If Shaq was willing to be a back up it would work...but who is gonna get them the ball? Both of these guys need that star point guard/wing player to get them the ball, especially with zoning. Also, Shaq is gonna be 38 next year. Kareem started to slow down a lot by 38, and he was in much better shape than Shaq.
Are ther rumors? Do you really think that a declining Shaq would come here and play second fiddle to Yao? Ego ego ego. Would never ghappen.
Teams can't front Shaq like they do Yao, Shaq is much too strong and he has quicker feet than Yao. Plus you don't think Battier or Brooks or Artest will throw the ball inside to Shaq?
That's my point...Shaq knows he's declining. He's not stupid. Shaq also knows Yao is better than him skillwise at this point in his career and Houston gives Shaq a better chance at another ring than Phoenix does.
I'm for it. If Yao goes down again, we have Shaq. With the both of them here, we can limit the number of minutes played. Plus having someone with CHAMPIONSHIP and MVP experience is never bad.
I'll leave the thread now. Too manyJack Cokes. For the record, I love Shaq. Back-up would be neat. Don't think it's ;likely he retires as a Rocket.
I don't buy that. Phoenix won't trade Shaq's expiring for a guy that isn't guaranteed to be at full strength next season. They aren't tanking before the season even starts. And even if they do believe McGrady will be able to perform to some degree, do you honestly think they envision him fitting their up and down style of play? You could argue McGrady didn't fit that style two years ago, before the microfracture surgery. Personally, I don't believe any team that trades for McGrady (if any team does at all) will be doing it to get him on the court. They would most likely be doing it for his expiring contract. Shaq already provides them with a massive $20 million expiring contract so what would be the point of swapping it for McGrady's contract? I suppose you could argue that McGrady's contract represents a few more million coming off the books but I don't think that is signficant enough for them to trade away a player that stayed healthy and put up 18 and 9 for a guy coming off knee surgery that missed most of last season. Basically, if Phoenix wants to save money after next season, they can just hold on to Shaq and his contract. They would also have a guy that actually played good basketball recently. On the other hand, if they want to trade Shaq this summer, they will likely want more than a risky return like McGrady - a guy who didn't fit their style of play before the surgery.
Shaq is 38...T-Mac is 30. T-Mac has ALOT more basketball left in him than Shaq does. T-Mac also wants another contract, he'll have plenty of motivation especially if he's traded to try to get get back as close to where he was as possible and you can't tell me that the prospect of Nash, T-Mac, and Amare won't appeal to the Suns? I think its a low risk, high reward trade for the Suns too. The Rockets MUST bring Yao's minutes down in order to maximize their chances in the postseason. This should be their top priority and making this trade would give them depth, experience, defense, and more offensive firepower. Would you rather go into next season having Chuck Hayes or Shaq as Yao's primary backup?
MasterIce, Don't get me wrong. I'd take Shaq as a backup over Tracy in any facet. I just don't see Phoenix doing it for the reasons I mentioned above. If anybody takes McGrady off our hands this summer, it will be for his expiring contract. Phoenix doesn't have that incentive because they already have Shaq's expiring. If you are trying to sell McGrady because he has so much good basketball left in him, no other GM will believe that until they see it for themselves. That means McGrady would have to be back in form before the trade deadline and Phoenix would have to still have Shaq by then. And if McGrady is playing good enough that Phoenix wants him for his basketball abilities (since his expiring is a non-issue for them), we would likely end up keeping him to meet our needs at a starting position as opposed to getting a quality backup. As of now, I don't see this trade happening under any circumstances this summer or even at the trade deadline next year.
There about the same in terms of basketball age. T-Mac is coming off Microfracture knee surgery. Not many players have come back from that, last player that comes to mind is Stoudemire, and even then you could say he is lucky to have recovered and came back from it. Fortunate for him, he got it when he was "young". It's going to be tough for Mac to make a complete comeback.
I think the trade helps both teams and their trade value is about equal at this point with Shaq's age and T-Mac's injuries basically canceling each other out. I think Shaq fits better with this team than T-Mac does and he also fills a more critical need.
That is why it won't happen. Why take a guy who is still decent but but on the downside in Shaq for a guy who is injured and may not make a comeback and may not be able to play? Doesn't make sense to me. And as much as I'd love to have him as backup C, it is wishful thinking, same as playing him at PF.
This was a rumored deal at the trade deadline earlier this year...I think the Rockets can do better than this... Thursday, February 19, 2009 Sources: Suns balk at offer for Shaq By Marc Stein ESPN.com Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James on the same team? NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that a deal to make that happen is highly unlikely before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trading deadline, but multiple sources close to the situation confirmed that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix have indeed discussed the possibility. In a proposal first reported by The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic were offered to the Suns for O'Neal as part of the Cavs' well-chronicled quests to add one more big man for the playoffs and show LeBron that they will do anything necessary to win a championship. Yet sources with knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com that, entering the final two hours before the deadline, neither team was optimistic about reaching an agreement. It's believed that the Suns have pushed Cleveland to substitute Wally Szczerbiak's $13.8 million expiring contract for Wallace, which would result in the huge financial windfall that initially prompted Phoenix to make Amare Stoudemire and O'Neal available in trades earlier this month. Phoenix on Monday began informing teams that Stoudemire was no longer available after the team replaced first-year coach Terry Porter with Alvin Gentry. The Suns, though, remain eager to reduce their payroll by at least $7 million and up to $9 million to avoid paying luxury tax next season. If the Suns were willing to accept Wallace and Pavlovic, they would slice $5.5 million from next season's books, as Wallace's salary decreases from $14.5 million this season to $14 million in 2009-10 and because only $1.5 million of Pavlovic's $5 million salary next season is guaranteed. The Suns' desire to take back Szczerbiak and Pavlovic is understandable. In that scenario, Phoenix would erase $19.5 million from next season's payroll. Phoenix would have to pay T-Mac next season but they would have more $$$ coming off the books for 2010 than they would if they kept Shaq. Phoenix really wants cap relief.
I know it was a rumored deal but just because Cleveland was willing to aquire him or play him as PF or backup to Z doesnt mean the Rockets should. And I'm sure the Rockets could do better than that proposed deal too. But realistically, it probably isnt going to happen.
If Shaq was traded to Cleveland you best believe that Big Z would become the backup Center and not Shaq.
Shaq would NOT play backup to Big Z...that's ridiculous. Shaq would most definitely start and Big Z would come off the bench. I don't see why Phoenix wouldn't do it, T-Mac alone is better than anything the Cavs would offer and it would allow the Suns to remain a legit playoff contender. I personally think the Suns trading for Shaq was a mistake to begin with.
