Most trade deadline speculation turns out to be just that…speculation. With the deadline fast approaching (3 PM EST on Thursday), Pau Gasol and Jason Kidd are the two names everyone is throwing around. When and if a deal will get done is another story.

You really have to feel for Pau Gasol. He’s a national hero to people in Spain but in the United States, he’s an afterthought. The reason? He plays his basketball for the Memphis Grizzlies, one of the NBA’s worst teams at 14-41. Poor Pau has never even won a playoff game because the Grizzlies have been swept out of the first round the last three years. The team everyone seems to be throwing around with Gasol is Chicago. For the Bulls, it’s a deal they should make.

They have a nice core but there’s no real stars in that core. Ben Gordon is a great player and he’s one guy you don’t want to part with. Besides an up-and-comer like Tyrus Thomas and the big man Ben Wallace, I’d say everyone else should be expendable. The Grizzlies want Chris Duhon, Andres Nocioni, and Thomas out of the deal. Thomas is the wild card here because he’s young, athletic, and perfectly suited for Memphis’ up-tempo offense. If the Bulls pull the trigger, they can win the Eastern Conference. If I’m GM John Paxson, I bust my ass to try and get Tyrus Thomas out of that deal. Throw in Luol Deng or another piece. But keep Thomas.

NBA veteran Jason Kidd has had a busy few weeks with his divorce and constant trade rumors. The top candidates appear to be the Lakers and Cavaliers, both teams in need of a point guard for a potentially deep playoff run. I don’t see it happening. The Nets want Andrew Bynum, whose shown flashes of brilliance throughout the year. Bynum is 19 years old. You simply don’t trade a big man who can give you 15 good years for a 33 year old point guard shooting less than 40%. The Cavs are also suitors for Kidd’s services but they’re also looking at Mike Bibby. We all know Bibby is a clutch player in the postseason and he’s sure a lot better than Eric Snow or Daniel Gibson.

What’s going to happen before the deadline? Probably nothing. Maybe a contender trades for a veteran role player off the bench but besides that, I don’t see any big splashes being made. The Lakers have two young point guards in Smush Parker and Jordan Farmar, while the Bulls are too high on their young nucleus of players to part with them.