Sam Amick

USA TODAY Sports

Several teams are interesting in Boston%27s Rajon Rondo

T%27Wolves are hoping to keep Kevin Love happy so he%27ll stay

Could teams be looking at Jeff Teague as a guard option%3F

When it comes to the NBA trade deadline, the bottom line isn't nearly as entertaining as the buzz.

Deals are tough to pull off, with draft picks, complicated contracts and opinionated owners involved and all the seemingly-endless scenarios that get discussed usually leading to an agree-to-disagree finish. Yet even if this latest round of wheeling and dealing winds up underwhelming by the time the Thursday 3 p.m. Eastern deadline passes, there's always a value in what was learned about the respective teams and how they see themselves along the way.

Along those lines, this much seems clear to this point: plenty of teams are looking for an upgrade at the point guard position. Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is drawing major interest and attention at the moment, with the key question of whether general manager Danny Ainge will hold onto the four-time All-Star like he has in the past or perhaps pull the trigger on a deal if it expedites his rebuilding project.

The New York Knicks are among the many teams pursuing the 27-year-old, and the fact Rondo missed nearly a year because of his ACL tear before returning in mid-January is apparently a non-factor for so many interested executives. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, the Knicks, Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings are among the "four or five teams" that have been pushing hardest for Rondo in recent days. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.

A deal involving Rondo seems highly unlikely at this point, as Ainge is looking for multiple first round draft picks in addition to a young prospect and no team – to this point – is offering every item on his wish list. But Ainge has always stopped short of sticking the 'untouchable' tag on any of his players, and thus the slim hope remains for his rivals that they can convince him before time runs out. Rondo has this season and next on his contract for a combined $25 million.

Yet as is the case with the Knicks and so many other teams, the desire to make their incumbent star happy is a driving force behind these discussions. Free-agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony is expecting the Knicks to upgrade their underperforming roster if he's going to re-sign this summer, with few better options out there than the player who is a close friend of Anthony's. Anthony, who could make approximately $30 million more by staying in the city he is known to love, said at All-Star weekend in New Orleans that he wanted the Knicks to present him with a plan for the future when he's considering his options this summer. Clearly, however, they want to regain his confidence long before then.

New York isn't the only team trying to keep a star from developing a case of the wandering eye, as the Minnesota Timberwolves are being active in their attempt to keep Kevin Love from leaving when he can become a free agent in the summer of 2015. The UCLA product has long since been rumored to be headed to the Los Angeles Lakers, because their desperate need for another star at the moment means the Lakers would love to land him in the here and now if they could.

Yet in a clear sign that the Timberwolves are instead going to great lengths to keep Love happy in his current locale, one rival executive said they have shown a willingness to discussing any player on their roster aside from Love. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of trade discussions.

The identical moral of those two stories? Rather than panicking about their star leaving and trading him now to get something back rather than lose him for nothing later, both teams have chosen to go shopping for talent to surround him instead.

Other rumblings from around the league…

The Houston Rockets: Center Omer Asik has been asking for a trade since Dwight Howard arrived via free agency last summer, but a person with knowledge of his situation said it's unlikely he will be dealt before the deadline. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the talks.

The Milwaukee Bucks may be a longshot option for Asik, as they have the sort of starter-caliber power forward that the Rockets covet in the disgruntled Ersan Ilyasova. But as has been the case for months now, the final year of Asik's deal in which he'll be paid approximately $15 million for the 2014-15 season is a major obstacle to any deal.

The Chicago Bulls: Despite the latest season-ending loss of point guard Derrick Rose to injury, the Bulls have shown no eagerness to part ways with some of their core players. That appears to include small forward Mike Dunleavy, who was a target of the Houston Rockets and other teams but who, according to a person with knowledge of the Bulls' situation, is also not likely to be dealt.

The Atlanta Hawks: For all those teams that shoot an airball in pursuit of Rondo, Hawks point guard Jeff Teague could be a quality secondary option. Rival executives are of the belief that Teague is available if the proverbial price of the package coming their way is high enough. He has this season and three more left on his contract for a combined $32 million.