After the All-Star Weekend, the news of Jerry Buss's death dominated NBA headlines.
Then there was Kobe, at Old Buss's memorial service, promising to take the Lakers to the playoffs.
Only this promise was not as compelling as the one in the main timeline, because although the Lakers were not championship contenders at the moment, securing a playoff spot was not a problem at all.
Then came the various experts' expectations for the upcoming trade deadline.
The major uncertainties involved whether the SuperSonics would trade Amar'e Stoudemire, whether the Celtics would trade Rajon Rondo, and whether the Cavaliers would trade John Wall.
These three trade situations that attracted outside attention could serve as a weathervane for the future of these three teams.
