Kori Ellis
05-30-2006, 03:56 AM
Marion, Odom may be Bulls’ best chance for summer trade
By Mike McGraw
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Monday, May 29, 2006
http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=194207
Before anyone gets carried away and starts calling the Bulls-Heat series the real Eastern Conference finalsæ…
There is no question Bulls general manager John Paxson and coach Scott Skiles would love to add an experienced player who could kick the team beyond the first round of the playoffs.
Of course, a suitable trade may not come along. Of the names most often mentioned, Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh won’t be available. Jermaine O’Neal isn’t worth the money.
When the Bulls look around to see if they can turn the No. 2 draft pick into a valuable veteran, two names to keep in mind are Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom.
There is talk around the NBA that the Phoenix Suns may be willing to move Marion this summer. At first glance, the idea seems absurd, since the 28-year-old forward is coming off consecutive third-team all-NBA honors.
But here’s the theory: The Suns’ payroll is already close to $60 million for next season, just below luxury-tax threshold. The team also has a new owner, Robert Sarver, who paid a high price to gain control from the Colangelo family.
The Suns expect to have Amare Stoudemire back from a knee injury next year, and they found a capable small forward in Boris Diaw, who won the most-improved-player award and hit the winning shot against Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Marion is owed about $48.5 million over the next three years, so the Suns might be willing to make a trade if they can get a big man in return and lose a few million in salary. Trimming the payroll would help Phoenix re-sign Diaw and guard Leandro Barbosa, who are eligible for extensions.
The Bulls could send their two first-round draft picks to Phoenix for Marion, which would give the Suns a shot at LaMarcus Aldridge or Tyrus Thomas with the No. 2 selection and also lower their payroll by about $10 million.
Would the Suns be interested in such a deal? Hard to say, but former Phoenix general manager Bryan Colangelo is sitting in Toronto with the No. 1 pick and might jump on the same trade if it’s available.
Skiles coached Marion, who grew up in North Chicago, early in his career. But Marion may not necessarily be a slam-dunk acquisition for the Bulls.
Marion’s statistics (21.8 points, 11.8 rebounds this season) have been reasonably consistent, but his field-goal percentage skyrocketed when point guard Steve Nash showed up in Phoenix.
The key questions for the Bulls would be whether Marion can be as valuable without Nash or if he’s worth a $17.1 million salary in the 2008-09 season. Marion’s strongest suit is his athleticism and drive. He’s great on the fastbreak and tough to keep off the offensive boards, but he isn’t really a go-to offensive player.
The Bulls haven’t had any serious discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers about Odom. But the Bulls would love to plug him in at power forward, and it seems apparent that the 6-foot-10 Odom isn’t meshing well with Kobe Bryant.
Odom averaged 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in 2003-04, his lone season with Miami. He scored 14.8 points for the Lakers this year, shooting a career-high 48.1 percent.
The trouble here is finding a deal that would suit both sides. It’s hard to imagine Lakers coach Phil Jackson endorsing Odom for the No. 2 pick, since he’s looking to make quick progress. The Lakers could gain around $10 million in cap room for 2007 from that deal.
Perhaps the Lakers feel Tyson Chandler could improve their interior defense. Chandler, Chris Duhon and the No. 16 pick for Odom is an idea, though Chandler has more money left on his contract than Odom’s $40.6 million over three years.
Another obvious issue for the Bulls when exploring any trade this summer is why give up the No. 2 pick for a forward when there is a good chance they could sign Atlanta free agent Al Harrington (18.6 points, 6.9 rebounds) outright without giving up any assets.
There will be few easy decisions for Paxson this summer.
By Mike McGraw
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Monday, May 29, 2006
http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=194207
Before anyone gets carried away and starts calling the Bulls-Heat series the real Eastern Conference finalsæ…
There is no question Bulls general manager John Paxson and coach Scott Skiles would love to add an experienced player who could kick the team beyond the first round of the playoffs.
Of course, a suitable trade may not come along. Of the names most often mentioned, Kevin Garnett and Chris Bosh won’t be available. Jermaine O’Neal isn’t worth the money.
When the Bulls look around to see if they can turn the No. 2 draft pick into a valuable veteran, two names to keep in mind are Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom.
There is talk around the NBA that the Phoenix Suns may be willing to move Marion this summer. At first glance, the idea seems absurd, since the 28-year-old forward is coming off consecutive third-team all-NBA honors.
But here’s the theory: The Suns’ payroll is already close to $60 million for next season, just below luxury-tax threshold. The team also has a new owner, Robert Sarver, who paid a high price to gain control from the Colangelo family.
The Suns expect to have Amare Stoudemire back from a knee injury next year, and they found a capable small forward in Boris Diaw, who won the most-improved-player award and hit the winning shot against Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
Marion is owed about $48.5 million over the next three years, so the Suns might be willing to make a trade if they can get a big man in return and lose a few million in salary. Trimming the payroll would help Phoenix re-sign Diaw and guard Leandro Barbosa, who are eligible for extensions.
The Bulls could send their two first-round draft picks to Phoenix for Marion, which would give the Suns a shot at LaMarcus Aldridge or Tyrus Thomas with the No. 2 selection and also lower their payroll by about $10 million.
Would the Suns be interested in such a deal? Hard to say, but former Phoenix general manager Bryan Colangelo is sitting in Toronto with the No. 1 pick and might jump on the same trade if it’s available.
Skiles coached Marion, who grew up in North Chicago, early in his career. But Marion may not necessarily be a slam-dunk acquisition for the Bulls.
Marion’s statistics (21.8 points, 11.8 rebounds this season) have been reasonably consistent, but his field-goal percentage skyrocketed when point guard Steve Nash showed up in Phoenix.
The key questions for the Bulls would be whether Marion can be as valuable without Nash or if he’s worth a $17.1 million salary in the 2008-09 season. Marion’s strongest suit is his athleticism and drive. He’s great on the fastbreak and tough to keep off the offensive boards, but he isn’t really a go-to offensive player.
The Bulls haven’t had any serious discussions with the Los Angeles Lakers about Odom. But the Bulls would love to plug him in at power forward, and it seems apparent that the 6-foot-10 Odom isn’t meshing well with Kobe Bryant.
Odom averaged 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds in 2003-04, his lone season with Miami. He scored 14.8 points for the Lakers this year, shooting a career-high 48.1 percent.
The trouble here is finding a deal that would suit both sides. It’s hard to imagine Lakers coach Phil Jackson endorsing Odom for the No. 2 pick, since he’s looking to make quick progress. The Lakers could gain around $10 million in cap room for 2007 from that deal.
Perhaps the Lakers feel Tyson Chandler could improve their interior defense. Chandler, Chris Duhon and the No. 16 pick for Odom is an idea, though Chandler has more money left on his contract than Odom’s $40.6 million over three years.
Another obvious issue for the Bulls when exploring any trade this summer is why give up the No. 2 pick for a forward when there is a good chance they could sign Atlanta free agent Al Harrington (18.6 points, 6.9 rebounds) outright without giving up any assets.
There will be few easy decisions for Paxson this summer.