Shawn Marion is a four-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA performer. He is one of the league’s most athletic and versatile players, which is why TNT’s Kenny Smith nicknamed him “The Matrix” early in his rookie season. As a testament to his versatility, he has led the league in steals twice and has finished in the top 10 in rebounding six times.

After spending last season in Miami and Toronto, Marion is now with the Dallas Mavericks, joining Jason Kidd, Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki for what owner Mark Cuban hopes will be a title run. Marion sat down with The Scores Report to talk about his new team, his prowess on the offensive glass, and why the Suns traded him away.

TSR: Thanks for chatting with The Scores Report, Shawn. We just spoke with your former teammate, Dwyane Wade, a couple of weeks ago. He seems like a really nice guy.

SM: Yeah, he’s my man.

TSR: I’d first like to ask you about joining the Dallas Mavericks. How do you think you’ll fit in?

SM: I think I’ll fit in very well.

TSR: What made you pick the Mavs?

SM: J-Kidd and Dirk tried to get me down there for like over a year now. But I wasn’t able to go directly to them, so they had to make some maneuvers and work out a sign and trade. That’s what it was.

TSR: How do you think the team will change now that you’re a Mav? Dallas was in the middle of the pack in terms of pace last season – do you see the team pushing the ball more to best utilize your skills?

SM: I think we’ll do a little bit of everything. I’m just going to come in and try to help the team in every aspect of the game, and that’s it really. That sums it up.

TSR: You have created the Shawn Marion Foundation, which provides life-changing opportunities to single-parent families. Do you plan to be active in the Dallas community?

SM: Oh, yeah. Definitely. Definitely. We’re going to put together a toy drive and all kinds of different stuff. If anybody has any input or wants to help, I’m definitely open and willing.

TSR: What are some of the Foundation’s accomplishments that you are most proud of?

SM: I do stuff here and there. I definitely give money to schools. I get a lot of requests for a lot of things, but there are only certain things I can do for my Foundation that’s able to be a tax writeoff, and everything has to be non-profit. But at the same time, I’m able to provide a variety of things, from my mother’s high school where I have my camps in North Chicago to building a playground for an elementary school to providing some money to restore backboards – all kinds of stuff. Whatever I can help with, I’ve been trying to help with.

on the Suns’ decision to trade him away…

“But regardless of what the situation was, I’m a professional, so I went in and played ball. When I left that team right before the All-Star break, we were in first place in the Western Conference…we probably would have won it that year had we done a couple of things differently.”

TSR: I have to ask you about your time with the Suns, because I think NBA fans everywhere want to know what really happened there. My question is a little long, so bear with me. In 2007, you were primed to beat the eventual champion Spurs in the Western Conference Semis, but Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended for Game 6, which you still almost won without them.

SM: We should have won.

TSR: Yeah, you should have won. I was thinking the same thing as I watched the game. The perception is that heading into the 2007-08 season, that you were disgruntled, yet as the Suns got off to a pretty good start that season, I don’t remember anything other than you being a model citizen. Then the team traded you for Shaq. Can you explain your mindset heading into that season – were you ready to move on or did you want to stay in Phoenix?

SM: I mean, there were a lot of things that went on that summer, prior to the start of training camp. So there were things that happened that summer. But regardless of what the situation was, I’m a professional, so I went in and played ball. When I left that team right before the All-Star break, we were in first place in the Western Conference. And I went to Miami, who had the worst record in the NBA at the time. It is what it is. It’s a business. I wasn’t disgruntled or anything like that. Things happen. Sometimes you have control over them and sometimes you don’t. A lot of things went on, but what’s done is done.

TSR: I understand it’s in the past, it’s just tough for a fan to see that team get broken up because it looked like you were on the verge of winning a title, so that’s why I asked about it.

SM: Well, we probably would have won it that year had we done a couple of things differently. (Laughs)

TSR: Now you’re just 31 and have a lot basketball left to play, but who are a few young guys that you enjoy watching.

SM: There are a lot of stars in this league that I love watching. You said you just got off the phone with my man D-Wade, LeBron, Carmelo. All the young guys in that class, they are talented. They are fun to watch. The NBA is filled with talented players. That’s what we are. We’re all talented players in the NBA. We just all beat up on each other and help each other survive out there.

TSR: Are there any rookies that you’re looking forward to going up against?

