The trade deadline may have passed but the fun certainly hasn't, with some of the close-but-no-cigar scenarios coming into the public.

Chris McCosky of The Detroit News writes that the San Antonio Spurs inquired on the status of Knicks guard Latrell Sprewell, hoping that he could have been acquired cheaply.  If acquired Sprewell would have been re-united with assistant coach PJ Carlesimo, whom he choked while the duo were in Golden State.

A three-team deal was briefly discussed: Steve Smith and Malik Rose would have gone to the Sixers, who would have sent Keith Van Horn to the Knicks, with Sprewell going to the Spurs.

The Spurs cooled on the idea quickly when Popovich realized that by trading Rose, he would be left with Kevin Willis and Mengke Bateer as his backups to Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

The deal would have also voided their cap room that they are hoping to use on Jason Kidd during the offseason.