O'Neal-Miami trade Rumour (Disappointing Update Pg8)

[LittleOzzy]

Riley downplays trade rumor

Heat President Pat Riley, in his first public comments about a potential trade for Toronto's Jermaine O'Neal, cautioned that the deal is not imminent.

While not denying interest in O'Neal, Riley said in a team statement released Sunday that reports about the potential trade were premature.

"It's typical this time of the year in the NBA that people put the cart before the horse," Riley said. "Whoever is saying that is putting the cart before the horse."

The Heat is considering sending forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks to the Raptors for O'Neal.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/bask ... 6699.story

O'Neal rumours swirl as Raptors visit Atlanta

With talk of a potential big trade swirling around them, the Toronto Raptors visit the Atlanta Hawks for a matinée contest Monday on the Martin Luther King holiday in the United States (2 p.m. ET).

A report over the weekend in the Florida Sun-Sentinel said the Raptors are discussing a swap that would send disappointing centre Jermaine O'Neal to the Miami Heat for former all-star forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks.

According to the report, Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo would like to get the deal done, but Miami president Pat Reilly wants more time to monitor O'Neal's health.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/sto ... r-atl.html

O'Neal trade talk Heats up

The Raptors are moving toward a significant mid-season trade that would ship Jermaine O'Neal to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks in a deal involving highly paid veterans unable to fit seamlessly into new situations.

Multiple league sources confirmed yesterday that talks have progressed to the point where the trade, although not imminent, could be finalized when the Heat are satisfied O'Neal is healthy enough to help them in their drive for the Eastern Conference playoffs.

How many more games it will take to convince the Heat is unclear, but the sources confirmed talks are nearly completed at the highest levels of each organization.

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/NBA/article/573052

Riley says trade not imminent

Riley's statement, his first dealing with the rumors, leaves open the possibility that a deal could be reached. The Toronto Sun today cited sources saying that talks have progressed to the point where a trade could be finalized when the Heat are satisfied O'Neal is healthy enough to help them.

Injuries have limited O'Neal, 30, to fewer than 52 games in three of the past four seasons. He missed 42 games last season because of an injured left knee, the same knee he had surgery on at the end of the 2006-07 season. He has missed 12 games this season, nine because of a sore right knee.

O'Neal, who is averaging 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, has told friends that he expects to be traded to Miami, according to various reports. He is making $21.3 million this season, and has a player's option for $23 million for next season.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/heat/conte ... _0119.html

The JO to Miami thread was getting pretty confusing so I thought the best option was to lock the old and re-open a new thread about the possible deal.

Edit : Title Update.. Jan 22 - Duke

[rdtx2005]

this has becomes the NBA worst kept secert

[KSR]

Im not a big marion fan at all, i think he will be terrible for our system. The dude needs someone to create for him, and we dont have anyone that can create for themselves let alone others. Just a bad bad trade, i like JO i think he can help us out alot.

[Fairview4Life]

Howard is apparently starting today in Philly.

[alexintoronto]

disappointing centre Jermaine O'Neal

How is he disappointing? We knew he had injury problems. When he's played - he's done a decent job. The trade, in my mind, may happen more because of the emergence of AB than because of JO being "disappointing"

[dagger]

i like JO i think he can help us out alot.

That ship has sailed. Between his peanut brittle health - which may be aggravated by us being 10 games below .500 - and his tendency to take away Bosh's game, I don't see the point. Time for asset reallocation.

[Dr Octagon]

Smokescreen.

[h00pst1r]

this has becomes the NBA worst kept secert

And for that reason, I'm starting to think it may not go through! GM's hate when things get leaked and I imagine sometimes that leads to trades that were supposed to go down to be nixed.

[Turnpikebandit]

Howard is apparently starting today in Philly.

Could that be in the interest of showcasing?

[MEDIC]

Outside of a deal that involved us getting Deng, I always thought JO for Marion was the best deal for us.

Really, it is the only O'Neal deal in the NBA that makes sense for both francises.

JO for Howard is completely ridiculous. (I have no idea why Dallas would even consider this if their plan is to win now................if they want to re-build, that's a different story, but knowing how competitive Cuban is - he is always in a "win now" mode)

I don't like the JO to Chicago for scrubs deal......especially if it involves Hughes.

JO for Marion it is. I like it....like it a lot...

[Fairview4Life]

Howard is apparently starting today in Philly.

Could that be in the interest of showcasing?

I hope so. I'm willing to believe anything that keeps hope alive.

[_venom_]

Howard is apparently starting today in Philly.

Could that be in the interest of showcasing?

Well he isn't doing a very good job of showcasing so far starting off 0-5...

[ATLTimekeeper]

Pat Riley must be laughing as we pile up losses in the name of getting JO back into game shape for him.

Can someone explain to me again why we're paying a tax (Banks) to give a big market huge capspace in the biggest free agent year in a decade?

[TerryTate]

Pat Riley must be laughing as we pile up losses in the name of getting JO back into game shape for him.

Can someone explain to me again why we're paying a tax (Banks) to give a big market huge capspace in the biggest free agent year in a decade?

We'd only pay tax for 1 year (this year) I think (for Banks).... as Marion expires this year.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Pat Riley must be laughing as we pile up losses in the name of getting JO back into game shape for him.

