In a surprise move, the Phoenix Suns will reportedly trade star forward Shawn Marion and backup point guard Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat for center Shaquille O'Neal.
Though the deal isn't official, and there is a chance it might not happen, all indication points to Shaq moving back to the Western Conference soon.
Steve Kerr seems to recognize that the Suns may not be able to win a title with a small-ball lineup. Yet, many question whether or not O'Neal is the answer. Coach Mike D'Antoni is notorious for liking to run the ball for a full 48 minutes. Former Suns big man Kurt Thomas was traded partly because he slowed the team down to a grind. While that may have been true, Shaq will most certainly slow the team down to a halt. Moreover, he's not the same player he once was, and is averaging a career low 14.2 ppg this season.
Meanwhile, it would be interesting to see how Shawn Marion fares in Miami without Steve Nash passing the ball to him. Though a gifted athlete, Marion has been criticized for not being able to create a shot for himself. Many believe he's merely a product of the environment he plays in, as Nash tends to create open looks for teammates. Still, this trade seems to benefit the Heat more than it does the Suns. Shawn Marion's $16 million contract comes off the books after the 2008-2009 season with a player option after this season, while Shaq's $20 million contract doesn't come off the books until after the 2009-2010 season.
StatisticsShaquille O'Neal is averaging 14.2 ppg, 7.8 rbpg, 1.7 bspg, while shooting 58% from the field and 48% from the foul line in 28 minutes a night.
Shawn Marion is averaging 15.8 ppg, 9.9 rbpg, 2.0 spg, 1.5 bspg, while shooting 53% from the field in 36 minutes a night. Marcus Banks is averaging 5.2 ppg in 13 minutes a night.
New Look Rosters
Shaq still has to pass a physical, but if this trade goes through, the new starting lineups would look something like this:
Phoenix Suns
- C. Shaquille O'Neal
- PF. Amare Stoudemire
- SF. Grant Hill
- PG. Steve Nash
- SG. Raja Bell
- Bench: Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw
Miami Heat
- C. Mark Blount
- PF. Udonis Haslem
- SF. Shawn Marion
- PG. Jason Williams
- SG. Dwayne Wade
- Bench: Ricky Davis, Dorell Wright, Marcus Banks
The Heat have lost 19 of its last 20 games and has the worst record in the NBA at 9-37. The Suns, on the other hand, have the best record in the Western Conference at 34-14.
