Trade 1: Shawn Marion and Eric Piatkowski to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal
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http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...%3dSuns-080207Could the Suns have gotten a better deal for Marion?
Ford
By Chad Ford
Updated: February 7, 2008
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq says he looks good in purple, but there are other big men who might have looked even better.
Another Christmas Day in February?
After the Los Angeles Lakers got a gift-wrapped Pau Gasol last week, are the Miami Heat getting a similar present from Santa this week?
Around the NBA, everyone from general managers to sportswriters to fans are flabbergasted at the Shaquille O'Neal for Shawn Marion trade.
The Big Diesel is 35 going on 36, injured again, out of shape and having the worst year of his career. Miami, with the worst record in the NBA, is imploding and can't go anywhere in the standings until they get rid of O'Neal's contract, which has about $50 million remaining.
Several NBA GMs I spoke with believe that the Heat-Suns trade is more lopsided than the recent trade of Gasol to the Lakers, for which the Memphis Grizzlies received little in return.
How could the Heat get one of the most talented players in the league for a 35-year-old center they wanted to give away?
Remember, the talk last year was about the Suns' trading Marion in a three-way deal for Kevin Garnett -- a guy who is currently a front-runner in the MVP race.
But Marion for Shaq?
Listen to one GM talk about Marion: "Our team thinks Marion is still one of the top 10 players in the league. He's so good defensively. He reminds me a bit of Ron Artest back when he was playing well in Indiana. On any given night he could go out there and shut down the opposing team's best player. Marion is so long, athletic and quick, he can guard just about anyone. Add in his offense and I think he's one of the most valuable players in the league."
And Shaq? Said the same GM: "He can't guard anyone. He can't get up and down the floor. You'd expect a desperate team like the Knicks or Nets to make a move for Shaq ? but the Suns? I still can't believe it. They are making a huge mistake. Trading Marion for Shaq will destroy that team, not only this year, but for years to come. I'm sure [Lakers owner] Jerry Buss and [Mavericks owner] Mark Cuban are thrilled."
That may be an overly negative view of Shaq, who can still muscle his way around the basket on the offensive end. He may not be his formerly dominant self, but he is still averaging 14 points and nearly eight rebounds while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field. However, his lack of defense, effort and good health put his value seriously into question on any team; and on the Suns it appears to be the worst possible fit.
So ... what was Suns GM Steve Kerr thinking?
Over the course of the past few months we've known that Kerr was out there looking for a tough inside presence to replace the guy he gave away in the summer -- Kurt Thomas. That makes this deal all the more confusing. With the Suns sending signals that they want to improve their defense, why did they trade their best defender for a guy who hasn't been a major defender in the league for the past two seasons?
Matrix can defend every position. Did the Suns get enough in return?
The rumblings we're all hearing point to chemistry issues between Marion and the rest of the team. Amare Stoudemire is reportedly for the Shaq trade. So is Steve Nash. But players don't make great GMs (just ask Kobe Bryant). Are they giving away a key component of their team just to pacify some personal feelings?
The rumblings also point to a philosophical disagreement between Kerr and coach Mike D'Antoni. D'Antoni's style of basketball emphasized offense. Kerr thinks that without a better defensive effort, the Suns can't go all the way.
"If it works, I'm a genius," Kerr said. "If it doesn't, I'm a moron, I guess."
Finally, at least one source says that owner Robert Sarver is starstruck. He still views Shaq as a dominant player. Clearly he hasn't watched the big fella play in a while.
So if the Shaq deal is really that bad for the Suns, and if the Suns really are desperate for size and interior defense, couldn't they have done much better than Shaq? The answer seems to be a resounding yes.
Here are some potential deals that would have been a better fit for Phoenix. I've broken them into two categories.
Category 1: Add size, trade Marion
Following the parameters set forth in the actual Shaq-to-the-Suns trade ? were there better big men available for Marion?