Can someone explain to me again why we're paying a tax (Banks) to give a big market huge capspace in the biggest free agent year in a decade?

We'd only pay tax for 1 year I think.... as Marion expires this year.

Sorry, I meant tax in a figurative sense. We're taking a bad contract for the ability to have some capspace in a bad free agent year, so that a big market team can not only fill a need, but have capspace in the more important year.

[1LLMATIC]

Smokescreen.

+ 1
Since when does BC do anything predictable.

[hoop_head]

I posted this on the General Board first, but here's my 2 cents:

Colangelo is in a tough spot.

The rise of Bargnani's play at Center makes JO a very bad investment. Too much money to have coming off the bench, a trade must happen. What the Raptors need more than anything is a Shooting Guard that can match Bosh as a player.

What I mean is, Bosh needs a SG equal to him in terms of talent, production, and team leadership. We need a versatile 2-Guard that can score 20+ points on a semi-regular basis, play adequate defence, and lead the team when necessary through smart, aggressive basketball play.

Thinking long-term, we have three of the five starting positions locked-up (hopefully!). Calderon at PG, Bosh at PF, and Bargnani at C. The question marks are at SG and SF. It's no secret that Jose isn't the most aggressive PG, so my thinking is the Raps need a SG that is aggressive, to balance out the backcourt. I'm not too worried about the SF spot, because the Raps have options at SF (Moon, Graham, Kapono). It's the SG spot that needs work - Anthony Parker is a good SG, but his age makes him (and his position) the #1 issue for the Raps IMO.

So, who's willing to trade a SG like this away for JO? Pretty tough assignment for BC to complete. The Marion + Banks for JO does nothing to address the SG issue. It would give Miami the Center they need, in addition to waving goodbye to Banks & his contract. The Raps wind up with another Forward when a SG is top priority, and a fourth PG in Banks (plus his contract!).

I understand that Colangelo has to move JO, and Marion would be an upgrade for the Raps at SF. My issue would be that despite another roster move by Colangelo, the Raps would still be sorely lacking a long-term solution at SG. Picking up Banks in the deal, and his contract which expires after the 2010-2011 season, is just dead weight that the Raps roster doesn't need. Banks has no hope of playing significant minutes for the Raps, it's about developing Roko off the bench right now. Even Solomon would probably play ahead of Banks off the bench.

I don't like this deal for the Raps, but it would help Miami.

[killerbs]

I would say 1 more week till we receive Marion for JO

[D22]

because marion comes off the books this year. I think 2010 is being made too big a deal of, I understand the players involved, but they also may sign with their respected teams before the big bang and the whole thing could amount to just LBJ, Wade and a few others. I assume CB would stay if we played OK with marion and signed a decent key this offseason. I see the raps making a good move getting JO out. He has been invisible. And.. what player will sign with a desperately loosing team? We need a change, and we need wins, NOW.

[_venom_]

I posted this on the General Board first, but here's my 2 cents:

Colangelo is in a tough spot.

The rise of Bargnani's play at Center makes JO a very bad investment. Too much money to have coming off the bench, a trade must happen. What the Raptors need more than anything is a Shooting Guard that can match Bosh as a player.

What I mean is, Bosh needs a SG equal to him in terms of talent, production, and team leadership. We need a versatile 2-Guard that can score 20+ points on a semi-regular basis, play adequate defence, and lead the team when necessary through smart, aggressive basketball play.

Thinking long-term, we have three of the five starting positions locked-up (hopefully!). Calderon at PG, Bosh at PF, and Bargnani at C. The question marks are at SG and SF. It's no secret that Jose isn't the most aggressive PG, so my thinking is the Raps need a SG that is aggressive, to balance out the backcourt. I'm not too worried about the SF spot, because the Raps have options at SF (Moon, Graham, Kapono). It's the SG spot that needs work - Anthony Parker is a good SG, but his age makes him (and his position) the #1 issue for the Raps IMO.

So, who's willing to trade a SG like this away for JO? Pretty tough assignment for BC to complete. The Marion + Banks for JO does nothing to address the SG issue. It would give Miami the Center they need, in addition to waving goodbye to Banks & his contract. The Raps wind up with another Forward when a SG is top priority, and a fourth PG in Banks (plus his contract!).

I understand that Colangelo has to move JO, and Marion would be an upgrade for the Raps at SF. My issue would be that despite another roster move by Colangelo, the Raps would still be sorely lacking a long-term solution at SG. Picking up Banks in the deal, and his contract which expires after the 2010-2011 season, is just dead weight that the Raps roster doesn't need. Banks has no hope of playing significant minutes for the Raps, it's about developing Roko off the bench right now. Even Solomon would probably play ahead of Banks off the bench.

I don't like this deal for the Raps, but it would help Miami.

It will help Miami if and only if JO stays healthy. And honestly how much confidence do you have in JO staying healthy throughout the rest of the season and the playoffs plus next year? I don't have much faith in his health and the problem with keeping JO and his huge salary for next year is that as it stands we are already close to the luxury tax for next year meaning we will have no way to improve our team for next year unless we dump JO now for a friendlier contract (Marion). JO is making 3 times as much as he should be making and it's severely hindering our ability to acquire players that we need (SG and SF).