Pacers forward Troy Murphy has heard the trade rumors and understands that he could be moved prior to the Feb. 18 deadline.

Murphy has been linked to the Cavaliers.

"It's a business and I understand there's a possibility that I could be moved," Murphy said. "I can't get away from the ongoing rumors because Travis (Diener) is right next to me (in the locker room) and he is always informing me of what's being talked about."

One potential snag in dealing Murphy is the uncertain returns of Indiana big men Jeff Foster and Tyler Hansbrough from injury.

Pacers point guard T.J. Ford is fine with the possibility of being traded prior to next month's deadline.

Ford hasn't played since Dec. 30 as Indiana coach Jim O'Brien has used Earl Watson as his starter and rookie A.J. Prince as his backup.

"The ball's in their court," Ford said when asked about a possible deal. "Definitely, I want to play. If I'm not going to play here, if I can go somewhere else and play, then of course."

Pacers president Larry Bird said Saturday night that he's "not looking to trade T.J."

Regardless, Ford understands that the NBA is a business.

"It's a business," Ford said. "It is what it is. I'm doing all the things I'm supposed to do since I'm still on the roster. I'm healthy. I still get my workouts in, my conditioning in. I stay ready.

"If they trade me, they'll trade me on their own will and power. I haven't said anything. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to be doing."

Ford makes $8.5 million this season and has a player option for $8.5 million next year.

"I want to compete. I want to play. I don't want to sit out," he said. "I know I have a lot of game left. There's no doubt in my mind about that. It's just circumstances."

Pacers point guard T.J. Ford hasn't played since Dec. 30 as he remains third on the depth chart behind Earl Watson and rookie A.J. Price.

Indiana coach Jim O'Brien believes that the team could look to move Ford prior to next month's trade deadline.

"I don't think there's any doubt," O'Brien said.

"He's a quality point guard. He could really help another franchise. It's not my decision to say what Larry decides, but certainly, I think we'd be open-minded."

Ford makes $8.5 million this year and has a player option for $8.5 million next season.

"He's the third point guard in our rotation," O'Brien said of Ford. "We like what Earl is giving us at the starting position, and we're trying to grow a rookie.

"We think we have a guy in A.J. Price that is going to be a very solid long-term point guard for us, and we wanted to make sure we knew exactly where he was."

Donnie Walsh has invited former Indiana Pacers player and executive Mel Daniels to work with him over the next few weeks.

Walsh and Daniels have worked together for nearly 30 years. Daniels was let go as the Pacers' director of player personnel in October.

There is a possibility that the Knicks could add Daniels to the front office permanently but Walsh indicated Friday night that he asked Daniels to come to New York to spend time with him and give his perspective on the club.

The Hawks won a testy contest against the Celtics in Boston on Monday night.

- Indiana 105, Toronto 101

Team FIC Differential: Pacers +1, Raptors -1

The Indiana Pacers (12-25) overcame a 23-point deficit to defeat the Toronto Raptors (19-20) on Monday night. Danny Granger scored 23 points, Troy Murphy posted 20 points and 16 rebounds and Earl Watson added 11 points and eight assists. Indiana held Toronto to 39% shooting and the Raptors attempted 16 more foul shots. Chris Bosh led with 27 points and 10 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani tallied 12 points and 17 boards and Jose Calderon contributed 12 points and six assists.

Game FIC Scores

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 25.8

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 19.2

Earl Watson, Indiana ? 14.8

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 14.2

- Philadelphia 96, New Orleans 92

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +3.4, Hornets -3.4

The Philadelphia 76ers (12-25) outlasted the New Orleans Hornets (19-17) in a hotly-contested game at the Wachovia Center. Andre Iguodala starred with 18 points, eight assists and five rebounds, Samuel Dalembert tallied six points and 14 boards and Allen Iverson scored 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting. New Orleans won the rebounding battle by eight, but Philadelphia attempted 15 more free throws. Emeka Okafor had 20 points and 11 rebounds, David West posted 13 points and 13 rebounds and Chris Paul stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 14 assists and five rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 20.9

