We tried, we failed. Despite the best efforts of myself and others to get Monta Ellis in the NBA's vaunted H.O.R.S.E. contest, when the field was announced, Monta was nowhere to be found. Instead, we got defending champion Kevin Durant, shooting-impaired Celtics All-Star Rajon Rondo, and Israeli up-and-comer Omri Casspi. And with that announcement, a good idea died before it even got off the ground.

I was more of a fan than most of Durant's showing last year. Long arms and long threes are always exciting, especially from a seated position. But Rondo and Casspi are, to say the least, curious selections. Rondo is a master of seeing the court in unorthodox, seemingly arbitrary ways, but his only reliable scoring move is a streaking lay-up. I like Casspi's game a lot, but have absolutely nothing in my memory banks that would lead me to pick him for this event.

While last year's field of Durant, O.J. Mayo, and Joe Johnson wasn't perfect, for a first try, it wasn't bad. However, I'm fairly certain that Durant -- one of my favorite players -- ruined the new H.O.R.S.E. contest forever.

When taken in tandem with his wondrous doings in the equally inconsequential Rookie/Sophomore Challenge, Durant managed a mini-coming out party of sorts. Remember, this is a guy many felt belonged in the real thing, and someone the league very much wants on the minds of fans. Unfortunately, he plays in one of the most minor of markets, and at the time the playoffs, and network broadcasts, seemed a ways off for the Thunder.

But between his record-setting showing in Friday's event, and his relatively entertaining win in H.O.R.S.E., Durant did get some national exposure out of that weekend -- and the chance to make a good impression. The league smiled, and with that, H.O.R.S.E. went from being, well, H.O.R.S.E. to a way to promote young players. You'd think the dunk contest would be a better fit, not in the least because it's not on in the middle of the day and has a long, storied tradition (and its own commercials!), but I guess even the NBA knows how broken it is.

In retrospect, Danny Ainge has executed no trade as brilliant as the one which in essence sent the fifth pick in the 2007 draft and Delonte West to Seattle for Ray Allen. It was a huge risk at the time: Allen had come off double ankle surgery, at age 31. The player the Celtics were purported to be leaning toward in the draft -- Yi Jianlian -- was a highly coveted mystery. It wasn't a no-brainer, like the Kevin Garnett-Al Jefferson deal.

Ray has been utterly healthy since coming to Boston, though -- he's played in 94 percent of the Celtics' games in the 2-1/2 seasons, just two games fewer than ironman Paul Pierce and a full 35 games more than the younger Garnett. And he's been good, too, a key component of the 2008 title run and a stunningly efficient weapon in 2009.

With Chris Paul out for 1-2 months following what will be arthroscopic surgery on his knee to repair a torn meniscus, he'll of course also be missing the All-Star Game in Dallas, Texas. And while basketball fans across the globe are bummed that such a terrific talent will be missing time from dishing dimes in the regular season as well as in the House That Jerry Built, the question naturally must follow:

Who will replace CP3 in the All-Star Game next month?

After last week's report out of Phoenix that Amar'e Stoudemire and Suns management would be talking extension with a potential midseason trade as the safety net, the inevitable has happened: reports that Stoudemire's camp and the only franchise he's played for are not close in negotiations. As such, reports Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns will be listening to bidders for Amar'e a bit more intently as we edge closer to the February 19 trade deadline.

Woj reports the Bulls, Heat, Nets and Sixers have approached Phoenix. The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro reported Sunday the Warriors and Cavaliers have also bid for Amar'e. All these clubs make sense ... but so do a few others.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- As the consummate professional, Kings veteran Kevin Martin was saying all the right things Friday. The body language, though, was saying something else.

His future in Sacramento has grown cloudy.

Martin, who recently returned after missing 32 games with a fractured left wrist, is the only proven starter on a team that is eroding rapidly and searching for a new identity.

The Kings (15-27) lost for the 12th time in the last 13 games Friday, when they were throttled, 100-84, by the Orlando Magic.

This will be Martin's fourth consecutive losing season -- under his fifth different coach in his six years in Sacramento -- as the face of a team going nowhere.

In the run-up to last year's draft, the sports world was stunned to find out that Tyreke Evans had been behind the wheel for a drive-by shooting. Even more shocking was the fact that the case had already gone to trial, with Evans never even charged. Wait, it gets worse -- teams knew all this, but were still lining up to pick him near the top of the lottery. Is there no justice on this planet? Are we truly facing the end of civilization?

Thankfully, the family of the victim has decided to name Evans in a wrongful death civil suit and maybe, just maybe, restore a little sanity to this world we live in. From The Sacramento Bee:

The civil suit was filed by the family of Marcus Reason, who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2007. Evans' cousin, Jamar Evans, was sentenced to 9-20 years after pleading guilty last January to third-degree murder and weapons charges ... [The] Reason family is seeking damages in excess of $50,000.Tyreke Evans was driving the car but never charged with a crime. Authorities said Evans cooperated with the investigation.

Time to be serious about this. Here are the key facts: Evans cooperated, was open with teams, and never charged with a crime.

In just two months, rookie sensation Tyreke Evans has taken over the capitol of California. Kings fans, who in recent seasons have been low key, are once again excited and proud of their team.

In this video we catch up with Tyreke, who tells us how his life has changed now that he's an NBA star, as well as fellow rookie Omri Casspi and several Kings fans.

Check out the video below.

The Sacramento Bee reports NBA officials will hold a press conference this evening announcing support for a proposal to build a new entertainment complex in downtown Sacramento, replete with an arena for the barn-addled Kings. The NBA had previously thrown its considerable weight behind a plan to develop an arena on state-owned land in another part of the city. But Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson -- the local boy turned NBA All-Star -- has repeatedly pushed for a downtown project, and it's hard to imagine the glitz-minded Maloof family disagreeing.

The Maloofs had actually attempted in 2006 to team up with the city to pass a quarter-cent sales tax to fund a downtown arena in 2006. But the Maloofs, who have owned the Kings since 1999, pulled out of the campaign after a dispute over parking revenue. The measures went on to fail miserably, giving the impression Sacramento voters will never agree to pay for an NBA arena. (The impression may be true, but the failure of the 2006 measures shouldn't be counted as evidence. That whole situation was an embarrassing disaster.)

For the past few years Omri Casspi has been the biggest name in Israeli basketball. Nowadays, the energetic rookie of the Sacramento Kings is becoming a household name in the NBA -- or at least in northern California.

In this video, we walk the streets of Jerusalem talking to proud fans of Omri, one hater, and one person who still does not know he's in the NBA.

Check out the video after the jump.

In retrospect, Hilton Armstrong probably didn't belong in the lottery, even in the weird draft of 2006. A classic Big Man Rising chosen 12th by the Hornets, Armstrong never became even a dependable back-up center in New Orleans, let alone a starting level player. And finally, today, the Hornets officially gave up on Armstrong by sending him to Sacramento for a condition 2016 second-round pick.

Of course, New Orleans is getting a real asset beyond that invisible 2016 pick: less distance to the horrifying luxury tax threshold. With the move, the Hornets lose Armstrong's $2.8 million salary off the books (the only place it really matters), bringing the team's player payroll to $70.4 million -- only $500,000 away from the threshold. Because for every dollar over the threshold a team sits at season's end it must pay an extra dollar to be distributed among teams under the threshold, Monday's trade saved New Orleans a definite $2.8 million in tax.