"Psssst, buddy. Take a look at this." Something to that effect is what's being heard around the National Basketball Association as next Thursday's 8 p.m. trading deadline fast approaches.
For the Bulls, the needs are many: a backup guard to allow Michael Jordan some rest since Craig Hodges is mostly taking time from point guard Sam Vincent, a power forward to support and ease the load on Horace Grant and some bench scoring.But the Bulls are not likely to trade either of their two No. 1 draft choices unless they see the opportunity to win it all now, which seems unlikely. Brad Sellers has been available but won't bring much the way he's been misused. And it would be risky to deal Dave Corzine with Will Perdue having played little.
Indiana remains the center of considerable trade talk, the latest being Vern Fleming and Wayman Tisdale to New York for Rod Strickland and Sidney Green, though that would pose salary cap problems.
The Pacers reportedly are desperate for Strickland, and there's even been some talk of spending their No. 1 draft choice, which New York would use for a small forward who can score, such as Arizona's Sean Elliott.
But the Knicks also believe they can go all the way this year and still are pursuing Portland's Kiki Vandeweghe. The deal reportedly was done last week for a 1991 No. 1 draft choice, but Portland continues to shop Vandeweghe for a better offer.
San Antonio seems to be the Knicks' principal rival for Vandeweghe, and is said to be offering Greg Anderson and possibly even talented rookie Willie Anderson, who has feuded with coach Larry Brown.
Although one wouldn't think the Spurs would part with young talent for a risky Vandeweghe, Brown is supposedly trying to gather a group more conducive to his teachings, and his reconciliation with Alvin Robertson reportedly makes Willie Anderson expendable.
The Pacers also are still talking with Dallas about Tisdale for Sam Perkins or Detlef Schrempf.
And the Dallas Mavericks, with Washington's and Indiana's No. 1 picks in 1990, also are listening, thinking maybe they can put it together again with Mark Aguirre gone.
Utah, meanwhile, thinks it can take the West this season but needs support for John Stockton, and there's talk of a trade for former Brigham Young star Danny Ainge, whom Boston coach Jimmy Rodgers recently called "the stupidest player on the team" after he took several bad shots against Charlotte.
The Celtics probably would want a No. 1 draft choice for Ainge, and Darrell Griffith and Jose Ortiz have been mentioned as bait.