Kris Humphries, trade bait and bench warmer

Every Nets trade rumor starts with Kris Humphries. But with his two-year, $24 million contract and limited minutes that's where it ends. Wednesday night, Humphries played only 2:07 and much of that was while Brook Lopez got stitches in his chin. On Friday, he got 6:34. After two seasons averaging 27.9 and 34.9 ... and a double-double, he's been relegated to the bench.

In part, P.J. Carlesimo attributes his decline to the "logjam" at the four and five, with Brook Lopez, Andray Blatche, Reggie Evans, Mirza Teletovic all looking to play, but only a finite number of minutes. Against Chicago, with its depleted frontline, Teletovic didn't play at all and Blatche took over in the fourth. Evans started but didn't play much at all in the second half.

There's another reason, too, Fred Kerber points out, Hump hasn't' been very good. He quotes the head coach, "If you get in the game and they get a couple offensive rebounds over you or you’re in the wrong place on a play, you’re not going to be in the game very long,"

Now, with Blatche again playing well, expect more of him and Lopez in tandem. Before he was let go, Avery Johnson said Carlesimo was always on him about starting Blatche at the four, where he played in Washington, and Lopez at the five.

Of course, the logjam could be solved on or about February 21, the trade deadline. The question is with his diminished playing time, big contract ---and non-stop tabloid attention, what can he bring back?

• Nets’ Humphries seeing fewer minutes - Fred Kerber - New York Post