SHAQ HEADS TO SUNS
The Phoenix Suns acquired center Shaquille O'Neal from the Miami Heat for forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks.
What does it give the Phoenix Suns
It's hard to see what the Suns and neophyte GM Steve Kerr are going for here. Sure, Marion had asked for a trade and would have been tough to re-sign. But in Shaq the Suns are taking an increasingly injury-prone player who has shown major decline the past couple of years. Moreover, O'Neal has two years left on his contract after this one at a major cap hit of $20 Million per year. Oh, and he is ill-suited to Phoenix's run-first style. This might have been a good deal five years ago, but at soon-to-be-36 Shaq is nowhere near as vaulable as Marion. This may have cost Steve Nash his last legit shot at a title.
What does it give the Miami Heat
What does Miami get? In Marion, only one of the NBA's top 3 overall forwards, a guy who is still in his prime and has a contract that comes off the books earlier than Shaq's would have. Banks is a bit of a throw-in for guard-rich Miami, so this deal is all about the Matrix: a player who should be able to at least pull the Heat out of the basement, and if he stays will help the team retain Dwyane Wade. A heist of epic proportions for Miami.
Fantasy impact