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 20.5

Emeka Okafor, New Orleans ? 16.9

Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia ? 15.8

- Atlanta 102, Boston 96

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +7.6, Celtics -7.6

The Atlanta Hawks (24-13) moved to 3-0 against the Boston Celtics (26-10) this season with a big win at TD Banknorth Garden. Joe Johnson led with 36 points on 14-for-25 shooting, Marvin Williams posted 14 points and eight rebounds and Jamal Crawford put up 17 points and six assists off the bench. Boston shot 55% from the field, but Atlanta attempted 15 more foul shots and turned the ball over just seven times. Rajon Rondo had 26 points and seven assists, Kendrick Perkins tallied 11 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce chipped in 19 points, eight boards and five dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Joe Johnson, Atlanta ? 17.3

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 16.0

Jamal Crawford, Atlanta ? 13.3

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 13.3

- Chicago 120, Detroit 87

Team FIC Differential: Bulls +53, Pistons -53

The Chicago Bulls (16-20) outscored the Detroit Pistons (11-25) in each of the game?s four quarters on Monday evening. Luol Deng had 27 points and six rebounds, Derrick Rose tallied 22 points and nine assists and Joakim Noah totaled 16 points and 11 boards. Chicago shot a blistering 57% and outrebounded Detroit by seven. Richard Hamilton scored 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting, Jones Jerebko posted 15 points and nine rebounds and Austin Daye helped with 10 points and six boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Derrick Rose, Chicago ? 20.8

Joakim Noah, Chicago ? 20.5

Luol Deng, Chicago ? 19.4

Jonas Jerebko, Detroit ? 12.5

- Oklahoma City 106, New York 88

Team FIC Differential: Thunder +32.4, Knicks -32.4

The Oklahoma City Thunder (21-16) built a big lead against the New York Knicks (15-22) through the first three quarters at the Ford Center. Kevin Durant had 30 points and five rebounds, Russell Westbrook posted 17 points and five assists and Serge Ibaka added 10 points and seven boards. Oklahoma City held New York to 38% shooting and forced 20 turnovers. Wilson Chandler had 12 points and seven rebounds, David Lee tallied 11 points and 13 boards and Nate Robinson scored 19 points off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 20.8

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 17.0

Jonathan Bender, New York ? 13.0

Nate Robinson, New York ? 10.9

- Denver 105, Minnesota 94

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +27.3, Timberwolves -27.3

The Denver Nuggets (24-14) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (8-31) in Carmelo Anthony?s return from a knee injury. Anthony scored a team-high 24 points, Chauncey Billups tallied 18 points and 10 assists and Arron Afflalo contributed 15 points, five rebounds and five dimes. Denver held Minnesota to 36% and the two clubs combined to turn the ball over 37 times. Corey Brewer led with 25 points and seven rebounds, Al Jefferson posted 22 points and 15 boards and Kevin Love put up 20 points and 14 rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Corey Brewer, Minnesota ? 19.5

Chauncey Billups, Denver ? 18.9

Kevin Love, Minnesota ? 17.6

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 16.3

- Phoenix 105, Milwaukee 101

Team FIC Differential: Suns +5.5, Bucks -5.5

The Phoenix Suns (24-14) outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks (15-20) at the US Airways Center on Monday night. Steve Nash starred 30 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, Amare Stoudemire posted 23 points and 10 boards and Jason Richardson scored 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Phoenix shot 49% shooting, which allowed them to overcome 17 turnovers. Brandon Jennings had 14 points and eight assists, Andrew Bogut tallied 13 points and 13 rebounds and Hakim Warrick totaled 21 points and 10 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 23.2

Hakim Warrick, Milwaukee ? 14.8

Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee ? 13.8

Jason Richardson, Phoenix ? 13.2

- Utah 118, Miami 89

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +48, Heat -48

The Utah Jazz (21-17) thumped the Miami Heat (18-18) by 29 points at Energy Solutions Arena. Carlos Boozer had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Deron Williams tallied 23 points and 10 assists and Wesley Matthews scored 18 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Utah drilled 57% of their shots, but Miami won the rebounding battle by nine. Michael Beasley had 20 points and five rebounds, Dwyane Wade posted 13 points and six assists and Udonis Haslem helped with six points and 12 boards.

