Gambo: It's A Fact - Shaq Traded To Phoenix
February 5th, 2008 @ 9:12pm by John Gambadoro/Sports 620 KTAR
The Shaquille O'Neal trade to the Phoenix Suns is not a rumor.
In fact, I expect it to happen sometime early afternoon on Wednesday.
O'Neal will be in Phoenix on Wednesday for a physical, according to a Suns team source.
The Suns have moved Wednesday morning's shoot-around, which was originally scheduled at 9:45 a.m., to 4:45 p.m. - hours prior to their contest against the New Orleans Hornets.
The Suns will part ways with Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks and move to a conventional style with O'Neal playing the 5.
The Suns have major concerns about chemistry issues on the team and feel a trade for O'Neal would alleviate those issues, plus give them the post defender they lack.
The money would be a wash this year and next, but the Suns would be on the hook for $20 million in 2009-10 - the final year of O'Neals' contract. There is a belief that the window for Steve Nash to win a championship is down to this year and next and that O'Neal would give the Suns a better chance to win now.
My sources tell me that O'Neal desperately wants to come to Phoenix and will be rejuvenated to have a chance to win again and that the Suns do not have any concerns over his injured hip.
The Suns will not expect O'Neal to dominate as he did in his prime, in fact his minutes will probably hover around 25 per game as they try to keep him fresh for the playoffs and a potential matchup against Tim Duncan and the Spurs.
Just what this means for Mike D'Antoni is anyone's guess.
It is clear that a trade for O'Neal would be a negative indictment on the Suns current style and would suggest that management does not believe the current run-and-gun style can win a le.
Sports 620 KTAR's Craig Grialou contributed to this report
http://www.ktar.com/sports/?nid=126&sid=724522
Marion was leaving but THIS YEAR, which is all that matters he gives you the better chance to win. The Suns need to win a le before Nash gets too old to run the team and this move is not going to help them make it happen. If they won it this year and Marion leaves so what, at least they won it.
Yea but if they dont win it all they get nothing for him, then its a lose-lose
Wow so it seems pretty much done. SO WEIRD. First I have to adjust seeing Caveman Gasol threads everyhwere, rooting for Mighty mouse and now watching Snaq huffing and puffing with the Suns.
I expect a big Mavs knee-jerk trade this week. "Everyone's doing it!"
LOL, yeah Shaq fouls out in 10 min trying to guard TD or gets owned all night long. Shaq could not guard TD 5 years ago when they were both in their prime, he sure as can't guard him now or really anyone for that matter. He is old, slow, always injured and finished.
Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said on his weekly radio show on Sports 620 KTAR in Phoenix Tuesday night that the story caught him by surprise.
"The trade deadline's coming up so I'm sure there's talk all over the place," he said. "In our day and age now, you make one of those phone calls or answer a phone call everybody in the world knows about it. Other than normal business, I don't know anything that's going on."
Asked if any deal was close, D'Antoni said, "No, no, no."
Marion asked to be traded before the season began but has avoided talk of the subject since then. He is set to make $17 million next season, the final year of his contract, but can opt out of the deal and become a free agent.
Suns owner Robert Sarver said two weeks ago that none of the core players would be traded this season.
Neither Sarver nor Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr returned messages left on their cell phones.
AP sports writer Bob Baum in Phoenix contributed to this report.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...ov=ap&type=lgns
First of all...anyone that thinks it's going to take time for Shaq to fit in, does't appreciate the talents of Steve Nash, or the simplicity of the Suns' system. It will take him..no time at all to fit in.
Defense:The Suns give up ing 103 PPG...this is the Suns we are talking about.
But since you insist on going there...
Ever watch Marion or Amare try to defend Duncan?
Guaranteed Shaq will do a better job of it than they can, even if all he does is stand there.
Additionally...this trade makes perfect sense for the Suns, because the team they have has been proven to not be a team designed for playoff basketball...
A point just shoved up their butts again, last Thursday.
And finally...
Half court...Nash will be going to either Shaq or Amare...anyone that thinks that option is more scary with Marion replacing Shaq...doesn't know about playoff basketball.
As for Shaq's age....
Sure he's old and breaking down...
This is also probably the second or third most talented team he has ever played on, and by far the best point guard he has had. Add in those factors...and that fifth O'brien Trophy in his sights(not to mention a shot at the Lakers)...
The only downside to this trade for the Suns is if Shaq gets hurt....
And Shaq also has the one thing that no one else on the Suns has(outside of Sean Marks) and that's championship experience.
This is not a bad trade...but I'm glad to see so many Spurs fans finally reaching a meeting of the minds with their fellow Suns fans...