SM: This year?

TSR: Yeah.

SM: This year’s rookie class…well, I got to play against Thabeet. How do you say his name?

TSR: Hasheem Thabeet.

SM: Yeah, I got to play against him the other day. He’s a tall guy. (Laughs)

TSR: He’s a big boy.

SM: Yeah, he’s a big boy. Who else from this rookie class? Oh, I haven’t seen Blake Griffin yet. They got a nice little class this year, but I don’t know, I haven’t played against these rookies yet. Last year’s rookie class did really well too, with Mike Beasley and all those guys, Mario Chalmers. Shoot man, you’ve got Russell Westbrook…

TSR: Derrick Rose.

SM: Oh, of course, my man D-Rose. There’s another one that’s real good that plays for Memphis. What’s his name?

TSR: O.J. Mayo.

SM: Oh yeah, he was good last year as well.

TSR: I always thought you were a very underrated defender. Do you think you’ll be the Mavs’ perimeter stopper this season?

SM: I see myself as helping this team doing whatever we have to do to win. That’s how I see myself. You know?

TSR: You’re going to be a jack-of-all-trades.

SM: Yep, that’s it.

TSR: I’d like to ask you a little bit about your offensive rebounding, because you’ve always been great throughout your career. When the shot goes off, do you have a pretty good idea where it’s going to come off the glass?

SM: Man, you know what, sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t, but I just have a knack of knowing where the ball’s going to come off. I just try to be in the right place at the right time. I think it’s a God-given ability though. Not everybody can always be offensive rebounders. You can be a good defensive rebounder because more than likely, if you’re in position around the basket, you can box out and get a defensive rebound. Offensive rebounding, you’ve got to be willing to give more than you do on defensive rebounding. Defensive rebounding is a little easier.

TSR: I think offensive rebounding is a lot of heart and then it’s that knack for being able to figure out where the ball is coming off. And you’re one of the best I’ve ever seen at it, so it just happens – you don’t really think about it?

SM: Yeah, you know what, for the most part, pretty much.

TSR: Are you excited about playing for Mark Cuban? Is it cool to have an owner down in the third row yelling his fool head off?

SM: He’s not in the third row, he’s right next to the bench! Mark’s a great guy. I’ve known Mark for a long time and, you know, he’s a cool owner.

TSR: I know a lot of players say they enjoy playing for him.

SM: Yeah.

TSR: That’s about all I have for you, Shawn. Thanks for speaking with us and best of luck this season. I’m looking forward to seeing you playing with the Mavs.

SM: Man, I appreciate that. Keep doing what you’re doing. And to my fans, thanks for the support, and if they want to hit me up or holla at me, they can look me up on Twitter or on my website, Matrix31.com.

As part of a complicated four-team trade, it looks as if Shawn Marion is about to become a Maverick.

The deal, according to sources, calls for the Mavericks to acquire Marion and Kris Humphries from Toronto and Greg Buckner from Memphis, with Marion to receive a five-year contract worth an estimated $39 million. Buckner has had two previous stints with the Mavericks but is likely to be released, sources said.

The Grizzlies will land Jerry Stackhouse from Dallas and a substantial cash payment to buy out Stackhouse’s contract. Only $2 million of Stackhouse’s $7.25 million salary next season is guaranteed, as long as he is waived by Aug. 10.

The Raptors will receive Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Mavericks, while also preserving their $5.9 million mid-level exception for the coming season by turning their acquisition of Turkoglu — who is getting a five-year deal worth an estimated $53 million — into a sign-and-trade as opposed to an outright signing. Assembling the trade this way could also enable Toronto to re-sign Carlos Delfino, after it appeared that the Raptors would have to renounce Delfino to help make room for the Turkoglu signing.

The Magic, meanwhile, were motivated to join in the trade because their participation, as opposed to merely letting Turkoglu walk, will create a valuable trade exception they can use in future deals worth around $7 million.

Mark Cuban is arguably the most polarizing owner in the league, but he isn’t afraid to try to make his team better. Whether it’s an ill-advised Jason Kidd-for-Devin Harris swap, the mid-level signing of Marcin Gortat or working out this sign-and-trade to land Marion, Cuban has always been willing to do what’s necessary to win.

