shaq wants out of phoenix

Arash713 · Mar 10, 2009

NBA: LeBron and Shaq? It coulda, shoulda happened
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By Mark Heisler
Los Angeles Times

First, it was Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, then Shaq and Kobe Bryant, and Shaq and Dwyane Wade ... .

Next: Shaq and LeBron?

OK, so it would be LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal. In whatever order, imagine the circus the Cleveland Cavaliers would be now if they had made the O'Neal deal they were so close to two weeks ago, in The Big Near Miss.

The Phoenix Suns looked ready to do it for the low, low, bargain price of Wally Szczerbiak and Sasha Pavlovic.

However, instead of Szczerbiak, whose $13.5 million-a-year deal is expiring, the Cavaliers insisted they take Ben Wallace, who has one more season at $14 million left.

That's how close James came to running pick-and-rolls behind The Great Wall of O'Neal, to say nothing of the fun the NBA's most underrated clown would have had alongside the all-time Clown Prince.

Of course, who's to say it won't come up again this summer?

Cleveland and Boston are in a steel cage match in the East, with the Celtics holding a chokehold on the tie-breaker, barring a losing streak, or the rest of them going down with Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Glen Davis.

The Celtics lead the season series, 2-1, and have the better conference record by three games.

On the other hand, the teams aren't tied. The Cavaliers lead the Celtics by one game, with one meeting left ... in Cleveland.

The loser is looking at Orlando in the second round, a sobering prospect after the wobbly Magic pulled it together to win in Boston on Sunday, less than 48 hours after the Celtics' emotional win over the Cavaliers.

The NBA balance of power, to say nothing of the Cavaliers' future, hangs in the balance.

If the Cavaliers win a title this season or next, they'll be odds-on to keep James, which might mean getting the Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh, too.

If they don't do something pretty sensational this season or next, it may be the New York Knicks who get the much-rumored James-Bosh package.

If Cleveland doesn't make the Finals this spring, I'd expect the Cavaliers to go for broke this summer, which could mean revisiting this Shaq deal.

Phoenix owner Bob Sarver, finding himself in financial straits — a year after acquiring O'Neal with two-plus seasons and $50 million left on his deal — has been all over the lot.

Before the All-Star Game, Sarver personally called owners to offer Amare Stoudemire before re-thinking it, possibly because he realized it could be seen as grounds for commitment.

So the Suns fired Coach Terry Porter, which offered less in cost savings, but gave them a last chance at a playoff run ... only to see Amare go out for the season.

The Suns are now four games behind the No. 8 Dallas Mavericks in the West, with Sarver looking at a luxury tax bill of almost $20 million.

Worse, Sarver is now like a jet pilot whose fuel gauge shows zero, having hit his after-burner at the point of no return. He has a $77 million payroll for next season — which would mean another $15 million in tax — if he lets Grant Hill and Matt Barnes go.

Oh, and Shaq, who's still broadcasting his love for Phoenix, is saying privately he wants out, upset to the highest level of upsetivity, as he once said, at almost being traded, or the team's return to running, or both.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers just saw Kendrick Perkins, Glen Davis and Leon Powe, whom they didn't exactly set their game plan for, knock their big men around like tenpins, combining for 40 points, making 17 of 29 shots.

Also, the Celtics know how to defend the Cavaliers' basic play, James' pick-and-roll off Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

If LeBron is low maintenance, he's stubborn about lining up anywhere except the top of the floor with the ball in his hands, like a point guard.

Los Angeles Laker fans may remember that scheme from 2004-05 when Rudy Tomjanovich ran it with Kobe Bryant, who had all five defenders eyeballing him every step of the way.

Even with James' 45-point breakout in Game 7 last spring, the Celtics held him to 27 a game and 36 percent from the floor in the series.

In this season's three games, it's 27 and 44 percent.

If the Cavaliers don't get where they want, and size and the lack of an inside game remain issues, expect them to call the Suns, just to say hi.

Last time, it came up too fast, at too high a price (their payroll would have been almost $100 million), with too much risk (with their hands tied financially, it would be their last major move before James' 2010 opt-out), and too many other ramifications (what would they do with Z?)

That was in winter. We'll see about summer.
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REEKO_HTOWN · Mar 10, 2009

This is trade deadline OLD.

Ziggy · Mar 10, 2009

They could make that deal the second the Cavs are eliminated from the playoffs. I am not sure if Wally can be included still though. Webber was traded for Richmond during the playoffs.

Dave2000 · Mar 10, 2009

Ziggy said:

Webber was traded for Richmond during the playoffs.
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so was Juwon Howard for *cringe* Mike James during the finals in '07

vcchlw · Mar 10, 2009

Great news. Let's trade the tallest player for the fattest player in the league and the former scoring champ for the former MVP. Here comes our new big 3! Get it done Morey!

tehG l i d e · Mar 10, 2009

Am I the only one that thinks Shaq would be too busy facilitating the very same lane Lebron is so akin on driving through. The paint wouldn't be enough for the both of them.

