• Great news for Andrea Bargnani‘s fantasy owners – Jermaine O’Neal has volunteered to come off the bench (for now, at least), saying that Bargnani has “earned the right” to continue starting with his strong play. Over the past 10 games, Bargnani has averaged 22.1 points on 53 percent shooting, 2.9 threes, 6.9 boards, 0.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks, while making 85 percent of 47 free throws.

What could also bode well for Bargnani is the possible swap of O’Neal for Shawn Marion, which would in turn bode well for Marion and Michael Beasley. My guess is that Marion would start for the Raptors at SF, pushing Jamario Moon to the bench and allowing Bargnani to continue to start, while the Heat would start Beasley, Udonis Haslem, and O’Neal at the three-through-five. There are plenty of fantasy implications surrounding this one.

• Louis Williams is another player to keep an eye on as the trading deadline approaches. He’s currently rostered in just 25 percent of Yahoo! leagues, despite having scored in double figures in 19 of his past 20 games, posting very solid averages over that stretch: 15.5 points, 1 three, 4 boards, and 1.1 steals in 27 minutes. He’s also excelled at getting to the free throw line and is currently ninth in the league among players who are averaging at least 20 minutes per game in FTA/48 minutes (9.7, just ahead of the likes of Kobe Bryant and Amar’e Stoudemire).

What gives him a bit more upside than what we’re seeing now is Andre Miller‘s $10 million expiring contract. While the 76ers’ current six-game winning streak has lifted them into playoff consideration in the East, they have yet to reach .500 and conventional wisdom suggests that the team would be better served getting something in return than allowing him to simply walk this offseason. At the very least, it’s a situation (rumblings of an extension or a trade) to keep tabs on over the next few weeks.

• After further review, Delonte West is out for about six weeks with a broken right wrist. A shame for a guy who was putting up top 50 per-game numbers and having a(nother) dream roto season: 12.3 points on 47 percent shooting, 1.8 threes, 3.2 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, just 1.1 turnovers, and 83 percent from the foul line. Sasha Pavlovic started and played 43 minutes on Friday, scoring 19 points with four threes, six boards, and 2 steals. He’s been up-and-down in his career but posted reasonable numbers as a starter in 2006 and it’s good to be a shooter (career 36% from three-point) on this installment of the Cavs. Daniel Gibson played 33 minutes Friday and will play plenty while West is out, as well – also consider him if you need threes in a deeper league.

• In other Cavs news: Zydrunas Ilgauskas could resume basketball activity some time next week.

• Ramon Sessions watch: Mike Conley outproduced Kyle Lowry on Friday, something of a rarity in recent weeks (months?). I read something on a message board today that made some sense – it was that “word out of Milwaukee” is that the Grizzlies/Bucks trade could go through soon after the fourth participant is named for the dunk competition (Monday) – that is, if Joe Alexander were to lose out to one of the other finalists. We shall see.

• Steve Blake is now looking at two to four weeks in his return from a shoulder separation, instead of the original diagnosis of seven to 10 days, making him a bit more droppable and the likely platoon of Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless a bit more rosterable.