With these moves, Dallas can start Marion at small forward next to Dirk Nowitzki and shift Josh Howard to shooting guard, with Sixth Man Award winner Jason Terry staying in a bench role. The Mavericks also believe that they will have a strong small-ball unit when they elect not to play Gortat or Erick Dampier, featuring Howard at small forward, Marion at power forward and Nowitzki at center.

$8 million per year for five years is a lot to pay for a 31-year-old, but Cuban knows that Nowitzki’s window is closing and the Mavericks’ time is now. Dallas now has a formidable starting lineup — Kidd, Howard, Marion, Nowitzki and Gortat — that has features four All-Stars, with Terry, J.J. Barea, Matt Carroll and Dampier coming off the bench. It will be interesting to see if the Mavs are able (or willing) to retain Brandon Bass, who is a free agent this summer.

Eliminated from the playoffs, it’s time for the Phoenix Suns to look forward to next season. For his part, Steve Nash says that he would like to stay…

After missing the playoffs, Nash could decline an extension if he is unhappy with the offer or the off-season plan. He wants to play four more seasons.

“My first priority is to sit down and listen to Steve and (Suns Managing Partner) Robert (Sarver) and hear what their wish is and what their plan is for the team,” Nash said. “I can be a part of us revamping here.

“I’m under the impression they want to talk an extension, and I do, too. Hopefully we can find ourselves in a position where we can revamp and be back in the playoffs and hopefully be a contender. Hopefully I’ll be a part of the plan.”

Nash, 35, still is a special offensive player. If he maintains his fifth consecutive 50 percent field-goal shooting season in the final two games, Nash would become the first player in NBA history to record three seasons in which he shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line. Nash went from averaging 13.8 points under Porter to 19.1 once interim Alvin Gentry restored the team’s Nash-and-dash style. Nash’s assist-to-turnover ratio went from 2.6 -to 1 to 3.7 -to 1.

I have been critical of the Suns’ brass — namely Steve Kerr — all season long.

Back in early February, I wrote about how every move Kerr makes has made the team worse.

His first move as GM was to trade Rudy Fernandez to the Blazers for cash considerations. Then there was the Marion-Shaq trade, which forced Mike D’Antoni out, because he doesn’t know how to coach a slow-it-down team. Seemingly every move Kerr makes backfires.

The Suns are now 26-20, they’ve lost seven of their last 11 games and are hanging on to the #8 seed in the West. They are a shell of that exciting team that we saw in those playoffs two years ago and if Carlos Boozer can come back strong for the Jazz, Phoenix is in serious danger of missing the postseason altogether.

I went into more detail about Kerr’s missteps in this mid-December post.

The Suns are a mess. They probably would have made the playoffs had Amare Stoudemire stayed healthy, but even then, we’re they really a contender to make the Finals? For years, the Suns have been giving away first round picks and it has come back to bite them in the end.

Kerr has a lot of work to do. But here’s the big question: Given the job he’s already done, will he have a chance to clean up his own mess?

The trade deadline is Thursday, and trade talk is really heating up. Marc Stein gives us the latest.

Two rival executives we spoke with Sunday night immediately wondered whether the Suns’ decision to replace Terry Porter with Alvin Gentry would convince Phoenix to “tap the brakes,” as one put it, on its Stoudemire talks. If the Suns are going to try to recapture a semblance of what they had under Mike D’Antoni, with the only holdover from D’Antoni’s staff taking over, you can understand why Gentry would prefer to have Stoudemire for the rest of the season to help the cause.

Stoudemire is still under contract for another season, so it wouldn’t hurt the Suns if they wanted to see what Gentry could do with this group before moving their star player over the summer. I’d say that the Porter firing makes it more likely that Stoudemire stays put, though I’d still put the chances at better than 50/50 that Amare is moved before the trade deadline.

One source close to the situation maintains that the Suns have a standing offer from the Bulls for Stoudemire that would definitely deliver blossoming forward Tyrus Thomas and Drew Gooden’s $7.2 million expiring contract. The Suns like those two pieces. A lot.

Unclear is how much more Chicago would be willing to put into the deal.

Joakim Noah? Thabo Sefalosha? A first-round pick?

I mentioned to a buddy of mine that the Suns covet Thomas and his first reaction was, “Why?” Thomas has a rep for being a bit of a disappointment, especially with the way that LaMarcus Aldridge has blossomed in Portland. (The two were involved in a draft night trade back in 2006.)

