The On Deck Circle

You have got to be kidding me. Shaquille O’Neal on the Phoenix Suns? This is an elaborate joke, right?

ESPN and The Associated Press are reporting that a deal has been agreed upon, pending physicals, that would send Shaq to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. In lieu of the lopsided Pau Gasol trade, the NBA has provided us with another head scratcher less than a week later.

For Miami, this trade is perfect, so I won’t even get into great detail. They dump Shaq, who is aging and has fallen out of favor with coach Pat Riley. They get significant financial relief, as Marion can opt out after this offseason, is cheaper than Shaq, and even if he stays, is a free agent in 2009. Chances are, Marion won’t mind playing with D-Wade and being a pure 2nd option, either. The Matrix gives them an athletic power forward and greatly improves the quality of their defense, and it allows developing monster Udonis Haslem to slide to the center spot as an undersized (but over-gangster) center, which is fine in the East. Marcus Banks makes the salaries match and has three years left, but may also get run on the Heat as a combo guard. I cannot believe they actually managed to move Shaq’s contract. There are sunny days ahead now in Miami, as moving Shaq increases their ability to build around Wade several fold: Marion is a better fit with him, and younger; they have increased financial flexibility moving forward, and; they don’t have to design their offense around a one-dimensional big man. What a coup!


Oh, and Marion couldn’t be happier, getting out of Phoenix and being paired with a capable playmaker on a team where he is the #2 option.The reasoning on the Suns’ part is actually fairly clear, misguided or not. First, Marion wants out and it is said that Marion and Stoudemire do not and cannot co-exist on the floor, as both want to play power forward and be the top option. Additionally, the trade allows Amare to play power forward, a position his skill set seems more adept for playing. Also, their point guard is Steve Nash, so can acclimating a new player really be that tough, even if he is completely contrary to the system? General Manager Steve Kerr simply felt the Suns had to make a deal and Shaq provides them a low-post presence they feel they’ve been lacking for years. The Suns look overmatched against the Mavericks, Lakers, Spurs, and even a few other West teams, so you can’t blame the front office for trying to shake things up. Plus, the Suns were likely to lose Marion for nothing and he would be difficult to replace in the free agent market this summer.So, the logic behind the trade is clear for both sides. In reality, though, this trade makes little actual basketball sense for the Suns. This is not the Shaq of lore.

For Phoenix, nobody can seem to figure this out. John Hollinger actually cried. The Suns are the best team in the West and have had a tougher first half schedule than most, so they may be even better than their record suggests. Marion is also a perfect fit in Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun offense and is their best rebounder and defender. Losing Marion leaves a gaping hole on both ends of the floor, as Shaq provides little to a running team and is no longer a good defender. Nash has never played with a typical big man, and I’m curious to see how the Suns will adapt their high tempo offense when Shaq is on the floor. The Suns will likely have to slow their offense to a halt for Diesel’s 30 minutes a night and will almost certainly have to rely more on the jump shooting of Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa and Nash. I believe in Nash’s ability to get the best out of everyone, but this will be his toughest test yet, without question. Oh, and if you thought video game Shaq was sweaty, wait until his first Suns game.

The deal is questionable from a financial perspective as well, as Shaq makes $20M per season this year and in the next two, pushing the Suns dangerously close to the luxury tax line that owner Robert Sarver has avoided like the plague throughout his ownership tenure. The deal really ties up Phoenix’s medium-term roster flexibility, but maybe they see an aging trio of Nash, Bell and Shaq coming off the books at the same time, at which point they could re-build around a still-young-enough core of Boris Diaw, Barbosa and, of course, Amare Stoudemire. That strategy requires the Suns dipping in to the luxury tax in the next few seasons though, as those draft picks they always sell or trade away will be necessary roster players come 2011-ish when they have a new look.

So, the deal is confusing. Even if the trade does not make Miami immediately better on the floor (but it will), it gives them a great deal of long-term flexibility in building around Flash Wade. For Phoenix, it is a huge financial risk and could be the end of their run-and-gun system (Bryan Colangelo’s head must be spinning). It seems doubtful that The Big Aristotle would be in uniform tonight against the Hornets, but the Suns have two home games over the weekend where Diesel could debut.

The NBA: Where ‘what the fuck?’ happens.