Author: John Paulsen (Page 740 of 937)

Pending a physical, the Heat have agreed to send Shaquille O’Neal to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

Making a move for O’Neal appears on the surface to make little basketball or financial sense for the Suns. O’Neal’s arrival in Phoenix would undoubtedly prompt widespread skepticism about his ability to keep up in the Suns’ high-octane system. The two years and $40 million remaining on O’Neal’s contract after this season also clashes with the Suns’ recent pattern of trading away players (such as Kurt Thomas) and draft picks in attempt to reduce payroll and eventually drag themselves away from the NBA luxury-tax line of $67.875 million.

The Suns, though, have been plagued by well-chronicled concerns about their chemistry for nearly two years, generally focusing on the occasional dissatisfaction voiced behind the scenes by either Marion or Amare Stoudemire. In the locker room as well as the front office, sources say, there are factions that have believed for some time that one of them would eventually have to be traded for the Suns to reach their full potential.

Let’s see, you have the best record in the West and you were a bench-clearing suspension away from beating the Spurs in last year’s playoffs. And your plan is to send your second-best player (who is also your most versatile) to Miami for a slow, 35 year-old center with bad hips? Are you serious?

I hate this deal for Phoenix. They are going to have to alter their attack to allow Shaq to keep up, unless the motivation of playing for a title again takes five years off of his game. Financially, this goes against everything the Suns have done in recent years to trim payroll. I honestly don’t know what they could be thinking. Sure, Shaq gives them some beef on the front line, but by trading away Marion, they are trading away their biggest advantage – speed.

This deal is a no-brainer for Miami. Shawn Marion still has four or five All-Star caliber years left and Dwyane Wade now has a new running mate that can keep up. The Heat also get Marcus Banks, who played well for Minnesota before signing with the Suns.

This is the most befuddling trade in recent memory. I picked the Suns to break through this season, but if this trade indeed goes through, I take it all back.

The Lakers made a terrific deal in acquiring Pau Gasol, but they shouldn’t stop there. In my latest column, I look at their revamped roster and suggest a few deals that would provide a better fit at small forward. I also suggest a few trades that could entice the Nets to part ways with Jason Kidd.

Pat Riley thinks that Shaquille O’Neal deserves to play in this year’s All-Star Game.

“I really think that the 12 most deserving players should get it. I do,” Riley said. “The most deserving should get it and I think the commissioner should always have the right, for somebody who has done so much for the league, for whatever reason, to add a 13th guy to come and be part of the whole thing.”

So it’s Riley’s opinion that despite Shaq’s injury-riddled 14-point, 8-rebound 2007-08 campaign, which has led to the Miami Heat posting a 9-37 record, he should be awarded a special spot in the All-Star Game because he “has done so much for the league.”

Hmmm.

For his part, Shaq doesn’t want any handouts.

“I appreciate my coach for sticking up for me, but I don’t want to be handed anything,” said O’Neal, whose run of 14 straight selections matched Jerry West and Karl Malone as the most in NBA history.

At least Shaq isn’t going crazy.