NBA: Shaq to Miami Heat for Odom, Grant, Butler, future pick [UPDATE: Gary Payton to leave if Shaq goes]

[BamBam215]

anyone who thinks miami got the good end of the deal is puffing something that i would like to take a hit of too. lamar odom is probably the biggest upside to the deal except he is also one of the riskiest player right now. assuming he's healthy and stays away from drug, him and kobe can be one of the best 1-2 backcourt punch in the nba. almost like jordan-pippen. but he hasn't shown he can play a full nba season YET.

caron butler is nothing more than a solid role player. brian grant will be a solid backup. and the #1 pick might be worthless considering miami will NOT be a lottery team anytime that shaq is still with them. so basically the trade consists of shaq for odom/butler(franchise superstar for almost-allstar/role player).

if the lakers can somehow include a third team, they should take eddie jones instead of brian grant and ship him out to another team for a legit big man.

and by the way if you want to make this trade fair, it would go like this:

shaq/george for wade/jones/odom/butler/#1

 

[Pretty Cool]

Miami wants George? The guy is just a body, somebody who would be thrown into a trade just to match salaries. You guys missed the point of the trade. The goal is not to win games, but to kiss Kobe's a** and allow him to get his jollies by shooting 50 times a game.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

The Lakers need a center to compete in the west. Kobe+Odom+Butler is a damn good combo but with no real center we'll get owned. And let me repeat this: Vlade Divac will not DO! He's old and on his way out.

 

[andylawcc]

A picture speaks a thousand words. This is for you GP.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: andylawcc
A picture speaks a thousand words. This is for you GP.

speaking of Payton......(see OP)

man, is anyone else losing respect for Payton during these last few years?

i used to love watching his game, but now all i see is a complaining, pouting player who just wants to hop on someone's coat tails for a championship.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Well, Shaq has kept his main home in Orlando all these years, so it makes sense for him to be moving closer to home as he gets closer to retirement.

Shaqramento would have been great for the Kings since they desparatly need a big man to free up their shooters and ditching Vlade and Webber would have been no great loss with the way those two slack asses have been playing in the playoffs.

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: wyvrn
Divac would be interesting, but the Lakers need to back him up cause he has creaky knees. Grant is still a PF in my opinion, but as a backup you might get away with playing him at the 5.

the Spurs got away with using Malik Rose as their backup Center for years. wasn't he the backup when they won it all?

so, as a backup, Grant should be sufficient.

The Spurs had Duncan and Robinson. Rose basically played garbage minutes as a backup to both of them. The Lakes will now have Grant as the only legit big man on the roster, and he is a PF. The Lakes will be in the hunt for the last couple of playoff spots unless they shore up their center position.

 

[andylawcc]

MJ to Heat too???

http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2571958

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1838485


that means MJ will be a owner, but will he play too?

 

[Stifko]

Originally posted by: iamme
now their lineup is:

pg: Payton/Fisher
sg: Kobe/Rush
sf: Butler/George/walton
pf: Malone/Odom
c: grant/Medvedenko

Didn't Malone retire ?

 

[Ranger X]

I hope Payton leaves. He's an old has-been that can no longer be called "The Glove". Malone hasn't officially retired but right now he is leaning towards retirement.

 

[maziwanka]

the combination of wade and shaq will be nasty, especially since this is the east.

the deal, as it stands, is decent. im not sure who got the better end, but with shaq there, the heat have a great chance to make the eastern conf finals this year.

 

[maziwanka]

malone and payton should retire. they're both sellouts. they dont deserve rings anymore - they tried to take the easy way out.

and to bambam - it can be argued that miami got the good end of the deal (with shaq the heat has a great shot at being in the finals).

 

[andylawcc]

http://msn.foxsports.com/name/FS/rumors

Mailman shipped as a Spur?

 

[new2AMD]

I guess its official as of 3pm EST. Shaq to Miami.

 

[new2AMD]

Its finally up on ESPN.com

 

[Bumrush99]

HELLS YEAH!!! GO HEAT!!

I'm so pumped right now!! Not only does shaq bring his amazing talent to the team, but watch the free agents roll on in to Miami now..

Wade/Shaq/Jones/Haslem is pretty damn good as it stands now.. Especially in the East.

 

[Ranger X]

ESPN link

The Lakers is now, OFFICIALLY, a lottery team.

 

[MrDingleDangle]

its gonna suck when Odom starts hangin around his old friends and gets caught with the maryjane and then is suspended a year for his 3rd strike

 

[Bumrush99]

Odom was a dream to watch last year in Miami. It really hurts to see him go, I have been a Heat fan since day 1 and have never loved B-ball as much as I did last year after watching Wade, Odom and Caron.

Odom was a model citizen last year, kept his mouth shut most of the season and talked with his performance on the court. I think he has turned the corner is ready to become a solid 20/10 player. Not a superstar like Shaq, but a great, versatile PF that may one day develop in to a Garnett-like player.

 

[Ranger X]

Odom is most likely going to play the PF position. Any chance he'll be able to guard Garnett, Duncan, Webber or Nowitzki? :laugh:

Caron Butler will share a position with Deavan George. Brian Grant will play, what, center? He'll get owned by all the centers in the west at 6-9. Miami is going to be a great team .. although I'm not ready to make them the Eastern Conference favorites just yet. The Lakers should have involved a 3rd team on this trade because this trade SUCKS.

 

[mmx]

go riley.

Shaq has turned the heat, way up.

I see also gary payton moving to the heat. so it will be payton, wade, shaq, eddi jones, and ???

maybe karl malone!!!!

All i'm saying is season tickets here i come

 

[Ranger X]

Miami is one free agent from being a favorite, in my books. Miami shouldn't persue GP .. he's old and his defense is subpar at best.

The lineup so far is ...

PG - Wade
SG - Jones
SF - <Some young guy>
PF - Haslem
C - Shaq

and that's not including all the free agents this deal will bring into Miami.

 

[Bumrush99]

Haslem is going to have a monster year. He brings a lot of energy to the table and has a pretty nice 12-14 ft jump shot.

 

[LordSnailz]

It would be sweet to finally see how well Eddie Jones can play with the proper cast, I've always like em ... I still think lakers got the shorter end of the stick with this deal ...

 

[konichiwa]

OP thinks miami got the short end of this deal? Anybody who trades away Shaq for three non all stars, non hall of famers, non "blockbuster" (fill the seats) players is getting the VERY short end...