FanHouse Wally Szczerbiak

DENVER -- In this faltering economy, there are have been lots of good deals. Low-interest car loans. Double frequent-flyer miles. A cheaper menu at Quiznos.

Many good deals won't last. But some in the NBA might.

Everybody knows about NBA salaries having spiraled out of control the past few decades. Owners are determined to reel them in, which is why there's a decent chance there will be a lockout after the 2010-11 season.

Wally Szczerbiak would appear to be the top NBA free agent left standing. Then again, maybe not.

With the Denver Nuggets having lost out on free-agent shooting guard Flip Murray to the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday, sources told FanHouse the Nuggets are now looking strongly at small forward Ime Udoka.

Meanwhile, Szczerbiak, who had been linked earlier in the summer to Denver, is still looking for a job.

"Yes, the economy has affected the market, there's no question about it,'' Szczerbiak said in an interview Thursday with FanHouse. "I just have to take my time.''

So what's the word from Nuggets guard J.R. Smith on his seven-game suspension to start the season?

Well, actually there isn't one yet.

"The team said I'm not allowed to speak to nobody yet,'' Smith said Thursday, saying team officials have told him not to talk to the press until media day Sept. 25.

Smith was asked, though, if he at least wanted to make a comment on whether the suspension, handed down Aug. 28, was fair.

"You're trying to get me fined,'' Smith said.

The Denver Nuggets took care of their initial top offseason priority when they re-signed center Chris "Birdman'' Andersen in July. But since then another avian-related need has emerged.

That would be the wing position.

In free agency, the Nuggets lost starting shooting guard Dahntay Jones to Indiana and top reserve small forward Linas Kleiza to Greece. Then the NBA suspended J.R. Smith, the heir apparent as a starter to Jones, for next season's first seven games after he pleaded guilty to reckless driving in connection with a 2007 accident that killed a a passenger in his car.

Around this season's trade deadline, there was a lot of chatter surrounding Shaquille O'Neal. Everyone assumed that Shaq or his teammate Amare Stoudemire wouldn't be in a Suns uniform past the trade deadline. Of course the deadline passed and both Shaq and Amare remained on Planet Orange.

One of the teams reported to be involved in the pursuit of O'Neal was none other than the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to reports, the deal fell through because the Cavaliers wanted the Suns to take back Ben Wallace in return for Shaq, while the Suns wanted Wally Szczerbiak. The disagreements were purely financial, as Szczerbiak's deal expires at the end of this season, while Wallace has an additional year.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but did the Cavs make a mistake in not trading for Shaq?

The Orlando Magic already finished two rounds of playoffs on the road, clinching the first in Philadelphia and the second in Boston.

They better do this one at home.

The Magic take a 3-2 lead into Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final Saturday night at Amway Arena against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, well aware that they might be pushing their road luck if they are forced into a return to Cleveland for Game 7.

"We don't want to go back and play in their arena again,'' said Magic forward Rashard Lewis. "They feed off that crowd there.''

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CLEVELAND -- That would be for Michael Jordan. And for Earnest Byner. And for John Elway. And for Jose Mesa. And for all the years of pain and woe and throbbing heartbreak. A second earlier, all 20,000 fans had been standing in numb horror, feeling the familiar sickness in the stomach as another double-digit lead had drained into something more hideous than Craig Sager's wardrobe.

Why did Sports Illustrated put LeBron James on the cover and jinx the Cavaliers? Why did Charles Barkley describe Cleveland as "the mistake on the lake" and "a dreary ass city" recently? Why were the sporting gods so cruel? Why is the world so mean? Why would the The Shot and The Fumble and The Drive be followed by The Hedo Shuffle, courtesy of Hedo Turkoglu, who just the night before had been out fairly late in a downtown bar?

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The Cavaliers have emerged as an elite team, allowing the fewest points per game while boasting one of the league's most potent offenses. But you know what's really scary? They might be getting even better.

Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Cavs and Heat have discussed a deal that could bring Shawn Marion to Cleveland. Why wouldn't the Heat just wait and capitalize on Marion's $17.1 million expiring contract this summer?

Because by trading Marion, they'll likely be able to create even more space: Wojnarowski reports that talks have centered on Wally Szczerbiak (and his $13 million expiring deal) and Anderson Varejao (who's all but certain to opt out of the final year of his contract, which would pay him $6.2 million).

The Cavaliers have successfully made the jump from "very good" to "elite" by absolutely destroying opponents on both sides of the ball. They've defied logic by proving that stingy defense and dominant offense can go hand in hand, allowing the fewest points in the league (90.4) while scoring the second-most (104.0). This isn't just a legitimate championship contender, folks; if they keep this up, it will go down as one of the best seasons of all-time.

But while the team has caught all the breaks so far, their depth will be tested in the short-term. Sixth-man Daniel Gibson sprained a toe last night and will rest for the next two weeks, at which point he'll be re-evaluated. Can the Cavs keep chugging along?

Considering their average point difference is +13.6 points, it stands to reason they can lose a guy averaging just 9.4 points a night without too much concern. Not to pile on, but Cavs might actually be better for it. Gibson has started to turn things around the last few games, but on the season he's shooting just .402, including .310 from beyond the arc. Statistically speaking, letting a combination of Sasha Pavlovic (.415 / .389), Delonte West (.472 / .411) and Wally Szczerbiak (.480 / .349) absorb Gibson's 24.3 minutes a game should make the Cavs even more efficient, especially when you factor his non-existent defense.

It's hard to believe now, but once upon a time the Central Division was a powerhouse. As recent as 2006 it sent all five of its teams to the playoffs, and in 2007 it featured the top three records in the East. But last year? Only two made it to the postseason, including the disappointing Cavs, who followed up their NBA Finals appearance by winning five fewer games than the season before and failing to score as many points as they gave up.

Can the Central regain its luster in 2008-09? Well, the Pistons are still the Pistons, which means their ticket to the postseason is already punched, and the Cavs are tagging along for the ride so long as LeBron James is around. The Bulls, Pacers and Bucks will still bring up the rear, but at least there's honest-to-goodness hope they're headed in the right direction after making a series of offseason moves. Let's take a look at the most compelling storylines.