and has a palatable contract that expires in time for the summer of 2010. Hmm, who might be interested in a player like that?

Alan Hahn of Newsday connects the dots and suggests a match with the Knicks, who could send back Malik Rose's expiring deal in return. With a heart condition putting Cuttino Mobley's career in jeopardy and a nagging groin injury bothering Nate Robinson, the Knicks have been playing shorthanded.

Donnie Walsh certainly won't pull the trigger on a multiyear deal to fill a short-term need, but Stackhouse seems like the kind of player who could thrive in Mike D'Antoni's offense not to mention bring some veteran leadership and swagger to the court. The Knicks will be over the cap next year anyway, so losing whatever space Rose's expiring deal brings isn't that big of a deal. The real prize is the summer of 2010, and bringing Stackhouse on board wouldn't change that at all.

So at long last, Al Harrington is on a proverbial train to New York City to join Mike D'Antoni's gonzo attack. Is it a good deal for the 'Bockers? Well, that depends on the source. Newsday reports Jamal Crawford, the best Knick guard, is the return piece for Golden State. The New York Post's Peter Vescey, on the other hand, has sources who indicate the Warriors have accepted only Malik Rose, a bench-warming expiring contract, in return. (Mutoni reminds us of the last Vescey-reported trade, which never happened.)

But really, it's a strong deal for the Knicks regardless of the piece. Jetting away Rose is better news for this year's win-loss tally -- without Crawford, D'Antoni might really have to play Stephon Marbury! -- but losing Crawford helps in the summer of 2010. Some have suggested Jam might opt out of his final two years and $19.3 million when his early termination option arrives this summer. Fat flippin' chance. If Ben Gordon can't make $10-12 million in this market, Jam Crawford ain't doing it.

A Harrington-Crawford swap gets Donnie Walsh theoretically within reach of a 2010 max contract for a player with 7-8 years of experience (that covers LeBron, Wade, Bosh and Amare). That doesn't account for New York's next two years worth of draft picks or David Lee, so clearly there's a bit more paring left. But if this is indeed the deal, there's no overwhelming need to cut Zach Randolph free any longer. The Knicks can be 2010 players with him.

UPDATE: Rarely wrong Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that it's Crawford.

A few folks in the know have reported the possibility of Memphis-New York swap which would send David Lee and Malik Rose to the Grizzlies in exchange for the #5 pick and Brian Cardinal's ugly contract. Andy Katz, an ESPN college hoops virtuoso, pressed this rumor a few times Tuesday, including in this blog post.

The theory is that the Knicks would use picks #5 and #6 on Danilo Gallinari and either Russell Westbrook or Eric Gordon. My interest comes from the Memphis angle. Many mocks have sent Kevin Love to the Grizz at #5, where he'd project to be an awesome rebounder and nifty, efficient offensive player ... which is exactly what Lee has been for three seasons.

So, if you're Memphis, why do pull this trigger? Lee's up for an extension; you don't have to give it to him this summer, but he'd be a restricted free agent next July in that case. He has tremendous value around the league, and will fetch a pretty penny. Losing Cardinal has value on the surface, but The Custodian is only signed through 2009-10. I mean, is Memphis really going to make a big free agent splash one year from now? I don't think so.

The #5 pick will make less than $8 million the next two seasons. Lee will likely make the same (he's ultra-cheap for 2008-09, likely pricey in 2009-10 and beyond). Cardinal will make $13 million, and Rose is owed $7.6 million for one more year. So, for Memphis, the opportunity to save a whopping $6 million over the next two seasons is enough incentive to own the rights to the 25-year-old Lee over the 19-year-old Love? This makes no sense.

(It's brilliant for the Knicks; as sweet as Lee is, he'll get expensive at just the wrong time, and the backcourt is in such a'shambles parting with Lee is worth the potential fix two top-6 picks can offer. Also: Cardinal has a magical "expiring in 2010" contract. Beautiful.)

The Knicks currently have 17 players under contract, two more than they will be allowed to carry into the regular season, so it's clear they're going to do some kind of move. If Isiah Thomas has his way, his next move will make as big of a splash as his recent trade for Zach Randolph. From the New York Post:

If the Knicks are to land forward Ron Artest in a trade this summer - one of their remaining summer goals - they will have to package a couple of prospects.

The one young Knick who could seal the deal is David Lee, as Isiah Thomas ponders whether to make him available for the former Defensive Player of the Year who carries lots of baggage. Lee could be packaged with either Jared Jeffries or Malik Rose to make the deal work under collective bargaining agreement mathematics.

A starting front-court of Artest, Randolph and Eddy Curry would be off the charts, both in terms of talent and off-the-court craziness. Giving up Lee would be a very steep price, especially on the heels of dealing Channing Frye (another talented, young and most importantly, cheap big man), but if it allowed Thomas to unload Jeffries, who still has four years and $25 million left on his contract, it might be something worth considering. And if Thomas was somehow able to convince the Kings to leave Lee out of the talks but instead include a guy like Nate Robinson, well, all the better.