[While yfBB and I are away, Mike "Sports2" of SportsTwo.com and new SB Nation Chicago editor Ricky O'Donnell will fill in -- Alex]

Actual trades seem few and far between, the Bulls look to be quiet so far, and we've got a big win to celebrate. A few quick notes:

Actual Trades and news

• Jamal Crawford to the Timberwolves, who will send Michael Beasley to the Lakers, who will send Steve Blake to the Trail Blazers [link]. Maybe the Blazers will figure out a way to dump Raymond Felton on the Lakers too?
• Dwight Howard is opting in. Really this time. Check again in five minutes though, to make sure he actually did.

Bulls Related

• "Highly Unlikely Pau Gasol will be traded" tweets ESPN's Chris Palmer

Noontime Update:

• Pacers get Leandro Barbosa for a 2nd round pick. Meh. If they'd taken Kaman I would have taken more notice.
• Sixers get Sam Young for the rights to some guy I've never heard of. Damn, I like Sam Young.

After the break, more pure speculation to pass the time...

• With the Magic apparently locking in Dwight Howard, will they try to land more good players? Do J.J. Redick or Ryan Anderson get them anything? I doubt it. Maybe if they trade one of their crummy salaries for a player with an even crummier salary, they could do that.
• The Celtics still look ready to rebuild, and I still heart Kevin Garnett, but I've heard nothing substantial about him going to the Bulls or anywhere else. Ray Allen either, though I don't see how it makes sense to give up much to get him when we've signed up Rip. I know Rip's hurt and all, but once we get in the playoffs it'll just be a waste to have both of them.
• I can't think of any reason the Lakers would trade Pau Gasol.
• I haven't heard much from the Pacers who are nipping at our heals in the Central, but they actually have a lot of cap space. If they used it to go out and pick up a useful player, it could make them, well, that much more solid and unspectacular. They could use Kevin Martin or Chris Kaman.