But Thomas is playing well of late, averaging 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds over the last nine games. Production-wise, he’s always done pretty well. His PER was 14.80 his first season, 14.91 in his second season and 15.47 this season. He’s just 22 and still has a lot of upside.

The conspiracy theorists among Joe Dumars’ front-office peers around the league will inevitably surmise that the Pistons might need the extra roster spot because they’re closing in on some sort of Stoudemire deal. The combination of Rasheed Wallace’s expiring contract and young forward Amir Johnson would appear to be Detroit’s best offer — and thus not quite in Chicago’s class — but there are a couple well-connected league insiders who believe that Dumars still has hope of winning the Amare Sweepstakes.

So the Suns would let Wallace’s contract expire and they’d ultimately keep Amir Johnson from this deal. The same Amir Johnson that is averaging 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17 minutes per game this season? Can’t the Suns do better than that?

The Kings could move to the top of the list if they were willing to part with rookie forward Jason Thompson, their two biggest expiring contracts (Bobby Jackson and Shelden Williams) and what will almost certainly be a top-five pick in June.

But the Kings aren’t willing. Not to part with all that. Not yet, anyway.

The 22 year-old Thompson is averaging 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and is having a fine rookie season for a bad team. The key to this deal is the draft pick, as it projects to be in the top five come June. However, I don’t think that the Suns would want to trade Stoudemire within the division.

Sources say Oklahoma City is going after New Orleans center Tyson Chandler, with the Hornets known to be seriously interested in slicing payroll and with the Thunder capable of offering the Hornets two replacement big men with expiring contracts (Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox) as well as one of its five first-round picks in the next two drafts.

You’d like to think that the Hornets would first try to get through this season, see how far they go in the postseason and then shop Chandler closer to the draft if moving him remains their best money-saving option, since trading their interior defensive anchor — in spite of Chandler’s struggles this season — would force us to reevaluate New Orleans’ status as a contender.

The Hornets are 30-20 and currently sitting in the sixth playoff spot in the West. But keep in mind that they are only 1 1/2 games out of fourth and five games out of second. It would be a shame if they broke up the core to slash payroll, especially when the Hornets have $10.6 million coming off the books this summer in the form of Antonio Daniels and Rasual Butler’s expiring contracts. Looking at their payroll, the Hornets shouldn’t have any problem keeping this group together and still stay under the luxury tax threshold.

The problem in New Orleans is not Chandler, it’s Peja Stojakovic, as I’ve been saying all along. The Hornets made a mistake trading for him, and now that they owe him another $29.5 million over the next two seasons, they’re paying the price. His contract is untradeable and his game is degrading. That’s not a good combination.

…but the latest in circulation could furnish Portland with a new small forward and a new point guard: [Richard] Jefferson and University of Oregon-ex Luke Ridnour in exchange for Travis Outlaw, Sergio Rodriguez and Raef LaFrentz’s expiring contract.

As a Bucks fan, I’d like to see Ridnour moved to clear the way for Ramon Sessions to take over at the point, though it might be better to make that switch this summer after Sessions has been signed to an affordable contract. If they move Ridnour and Sessions blows up, it’s only going to increase his asking price. I’m lukewarm on Jefferson, but if they can get out from under his contract (via LaFrentz’s expiring deal) and get a couple of nice young players in Outlaw and Rodriguez, I’d be all for it.

Why did Miami consent to completing the long-discussed deal swapping Shawn Marion for Jermaine O’Neal nearly a week before the deadline instead of waiting a few more days to see what happens with Stoudemire?

One source close to the process says that the Heat were informed from the start that they had no shot at completing a direct Amare deal with the Suns because Phoenix did not want to bring back Marion — even for less than half a season — after last February’s emotional parting … and because Phoenix isn’t especially high on [Michael] Beasley, either.

Intuitively, this makes sense. Miami realized that it could not acquire Stoudemire, so they did the next best thing and acquired O’Neal. On the other hand, I don’t know why the Suns aren’t interested in Beasley. You’d think that he’d be a nice piece to build around, and he’ll be cheap for the next few years, but the Suns are more interested in Tyrus Thomas. Go figure.

If this trade had happened a few years ago, it would have been a blockbuster.

The Toronto Raptors have agreed to send Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, league sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher.

