NBA trade rumors are as inevitable as December snowstorms here in the northeast.  So it is no surprise to say the least that the hot stove league is burning up as we frantically approach the snowy holiday season.  

 Two of the bigger names rumored to be on the block so far this season includes the Raptors? Vince Carter and Jalen Rose.  

 Carter, as we all well know by now, has publicly wanted out of Toronto since the off-season, and general manager Rob Babcock cannot get rid of the North Carolina product soon enough, as Carter now finds himself on the injured list-- yet again -- with a strained left Achilles? tendon.

 Rose, on the other hand, seems to be a player haunted by a rather lucrative seven-year, $93 million contract he signed in the summer of 2000 after a stellar Finals run while with the Indiana Pacers.  Bounced around from Indiana to Chicago to Toronto the past four seasons-- primarily because of his gaudy contract-- the former Michigan Wolverine appears to be on the move once again.

 As reported in Saturday?s edition of the Miami Herald, a rumored deal could be in the works between the Raptors and Heat involving Rose and Miami guard/forward Eddie Jones.  

 Only time will tell whether such a deal materializes, but hefty contract or not, Rose?s addition could very well represent the final piece to the Heat?s championship aspirations.

 Miami is off to a solid 15-7 start and currently sits atop the Southeast Division.  Shaquille O?Neal has come as advertised, though his numbers so far have not been ?Big Aristotle-like.?  O?Neal?s presence in the low post has cleared the way for sophomore sensation Dwyane Wade to emerge as not only a viable sidekick and one of the league?s bright talents but a franchise player in his own right.  The O?Neal-Wade duo represents the most dominant 1-2 punch in the league.

 What the Heat lack, however, if they truly intend on being a legitimate contender, is a third scoring option that can compliment the dynamic duo.   And Rose, though a player not without glaring flaws in his game, especially on the defensive end, would more than fit the bill, and would certainly provide Miami with more offense than the 10.5 PPG and .338 FG% Jones has delivered thus far.

 As reported in the Herald article, if Rose were to be dealt to Miami, he would be returning to his natural position- small forward.  While Rose, who entered the league as a point guard, has long been considered one of the NBA?s more versatile players, he nevertheless emerged as a fringe all-star in the league while playing the ?3? for Larry Bird in Indiana for three seasons.  

 It is no coincidence Rose?s production has consistently dropped since leaving Indiana (averaging just 14.6 points while shooting .407% from the field this season) when you consider not only the fact he?s been playing out of position, but also how he has been used offensively.

 Under Bird-- and assistant coach Rick Carlisle, who ran the offense --in Indiana, Rose developed into a multi-dimensional offensive weapon that excelled at coming off screens as well as use his lanky 6?8? frame to his advantage by posting up defenders.  In ?99-?00, Rose won Most Improved Player honors after leading the Pacers in points (18.2 PPG) and steals (1.10 SPG), and followed with a strong post-season performance, averaging 20.8 PPG as the Pacers fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in six hard-fought games in the 2000 Finals.

 After both Bird and Carlisle left the Pacers at the end of the ?99-?00 season Rose?s career began spiraling downward.  A trade to the lowly Chicago Bulls provided the 11-year veteran with an opportunity to become a franchise player, but adapting to a new position (shooting guard) and new offensive scheme (the outdated triangle offense employed by then-Bulls head coach Bill Cartwright) took a toll as Rose?s field goal percentage plummeted from a career-high .471 in ?99-?00 to .376 last season before traded to Toronto.

 Things have not improved for Rose while with the Raptors as he continues to be played out of position.  On many nights, he appears to be lost, disinterested and has been content on remaining a perimeter player who sits beyond the three-point line.  Rose?s best games this season have been when he has allowed himself to be more aggressive, playing with his back to the basket as he did in Sunday?s 106-98 loss to Miami--Toronto?s seventh straight defeat--with none other than Jones guarding him.  Rose led Toronto with a game-high 25 points and 6 rebounds.

 Jones, meanwhile, appears to be a player in dire need of a scenery change.  

 After a 5-point, 2-for-14 performance Friday night in a 92-84 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Jones did not score his first field goal Sunday until the 2 ?-minute mark of the third quarter and finished with only 3 points, although he did add 7 assists.  Jones, like Rose, has a rather undesirable contract that the Heat may more than likely be willing to part with.  Do the Raptors want anything to do with Jones at this point, however, now that they?ve seen him up close and personal?

 Rose and Jones have been linked to one another in trade talks in the past, most notably last season before Rose eventually wound up north of the border.  This time around, perhaps a Rose-for-Jones swap would be best for not only the players but both the Raptors and Heat organizations as well.