Game FIC Scores

Deron Williams, Utah ? 21.6

Carlos Boozer, Utah ? 18.1

Mehmet Okur, Utah ? 17.4

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 10.4

- Cleveland 117, Golden State 114

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +15.7, Warriors -15.7

The Golden State Warriors (11-25) stormed back in the fourth quarter, but the Cleveland Cavaliers (30-1) held on at ORACLE Arena. LeBron James starred with 37 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, Andersen Varejao posted 15 points and nine boards and Shaquille O?Neal chipped in 13 points and six rebounds. Cleveland hit 53% of their shots and committed 22 turnovers. Corey Maggette had 32 points and seven rebounds, Monta Ellis tallied 30 points and five assists and Stephen Curry put up 21 points, seven boards and five dimes.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 35.2

Corey Maggette, Golden State ? 19.8

Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 16.1

Vladimir Radmanovic, Golden State ? 16.0

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Pacers guard Dahntay Jones was a vital member of the rotation a few weeks ago, but didn't get off the bench on Monday against the Raptors.

Jones received his first DNP-CD of the season.

"Dahntay is a great guy to have on the team. What I try to do, and it's nothing against Dahntay right now, I try to put guys on the court that can space the court," Indiana coach Jim O'Brien said. "This basketball team needs to be a real threat on the perimeter in order to open the inside.

"Dahntay is a very tenacious player, but we struggle to space the court when he's out there. It doesn't mean the coaches decision not to play him is permanent."

Timberwolves general manager David Kahn recently offered Al Jefferson to the Pacers for forward Danny Granger, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Indiana president Larry Bird is still determined to build about Granger, but the belief is that Kahn is starting to doubt Jefferson's ability to be a cornerstone.

Minnesota may also be dealing with issues between forward Jefferson and Kevin Love.

"There's some jealous stuff that's playing out," one league source said.

The Pacers are struggling and sources say that the only players they won't trade are Granger and center Roy Hibbert.

The Pacers received a pleasant surprise on Friday night when forward Danny Granger returned to the lineup after missing more than a month with a heel injury.

Indiana fell to Minnesota, but coach Jim O'Brien is happy to have Granger back, putting the team as close to full strength as they have been all season.

"We didn't have another guy like him that could space the court and be a power forward," O'Brien said. "Now you can use Brandon Rush and Mike Dunleavy and Danny, which by far has been our best lineup to date. That's what we missed more than the apparent things."

Even though Granger started in his return, O'Brien plans to monitor his star's minutes.

"Danny's missed half of our games," O'Brien said. "You almost have a preseason mentality to play him in short stints and make sure that he's not obviously fatigued out there. That's when they're more vulnerable to injury."

Granger played 31 minutes against the Timberwolves, scoring 19 points on 7-for-19 shooting to go along with six rebounds.

Pacers forward Danny Granger made a surprise return to the court on Friday night against the Timberwolves.

Granger, out since Dec. 5 with a heel injury, practiced without pain on both Wednesday and Thursday.

However, he wasn't expected to return until next week at the earliest.

He was averaging 24.4 points and 6.1 rebounds prior to the injury.

Pacers forward Danny Granger practiced with the team on Wednesday and Thursday without any pain.

Granger has missed the past month with an injured heel.

"I think I'm very, very close to playing," he said. "It's just a matter of everybody, the coaches and the training staff, all giving me the OK to go forward."

Indiana coach Jim O'Brien said that Granger won't play Friday at Minnesota or Saturday at Oklahoma City.

"He's out this weekend," O'Brien said. "He's not going to play this week. The step that he's at right now, he's practicing with the idea of getting him into game shape. It's different than running on the treadmill or in the pool. You've got to get out there and play 5-on-5."

Granger was averaging 24.4 points and 6.1 rebounds prior to the injury.