The deal is pending league approval, according to sources, and if approved, would be announced later Friday afternoon.

Rumors about this deal broke a few weeks ago, but died down when all the Amare Stoudemire talk started.

The trade makes sense for both sides. The Jermaine O’Neal experiment was not working in Toronto, and by trading for Marion, they get out from underneath O’Neal’s giant contract, which runs one more year at the tune of $23 million. The Heat have been looking for a center since Shaq left, and O’Neal can be that guy. If he can post 18/10 and be a presence on the defensive end, the Heat will be a dangerous team come playoff time. The fact that his contract ends after next season still leaves Miami with plenty of cap room to sign another big name to go along with Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley in the summer of 2010. The Heat were also able to unload Marcus Banks’ contract and they got a pretty good small forward (Moon) as part of the deal.

In Miami, Marion was not fitting in very well and his numbers were down across the board. Toronto likes to push the ball, so if Marion can get back to his old play, they might keep him around in the offseason (assuming he doesn’t ask for a contract that will break the bank). If not, Toronto will have about $13 million in cap space this summer.

1. Can we really expect an Amare Stoudemire trade in the next two weeks?

Sources say it’ll happen in-season only if the Suns can find a deal that delivers a mixture of top young talent and payroll relief. Which won’t be easy.

2. A deal for Toronto’s Jermaine O’Neal remains readily available to the Miami Heat. The Sacramento Kings likewise would still love to send Brad Miller to Miami for Shawn Marion as long as they don’t have to take back Marcus Banks, too.

3. I’ve heard multiple rumblings in the past month that Washington has made rugged forward Caron Butler available. But our research disputes that.

4. Portland is naturally making calls to see what it can fetch with its LaFrentz chip, but it appears that there’s a much better chance that Kings swingman John Salmons will wind up with the Blazers — who have inquired about Salmons — than that Chicago’s Luol Deng will.

5. San Antonio’s desire to acquire one more big man (preferably a floor-stretching big man) to counter the Lakers and Boston is no secret.

Random thoughts…

I still can’t believe that the Suns are actually considering trading a former 1st Team All-NBA player in the middle of his prime, but apparently they are…Jermaine O’Neal torched the Lakers two nights ago and looked great doing so. If he joined the Heat, that would become a very interesting team to watch. The key is his staying healthy, however…The Wizards would be nuts to trade Butler away. He’s their best player and the cheapest of their big three…I don’t think I’d go after Salmons if I’m the Blazers unless they’re planning to start him. He doesn’t play well off the bench and given the team’s glut of wings, I don’t know that he’d be the best option in the starting lineup…I’d love to see what Rasheed Wallace could do in a Spurs uniform, but San Antonio doesn’t have any expiring contracts and the numbers just don’t work.

ESPN’s Chad Ford said that they are in his chat yesterday.

Jason (Culver City CA) [via mobile]: What are the chances of Amare Stoudemire getting traded before the deadline?

Chad Ford: Last week I said 10 percent. But I think that was low. The more people I talk to in the league, the more I think it’s something in the neighborhood of 30 to 40 percent. Steve Kerr and Robert Sarver are taking a hard look at the team right now. If they decide to blow it up, Stoudemire will be the first to go.

Let’s see, you’re thinking about blowing the team up and your first move is to trade away your 26 year-old All-Pro forward/center? This is nonsensical. Why not trade away Shaq, who is 36 and due to make $20 million next season? Or Steve Nash, who is 34 and has just one more year on his contract?

Why would you trade away your best player, especially when he’s only 26?

I criticized Steve Kerr’s decision to break up that Suns team that was a couple of bench-clearing suspensions away from upending the eventual-champion Spurs in the 2007 playoffs. His first move as GM was to trade Rudy Fernandez to the Blazers for cash considerations. Then there was the Marion-Shaq trade, which forced Mike D’Antoni out, because he doesn’t know how to coach a slow-it-down team. Seemingly every move Kerr makes backfires.

The Suns are now 26-20, they’ve lost seven of their last 11 games and are hanging on to the #8 seed in the West. They are a shell of that exciting team that we saw in those playoffs two years ago and if Carlos Boozer can come back strong for the Jazz, Phoenix is in serious danger of missing the postseason altogether.

Now they’re thinking about trading away their best player, who is only 26 and entering the prime of his career.

That’s just great.