Trade 1: Shawn Marion and Eric Piatkowski to Indiana for Jermaine O'Neal
Why: O'Neal is six years younger than Shaq. He's a better shot-blocker and defender and he's more equipped to run the floor in the style the Suns like to play. He has been sidelined with a bone bruise, but he would have likely been back in two weeks.
For the Pacers, this would have given them a chance to reinvent themselves. Marion would have become the man on the team -- something he's wanted for years -- and the Pacers would have saved some money and likely gotten back into the playoff race in the East.
In my opinion, this would've been a much better deal for the Suns.
Trade 2: Shawn Marion to Chicago for Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas
Why: Wallace may be on the decline, but he's still a better defender and more athletic than Shaq. Big Ben has two years and $29 million left on his deal after this season, which is $11 million less than Shaq.
Thomas is an excellent prospect whom the Suns loved in the draft two years ago. He has the ability to do some of the things that Marion did with the Suns, especially on the offensive end of the floor. The Suns also love Joakim Noah, though I think they would have opted for Thomas, given the choice.
As for the Bulls, they need to do something. Marion is more of a 3 than a 4, but put him at the 4 and Noah at the 5, and the Bulls could have been very effective in an up-tempo type of game.
Trade 3: Shawn Marion to Philadelphia for Samuel Dalembert and Kevin Ollie
Why: Everyone is talking about the Sixers' desire for cap room, but if they got their hands on a player like Marion, they might already be looking at a strong playoff team. Put him on the floor with Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller and the Sixers would look like a playoff sleeper.
Dalembert is younger and more athletic and a better rebounder and shot-blocker than Shaq. And while he makes a lot of money, Dalembert's contract (for the next three seasons) averages only $12 million per season, considerably less than Shaq's deal.
Trade 4: Shawn Marion and the Hawks' No. 1 pick to Memphis for Darko Milicic and Mike Miller
Why: Darko is still an unproven commodity, but he's huge and he rebounds and blocks shots. He's also an excellent athlete who can get up the floor better than Shaq. Miller's sharpshooting abilities would have made him an excellent fit in the Phoenix offense.
As for the Grizzlies, they are in cost-cutting mode and could have saved a considerable amount of money if Marion, unhappy with being shipped to Memphis, opted out of his contract this summer. Even if Marion stayed for another season, the trade would have opened up a huge amount of cap room for the team in the summer of 2009. They'd also highly value that Hawks' pick.
Category 2: Best value for Marion
Here are a couple of deals that get the Suns back value for Marion, but not the defensive presence in the middle that they're looking for.
Trade 1: Shawn Marion to Utah for Andrei Kirilenko
Why: The Suns would not have gotten a big, bruising center, but they would have walked away with a much better defender (than Shaq) for their system. Kirilenko can run the floor, block shots, get steals and hit the glass. It would have required Stoudemire to stay at the 5, but in the long run, Kirilenko would have been a great fit in Phoenix.
For the Jazz, Kirilenko still isn't a great fit with Carlos Boozer on the floor. Marion is a better fit and would have given the Jazz a better perimeter defender and someone who could score in more ways than Kirilenko can.
Trade 2: Shawn Marion and Grant Hill to New Jersey for Richard Jefferson, Nenad Krstic, Josh Boone and Jamaal Magloire
Why: Jefferson would have been a great fit in Phoenix on the offensive end and Boone and Magloire would have given them two big bodies to help out on the defensive end. Krstic could have been a big help down the road, if he returned from his injury problems.
The Nets would like to blow up their team. And since moving Jason Kidd and Vince Carter has proven difficult, this would have been another way to go. Marion would have helped them on rebounding and the defensive end and Hill could have been another nice veteran to fill in at the 3.
In short, it appears that any of these deals would've better positioned the Suns to compete for a championship both now and in the future.
Only time will tell whether Kerr's big gamble pays off for the Suns. But we won't have to wait long to find out the answer. If the Suns don't bring home the title with Shaq this season, this could go down as one of the worst trades in NBA history. If they win it all, like Kerr said, they'll look like geniuses.
