|  | | Jordan is only the second-best 40-year-old NBA'er ever. |
He is not the greatest -- at least when it comes to 40-year-old NBA players. Michael Jordan has lots of competition for that title after hitting the Big Four Oh on Monday, writes Marc Stein in his weekly report.Chat wrap: Senior NBA writer Marc SteinStill the team to beat | NBA's road rage
| COAST TO COAST |
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| Cuban |
Before the season, you could have gotten pretty healthy odds on this scenario: Mavericks owner Mark Cuban waking up Friday without having orchestrated a trade or paid a single fine. Five months later, Cuban actually has a real shot at that unlikely double, with Dallas playing only twice between now and then and with just a few days left before Thursday's 3 p.m. trading deadline. It has been more than a year (Jan. 8, 2002) since a Cuban-inspired sanction from the league: $500,000 in the Ed Rush/Dairy Queen flap. Twelve months have likewise elapsed since last February's blockbuster deal, which featured Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz coming to Dallas and Juwan Howard going to Denver. Because that blockbuster was preceded by the acquisition of Howard from Washington the previous February, Cuban's Mavericks are widely considered the team most likely to make a trade-deadline splash ... Click for more on who's ahead of Allen Iverson on USA Basketball's wish list, what is the Lakers' latest problem and where another 40-year-old is enjoying NBA success.
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| SLAMS AND DUNKS |
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| Howard |
For the first time in three Februarys, Juwan Howard will not be traded before Thursday's 3 p.m. deadline. Howard's $20.6 million salary, in the final year of his expiring contract, can drop off Denver's salary cap in July as soon as it renounces its rights to the player. Which makes Howard -- his cap number, actually -- the financial foundation for the Nuggets' plan to start all the way over this summer and remake its roster. This time, Howard will have a grace period of calm until summertime. That's when he'll headline an intriguing group of free-agent power forwards -- none of whom is expected to contend for major riches, but all of whom figure to attract significant interest. ... Click for more on the Rockets' missing link, Rudy Tomjanovich's job security and the league's turnover trend.
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Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here. Also, send Stein a question for possible use on ESPNEWS.
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| STEIN SIDELINES |
MALE OF THE WEEK
 Tim Duncan
All TD did is average 32 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Spurs to eight straight wins on an 8-1 road trip.
E-MAIL OF THE WEEK
 I wanted to let you know about my new Gilbert Arenas website (www.sign-arenas.20fr.com) designed to let the Warriors know how crucial we consider his re-signing to be. Please take a look at the site and e-mail me with any comments or suggestions.
Ray Yocke
Alameda, Calif.STEIN: Commendable effort, Ray. But you really don't have to convince the Warriors. They would love to re-sign Arenas but can't offer him a contract that starts at more than $4.5 million because of salary-cap limits on raises. It happens to every team that has an unheralded second-round pick who proceeds to blow up. The Warriors' misfortune is that this summer other teams will have cap room to take advantage of those limitations, and the only way to avoid this predicament is for Golden State to somehow get $5 million-plus under the cap.
Send Stein a question
SPEAK OF THE WEEK
 "If we were getting paid in those days what they're getting paid today, hell, I'd still be playing now at 74."
— Celtics legend Bob Cousy, on seeing Michael Jordan become the 12th player in NBA history to be active at age 40.
STAT OF THE WEEK
15-0
That's San Antonio's record when Tony Parker, who doesn't turn 21 until May 17, scores at least 20 points.
STAT OF THE WEAK
5
Even after the Spurs' scorching-hot trip, there are only five teams in the league with a winning road record ... and only one in the East (Detroit at 16-11).
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