Sunday update: On injuries, absences and trade rumors

Just landed in New Orleans for Monday's game against Hornets and...

* Martell Webster didn't accompany the team to NOLA this afternoon because of back spasms that caused him to miss Saturday's home loss to Denver.

* Luke Ridnour also didn't go because of that family matter that has caused him to miss the last three games, although he did come down to Target Center and practice with the team today.

* Wayne Ellington is due to meet the team in New Orleans after he missed two games to attend to a family matter as well.

* ESPN's Chris Broussard reported late Saturday on a three-way deal that has been discussed between the Wolves, Knicks and Nuggets that would send Melo to New York. He said the Nuggets would get Wilson Chandler from the Knicks, Corey Brewer and a first-round pick from the Wolves, the Wolves would get Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry's big expiring contract and the Knicks would get, of course, Melo.

This basically is the same Wolves-Anthony Randolph interest that has been out there for months.

This time, they'd absorb Curry's contract to give the Nuggets the kind of relief they seek from luxury-tax penalties.

Yes, the Wolves still have interest in Randolph, but they'd prefer it to be a straight first-round pick -- they've got protected Grizzlies and Jazz picks due them this summer -- for Randolph deal.

They'd be looking for more if they were the facilitator that makes a Melo-Knicks deal work.

Where and when would Randolph play?

They're interested mostly in taking a flyer at minimum cost on a long athletic player who was the 14th pick in a pretty good 2008 draft and who has shown flashes of potential. If they get him, I get the sense this is another move for the future rather than the present, although the question at this point is whether Kahn and Rambis can afford to make more moves for the future without addressing the present.

The Brewer portion makes sense.

This Melo-Knicks thing likely will continue right up until trade deadline, and look for the Wolves to be there interesting in Randolph and more if they're going to be the third team that makes such a deal work.

That's all from NOLA for Sunday.