Paul George and Carmelo Anthony are going back to old homes that are doing just fine without them.
Indiana and New York are winning, bolstered by players they acquired for their superstars. While Oklahoma City remains underwhelming, Pacers and Knicks fans are even thinking they also won the trades.
George gets the first homecoming when the Thunder travel to Indianapolis on Wednesday, while Anthony makes his first trip back to New York on Saturday.
Indiana wasn't eager to deal its All-Star forward last spring, but had little choice with no commitment he would stay beyond this season. So the Pacers shipped him off to Oklahoma City in June for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
The Pacers have won four straight and are solidly in the middle of the Eastern Conference at 16-11. They average 109 points, sixth in the league, and Oladipo was Eastern Conference player of the week last week for the second time this season after his career-best 47 points on Sunday in a victory over Denver hiked his average to 24.5 per game for the season.
In New York, Enes Kanter has become the starting center, an offensive rebounding force and a fan favorite. Doug McDermott, the other player in the September trade for Anthony , has played an important role off the bench for the 14-13 Knicks.
Of the three teams, the only one that wouldn't be in the playoffs at the moment is Oklahoma City.
The Thunder are just 12-14, Russell Westbrook and his two star sidekicks are all shooting around 40 percent, and Anthony, at 18 points per game, appears headed for the worst offensive season of his career.
Maybe some familiar scenery can finally get them going.
"This is a chance for us to be even closer, even tighter, be more connected, because in those two arenas that's all we got," George said. "And we have to play that way."