I thought winning and money was the magic combo. Clearly we dont have enough of either. But if J Oneal is going to visit the Miami Heat as reported in the 7/7 NBA insider. I dont see any reason we couldnt get him to visit Houston. He will already be in the area anyway. from NBA insider: O'Neal Expect target No. 1 to be Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal. O'Neal, who plans to visit San Antonio and possibly Dallas this week, will likely add Miami to his free-agent visit list, a source close to O'Neal told Insider. The Pacers have remained confident all along that O'Neal ultimately would return to Indiana. Their thinking, in large part, was based on the fact that they believed O'Neal didn't want to play in the power forward-laden West or play second fiddle to Tim Duncan. But if a prime job in the East opened up? O'Neal would be joining a team that has a nice combination of young talent and veterans. In Miami, he'd still have the role he desperately wants to keep -- the go-to guy on his team. Combine that with O'Neal's long-standing desire to return to the south (he grew up in South Carolina), and Pacers GM Donnie Walsh can start sweating a little. Scratch that -- a lot. Adding O'Neal and Wade should give Riley the firepower he needs to propel the Heat right back into the playoffs next season. But don't count out the Pacers just yet. They can offer him an extra year, 2.5 percent more in raises and a starting salary that exceeds the Heat's by around $1.5 to $2 million. Add that up and O'Neal could make an extra $35 million over the life of the deal if he re-signs with Indiana. O'Neal won't be the Heat's only target. If he decides to stay in Indiana or join Duncan in San Antonio, the Heat have more options. Riley is fond of Clippers center Michael Olowokandi. Olowokandi recently bought a home in the Miami area, so you know he'd head there in a heartbeat. Riley has also been a Lamar Odom fan since he worked him out right before the draft. Would the Heat be willing to risk a big chunk of that money on a restricted free agent? Other possible targets include Gary Payton, Gilbert Arenas, Andre Miller, Brad Miller and Juwan Howard. However, Payton almost certainly will sign with the Lakers. Adding a guy like Arenas or Andre Miller isn't as important now that the team believes Wade can make the transition to point. Brad Miller or Howard would be solid additions if O'Neal and Olowokandi fall through.
We don't have any money to sign him! I like him....good player....but I don't know how Francis, Mobley, O'Neal, and Yao could share the ball..... It would be one great team though! We could only get him by a SIGN AND TRADE...probably involving Steve... I don't think anyone's visited Houston so far....
Bill Duffy, the agent for Miami Heat guard Anthony Carter, told ESPN.com on Monday that a clerical error in his office led to the missed contract deadline that threatens to cost Carter the bulk of his $4.1 million salary next season. Carter was required to notify the Heat by June 30 that he intended to invoke the player option on the final season of his original three-year, $12 million contract. When the Heat received no such notification, the NBA officially listed Carter as a free agent Tuesday -- the first day teams were permitted to negotiate with free agents. If Miami renounces its rights to Carter, it could have closer to $11 million in available salary cap room than the $7 million previously estimated -- a difference expected to immediately transform the Heat into a major player on this summer's free-agent market. that is why the Heat are now on O'Neal's list................
http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/stein_marc/1577849.html "Pacers president Donnie Walsh spent a good portion of his Monday discussing fine points with Arn Tellem, the agent for O'Neal, as sentiment grew around the league that O'Neal was virtually off the market. Another sign? O'Neal's scheduled visits this week with the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks have been canceled."
Imagine if Jermain signed with San Antonio! Lets all hope that since he is not coming here that he does resign with the Pacers or at least stays in the East. Oneal and Duncan together for a decade is way to scary.
I think Jermaine O'Neal is going to stay in Indy. He likes Isiah Thomas (?!?!) and he has his whole family moved to the Indianapolis area. Plus he has family problems (according to the recent ESPN Magazine) and uprooting his family during their current troubles probably isn't an option. Miami probably won't sign O'Neal anyway because they have only about 5 players under contract (not counting their free agents) and should look to trading their big contracts for more reasonable-sized deals. Alonzo's status is up in the air but ESPN did mention the Heat could re-sign him for just over the MLE (say, 3 years starting at about $6 mil). This, of course, is just speculation, but it could happen. But it also appears that Miami and Zo have yet to sit down and discuss matters. Further speculation on my part wishes we we would do something like offer Cat, EG, Mo, and Collier (cap purposes) for Brian Grant and Caron Butler. If Miami adds a center---Zo? Kandi?---then they'd have a fleshed-out roster. Mo and Collier would equal Grant's salary. Would Miami give up Caron for Cat/EG, though? Wishful thinking, hunh? *sigh*
I agree. O'neil is only using SA and Dallas as leverages to make sure he can get a max contract from the Pacers. He is not going anywhere. The O'neil derby has ended before it started.
I like O'Neal a lot, who wouldn't, but I honestly believe he signs with SA or resigns with Indy. Plus O'Neal money could get us Brand. We'd have to give up players but for Brand they can have anyone not named Steve or Yao.
ESPN has just reported that O'Neal cancelled his visits with Dallas and SA and will focus on resigning with Indiana.
Excellent news, actually. Kidd to SA doesn't scare me as much as O'Neal to SA. Plus, if they sign Kidd, they'll probably have to dump Parker (he wants to start at PG). But the Lakers look primed to win next year, with Payton/Malone. I can live with that, since the Rockets probably won't contend next year, anyway. What scared me the most about this offseason was the potential for creating a Spurs dynasty. The Lakers will be too old (with the exception of Kobe) about the time we are ready to contend.
I agree. Jermaine O'Neal has come to senses! He wants his own team and more money and to stay loyal! Hopefully Jason Kidd does the same... I still don't think Malone will go to the Lakers..
Doesn't surprise me. He knows he couldn't hang in the West night in and night out. Stay in the B league, Jermaine. Maybe now the endless Jermaine threads (posted by the same guy) will stop.
