ESPN reporting that Miami is thinking about trading Shaq

The Suns could plant Shaq in the backcourt and play 4-on-4 on the offensive end, hockey style.

If I'm Miami, hell yeah I do this deal. Wade and Marion together, and with the Bird rule you get a crack at keeping Marion and and (probably) drafting OJ Mayo.

If I'm the Suns ... WTF?

This deal works better with Dallas. Dallas won't give up somebody like Marion, but they can give the Heat cap relief. Not that it matters, but Shaq wants to come to Dallas.

 

The fact is Shaq is getting paid 20 million whether he looks like an out of shape construction worker with a bad attitude in Miami, or a 15-18 min/game player for the Suns.

 

Dude, that was almost half a career ago. Shaq is a shell of what he was when he was with the Lakers. He wasn't even himself when Miami won the title his first year. He was awful in back-to-back games in the postseason and rode Dwyane Wade's coattails (and the referees' whistles) to the title.

 

Sorry my blatant sarcasm didn't bleed though. I know it was a long time ago and Shaq is half the player he was.

 

Short answer on why the Suns might consider it...

Marion wants out, is a big-time pouter, and would much rather be the first option on a lottery team than the second or third option on a contender. He'll likely be gone soon.

At the same time, I think the Suns may be concluding that their style won't work in the postseason and that they now need to make a move because they won't get past the Spurs or Lakers.

Having said that, Shaq now has the mobility of Wilt Chamberlain... and I mean Wilt now, not in his youth. If Shaq has anything in his tank, an Amare/Shaq frontline would be pretty formidable. But I don't think Shaq has anything left. He's hauled around way too much weight for too long. His legs and feet are shot.

 

You watch: If Shaq gets traded to the Suns, he will suddenly start playing hard again. He'll be goofing around with Nash and rebounding more. He can't score or block shots, but part of the reason he looks like a 90-year-old woman right now is because Miami blows. It's just Shaq's M.O. He's got something left. Just not for the Heat.

 

That's sort of a chicken or the egg argument, though. A big part of the reason Miami blows is because Shaq now runs like a 90-year-old woman.

But, you could have a point. We've certainly seen plenty of precedent to back up that new team/new legs theory with guys like Vince Carter, Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber and others. But Shaq's older, heavier (by a wide margin), and has more mileage than all those guys did. I think he's actually shot.

 

They want Shaq as a half-court option. Its not like the Suns run a 5 man fast break now. They can run the high pick and roll with Stoudamire and have Shaq on the weakside for another option and then a kick out to Bell or Grant Hill.

Marion is a great defender and rebounder but I don't think he's that much of a difference maker.

 

The Suns don't play much defense to begin with, so if you take Marion away from Phoenix, it only hurts them if they don't get a solid defender in return.

If Marion is traded, there goes 1.49 blocks per game and 2.0 spg. He's a solid three-point shooter, but Bell and Barbosa can make up the offense they lose. If the Suns trade Marion, they need to get a better big man in return who can defend in the low post.

Stoudamire and Shaq may be a decent one-two in the post, but they lose more on the defensive end with O'Neal in there.

 

Take it from a Laker fan, Shaq was a 400-pound senior citizen when he was wearing purple and gold. See if he'll agree to spend a month losing weight. No games, just working out, running in a pool. For a new team, he just might. His problem is he always need some kind of slight to get him motivated again. He might be toast, but I'd take the chance you could play him very few minutes the rest of the regular season, try to get him to drop 40 pounds, then have him in the playoffs for one last run at a ring. He might just have enough in the tank for that. Of course, with this contract, you have to pay him through 2010, so it's unlikely it will happen. But if you think it's worth trying to re-energize his career one last time...

 

This makes absolutely no sense, and I hope like hell it happens.

 

The Suns have the right idea, just not the right player in mind.