AstroRocket · Mar 11, 2009

tehG l i d e said:

Am I the only one that thinks Shaq would be too busy facilitating the very same lane Lebron is so akin on driving through. The paint wouldn't be enough for the both of them.
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Well, it worked fine with D-Wade.

yupitsjojo · Mar 11, 2009

screw shaq, let him decay in a crappy team, he cant be fed good guards all the time like he's been doing his whole career, let him know what its like to lose

SamFisher · Mar 11, 2009

tehG l i d e said:

Am I the only one that thinks Shaq would be too busy facilitating the very same lane Lebron is so akin on driving through. The paint wouldn't be enough for the both of them.
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Eh, it worked with Wade and even Kobe.

fangzheng911 · Mar 11, 2009

Maybe if we win this one, people still saying it's because Lakers didn't have Odom and Bynum.. but who cares.. We need the win to secure our home court advantage now.

gwatson86 · Mar 11, 2009

tehG l i d e said:

Am I the only one that thinks Shaq would be too busy facilitating the very same lane Lebron is so akin on driving through. The paint wouldn't be enough for the both of them.
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Anyone else notice that these words are so grossly misused that the sentence doesn't even make sense anymore?

Shaq is too busy helping the lane Lebron is analogous on driving through?

C'mon man, use a dictionary!

RocketBlood · Mar 11, 2009

tehG l i d e said:

Am I the only one that thinks Shaq would be too busy facilitating the very same lane Lebron is so akin on driving through. The paint wouldn't be enough for the both of them.
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Isnt it the same lane Kobe and Wade drove in through??

Dave_78 · Mar 11, 2009

gwatson86 said:

Anyone else notice that these words are so grossly misused that the sentence doesn't even make sense anymore?

Shaq is too busy helping the lane Lebron is analogous on driving through?

C'mon man, use a dictionary!
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hahaha!!!!

I noticed facilitating but missed akin.

Icehouse · Mar 11, 2009

RocketBlood said:

Isnt it the same lane Kobe and Wade drove in through??
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No, because in LA you always had to have like 2 bodies on Shaq, so you couldn't leave him at all...which made it easier for guards to penetrate. It wasn't to that level in Miami...yet the Mavs still gave Oneal that level of respect in the Finals. Oneal no longer demands that type of attention. I still think Shaq/Born could work though.

BiGGieStuFF · Mar 11, 2009

i was hoping phoenix would make a run. I'd love to see Dallas miss the playoffs. Dallas has a tough schedule coming up but Phoenix isn't helping itself by shooting themselves in the foot. I wouldn't mind a kobe-shaq 1st round series either.

ccada · Mar 11, 2009

BiGGieStuFF said:

i was hoping phoenix would make a run. I'd love to see Dallas miss the playoffs. Dallas has a tough schedule coming up but Phoenix isn't helping itself by shooting themselves in the foot. I wouldn't mind a kobe-shaq 1st round series either.
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I'd rather see/possibly play a Dallas team limping into the playoffs, rather than a Phoenix team rolling in.

yobod · Mar 11, 2009

gwatson86 said:

Anyone else notice that these words are so grossly misused that the sentence doesn't even make sense anymore?

Shaq is too busy helping the lane Lebron is analogous on driving through?

C'mon man, use a dictionary!
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hahaha, awesome! I noticed the exact same thing when reading that sentence.....i was like "whaaa?"

Hola-juwon · Mar 11, 2009

Shaq want to ride LeBron's back for a 5th ring.... Silly, first he got tired of Miami and left and he moved to Phoenix and made them worse and now they're not even in the playoffs while Wade is killing and Miami's back in the playoffs.

This is why I always will see Dream as the better player compared to Shaq. Hakeem won without having the best guard in the league and he didn't gave up on his team, he fought threw the bad time (late 80's and early 90's).
Shaq has no respect for the team he plays for, during bad times he quits... Lakers got enough of him, Miami got enough of him and it looks like Phoenix are tired of him too.

D-Lite · Mar 11, 2009

This will be the first time that shaq will miss the playoffs in his entire career!

mozart123 · Mar 11, 2009

Hola-juwon said:

Shaq want to ride LeBron's back for a 5th ring.... Silly, first he got tired of Miami and left and he moved to Phoenix and made them worse and now they're not even in the playoffs while Wade is killing and Miami's back in the playoffs.

This is why I always will see Dream as the better player compared to Shaq. Hakeem won without having the best guard in the league and he didn't gave up on his team, he fought threw the bad time (late 80's and early 90's).
Shaq has no respect for the team he plays for, during bad times he quits... Lakers got enough of him, Miami got enough of him and it looks like Phoenix are tired of him too.
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just wait till he leaves PHX, he'll start calling out Nash and Stoudemire and even the "scrubs", he picked on Miami's Chris Quinn when he left Miami, he has no respect for his former teammates, he's given a pass because of his seemingly playful nature but he's a sore loser.

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