GMTA.
suns coach does not moderate anyone minutes
he lets grant hill play over 40 minutes a game
like he will limit shaq's minutes to 20
D'Antoni is gonna become a slow it down 5 down, defenisve coach all of a sudden?
Marion approves trade. Not really a shocker.
But giving him up makes them worse. What is the upside this year of going forward with an old, always injured, former great player making a ton of money????
Steve Kerr and Del Negro are doing an awesome job for the Spurs.... first they ship out Kurt Thomas and now they get rid of Marion.
Who honestly thinks that Shaq can even guard Duncan now-a-days???
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...lum/index.html
Worth the risk?
Suns appear willing to take chance on aging O'Neal
One of the last players in the NBA who would seem to fit the run-and-gun style of the Phoenix Suns would be Shaquille O'Neal. Even in his prime, the Miami Heat center, who turns 36 on March 6, was no sprinter, and these are far from his best days.
But sources confirmed that the Miami Herald story about ongoing trade talks between the Suns and the Heat are accurate. No decision has been reached, but in the most likely scenario, O'Neal would be dealt for forward Shawn Marion and backup point guard Marcus Banks.
The money would work under the salary cap. Shaq makes $20 million this season, a figure close to the combined salaries of Marion ($16.4 million this season) and Banks ($3.9 million). A source close to the negotiations said that the Suns are concerned about the final year of Shaq's contract, but that it is not necessarily a deal-breaker (O'Neal is on the books for $20 million in the 2008-09 and '09-10 seasons). Also, Miami probably would want Marion to give his OK, because he can opt out of his contract after the season; the four-time All-Star squelched a potential deal with the Celtics before the season by saying he would opt out.
Sources say that the initial calls were made by Miami and that relations between Shaq and coach Pat Riley have become strained; that is not surprising with two compe ive old hands trying to muddle through a campaign that has become downright embarrassing. The Heat are 9-37, including 19 losses in their last 20 games. Shaq has played in only 32 games, and he's currently inactive because of recurring pain in his hip and leg. He's missed an average of 20 games over the past six seasons with a variety of injuries.
Stylistically, there would be some changes in Phoenix and in Miami. Losing Banks, who has never caught on with Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, would be no big deal for Phoenix. But Marion defines the essence of the Suns: a fast-moving, athletic player who is also the most versatile defender on a team not known for defense. Those are qualities desperately needed in Miami.
How would Shaq fit in with the Suns' running offense? Not at all. But as the Suns see it, they seldom run a five-man fast break, and Shaq would be the in-bounder. In the half-court, the high pick-and-rolls run by Steve Nash and current center Amaré Stoudemire would be more effective with a Shaq duck-in always available as an option. Plus, though he is averaging a career-low 14.2 points when he does play, Shaq still commands a double team, which leaves things more open for perimeter shooters such as Nash, Raja Bell, Grant Hill, Leandro Barbosa and even Stoudemire. Finally, as increasingly immobile as he might be, Shaq would be able to defend against the bigger frontcourt players (such as San Antonio's Tim Duncan and new Laker Pau Gasol), a weakness of Stoudemire's.
This would be a big move for the Suns, who not only sell themselves as a get-up-and-go offensive team but also stood at a West-leading 34-14 as of Tuesday. It would be a risky move to take on a center with declining athleticism, even one bound for the Hall of Fame. But they are strongly mulling that very possibility.
Marion is a ing CLOWN, too. "I want to get paid, the with winning, get me out of here" Get a clue you ing jackass!!
Miami actually gets better with this trade.
Miami, as bad as the east is, could go on a winning streak now.
Pop just virtually fellated freaking Damon Stoudamire...what do you think he'd do to get Shaq?
Keep laughing.
This is a knee-jerk desperation move by the Suns. They're really going to change course in Febraury and become a totally different team? They just about have to fire D'Antoni immediately now. There's no way he can adjust. Will Kerr coach the team himself?
PffftFinally, as increasingly immobile as he might be, Shaq would be able to defend against the bigger frontcourt players (such as San Antonio's Tim Duncan and new Laker Pau Gasol), a weakness of Stoudemire's.
The lakers always depended on malone or Horry to guard Duncan, never shaq.
Morons.
Yeah okNo one on the Suns plays that many minutes. Hill only plays 32
Let me get this straight:
The Suns are going to pay Shaq $20 million to do less of what they wouldn't pay Kurt Thomas $8 million to do.
That wouldn't be because he would fit in better on the Spurs would it?what do you think he'd do to get Shaq?
Keep laughing.
Keep it comin "Cleveland in 4"
Let me get this straight:
The Suns are going to pay Shaq $20 million to do less of what they wouldn't pay Kurt Thomas $8 million to do.
And gave up Shawn Marion to boot.
Nowitsky for Vince Carter I bet.
LOL, you just summed it up right there, that was classic good job.
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