Shaquille O'Neal may have lost a step, but the Suns are betting the future hall of famer can still make a sizable impact come playoff time. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Analysis
The Diesel meets the desert
High-octane Phoenix expects big returns from its acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal
Last Updated Wed., Feb. 6, 2008
By Jason Satur, CBC Sports
The NBA arms race is officially on.
Less than a week after the Los Angeles Lakers sent shockwaves through the NBA by acquiring forward Pau Gasol from Memphis, Phoenix Suns general manager Steve Kerr made a splash of his own, swapping perpetually disgruntled forward Shawn Marion and point guard Marcus Banks for centre Shaquille O'Neal.
The 35-year-old O'Neal, who passed a physical Wednesday to complete the deal, has been roundly criticized of late for losing a step — or six — with age. Nagging injuries have become a concern, but you can expect his deficiencies to be masked and his strengths enhanced in the valley of the sun.
Surrounded by the likes of Amare Stoudemire, Grant Hill, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa and two-time MVP Steve Nash, the seven-foot-one, 325-pound O'Neal won't have to do all the heavy lifting. That means far less minutes and a diminished role in Phoenix's up-tempo offence.
True, Shaq may be a shell of his former self, and he doesn't exactly fit seamlessly into the Suns' run'n'gun style, but the real payoff for Phoenix may come when the pace of the game starts grinding to a halt in the post-season.
Timing-wise, this deal also appears to be a counterstrike to the Lakers' acquisition of Gasol last week.
With the Spurs faltering somewhat in the regular season, the Dallas Mavericks purported to be eyeing Jason Kidd, and the Lakers suddenly improving their frontline substantially, the Suns clearly felt they needed to make a bold move to try and beef up for the stretch drive. This certainly fits the bill.
In terms of salary, the O'Neal deal isn't all that unpalatable for Phoenix. Yes, O'Neal's contract is steep with two years and $40 million US remaining, but it also expires at the same time as Nash's current pact. That gives the Suns a definitive time frame on their championship window, and nearly $35 million in salary cap flexibility in the summer of 2010.
Shawn Marion was a key piece of the Suns' high-flying attack, but his griping had become a problem. (Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
From Miami's perspective, finding a buyer for a declining 35-year-old who makes $20 million a year is one thing. But finding a team that can offer good value in return is completely another. You'd have to say Heat president and head coach Pat Riley made out pretty well.
It's hard to believe that anyone would request they be removed as a key component to a Nash-led offence, but Marion's gripes were real and becoming louder, ultimately resulting in him heading to the worst team in the Eastern Conference.
Never one to hide his feelings of being underappreciated behind two-time MVP Nash and the explosive Stoudemire, the man known as the Matrix will now get all the limelight he can handle for the 9-37 Heat.
In Marion, the Heat are getting a player that's likely going to opt out of a rebuilding situation at season's end. But should he choose to play out the last year of his contract in Miami, building around a duo of Marion and former Finals MVP Dwyane Wade isn't exactly a bad start.
Either way, the Heat will still be a player in free agency, and will likely be armed with a pretty good pick in an interesting 2008 draft class.
The O'Neal trade also netted Marcus Banks, a steady backup point guard who never seemed to crack the Suns' rotation but will likely be logging a pretty good share of minutes in Miami - especially if the sizeable contract of current starter Jason Williams is moved before the trade deadline.
Rarely in deals of this magnitude do you see both teams coming out as winners in both the short and long term, yet that could be the case here.
But for the Suns, still chasing their first NBA championship, the stakes are undoubtedly much higher.
