The hours before this year’s NBA trade deadline were expected to be nerve-racking, filled with news of the next high-profile player to crisscross the country for a new basketball home. In reality, the buildup on Thursday was far from tense and the trades were marginal.

Rumors outweighed teams' ability to complete deals during the final moments in which they were allowed to make trades. The names included in potential moves were endless. For one reason or another, those players weren't traded.

Five players in particular were deeply involved in rumors heading into Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline, only to come out on the other side with the same team. We delve into the reasons teams showed interest and examine whether the players were better served by staying put.

Eric Bledsoe, G, Los Angeles Clippers: Playing behind Chris Paul has its perks. Bledsoe learned that in the days leading to the deadline. SN's Sean Deveney reported earlier this month that Bledsoe was mentioned as the key piece in a trade for the Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett. Bledsoe later was later linked to the Utah Jazz.

The rumors were not based on the Clippers’ willingness to part with their third-year guard. The interest begins with Bledsoe’s prodigious talent and freakish athletic ability, and doesn’t end there. In a role that limits him to 21.8 minutes, Bledsoe shows glimpses of what he could become. He is the engine of one of the NBA’s best benches and displays an ability to run a team that wasn’t evident when he entered the league in 2010. One of those perks of playing with Paul every day.

Bledsoe will be a starting point guard in the NBA. That's a certainty. The only questions are when and where. He'll be in the final year of his rookie deal next season; at this point, he essentially is Paul insurance. If Paul decides to leave as a free agent this offseason, the Clippers will have Bledsoe for the future. If Paul returns, the Clippers will have Bledsoe for at least one more season. Where he would go from there is yet to be seen, but he would be better for playing another season with Paul.

Tyreke Evans, G, Sacramento Kings: No player needs a do-over quite like Evans. He entered the NBA in 2009 as one of the elite members of John Calipari’s point guard factory. He lived up to every expectation in his first season, with averages of 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. Only two other players have done that as rookies: Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

Evans could use a change of scenery. Playing in a crowded backcourt with more scorers than point guards, his averages have dipped each of the past three seasons. He’s one of several players from the '09 draft class who can become free agents this offseason. Perhaps he can make good on that early promise in another uniform.

Kris Humphries, F, Brooklyn Nets: Because he recently signed a two-year, $24 million contract, Humphries is an interesting case. He earned that deal with a career-best 13.8 points and 11.0 rebounds in 2011-12. The Nets never intended to keep him, though. He was brought back as a future trade asset, according to The New York Times’ Howard Beck.

That leads one to wonder why he's still on the Nets' roster. Humphries was the subject of a rumored trade for Charlotte Bobcats guard Ben Gordon. The move could have helped bolster Brooklyn's 3-point shooting; the Nets currently shoot 44.1 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3, middle-of-the-pack numbers for a team with hopes of a deep playoff run.

When things ultimately fell through, the Bobcats moved on to acquire Orlando Magic big man Josh McRoberts for Hakim Warrick. For one more season at least, Humphries will play for a team that would rather ship him elsewhere.

Al Jefferson, C; Paul Millsap, F, Utah Jazz: The Jazz were expected to trade one of these big men. Each can become a free agent at the end of the season, and Utah could potentially lose both, the argument went. Which player should be moved was a source of debate; Millsap is considered the more efficient player, but Jefferson is the rare big man who can create his own shot.

As the trade deadline passed, the rebuilding Jazz hadn’t unloaded either of its 28-year-old stars. Millsap was mentioned in a possible deal for Bledsoe that would fill a void at point guard. Jefferson, who has been traded twice in his career, was reported to have drawn interest from the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs.

Jazz president Randy Rigby has Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter in waiting but said he is pleased with where the team is for now. Optimism aside, the Jazz aren't built to win as constructed. Millsap and Jefferson, who are in their prime years, could help contenders if they move on in the offseason.