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

[isekii]

Originally posted by: AntMan530
this will be awesome if everything goes through. i can see rick fox coming back and making a solid impact on the team. especially with kobe out, he could be an all star.

LOL
I hope you aren't serious.

 

[iamme]

bump for update. looks like Shaq and his agent are hinting that the Miami deal is VERY close.

 

[Nocturnal]

Seriously, I don't think the Lakers will make the finals. I was a Lakers fan back when Magic was still playing, they were my favorite team. I'm sorry but I guess you can call me not loyal cuz next year I know they won't be one of my favs. I'm going to say Houston and Cavs are going to be my two teams I'm rooting for. I hope Houston, with the addition of McGrady can do something.

 

[KnickNut3]

I think the Heat get a steal here. Shaq for Odom. Grant's just a bad contract, and a first round pick, considering they'll have O'Neal, will be in the 20+ range and not worth too much.

If they had to give up Wade or something, too, it's not great.
If O'Neal leaves? They suddenly clear 25 million off the books, and have free space just like they did last year when they got Odom (and might be able to get someone better--although it worked out, I though Odom was a risk for the $$$ they gave him).

 

[Chiboy]

Shaq is a good fit for the Heat.

 

[iamme]

hmmm....Ric Bucher mentioned Caron Butler's name in the mix too...

 

[Dragnov]

Originally posted by: iamme
hmmm....Ric Bucher mentioned Caron Butler's name in the mix too...

I have scoured the internet, Miami papers, ESPN insider, ESPN TV, etc. and I believe this a done deal.

Shaq for Odom, Grant, and Butler.

I'm a Laker fan and I like this very much. Odom has mcuh potential to be greater but even if he doesn't realize it hes still most definitely a good starter. Butler is young and looks promising. Grant is definitely overpaid but a great hustler.

I don't like Dirk, he can't defend and hes soft.

Lakers will have a glut of small forwards (funny because this was one of the weakest spots for several years now). I fully expect them to go heavy after Dampier w/ a sign and trade, moving Grant to PF. Mid level exception to get Fisher or some other point guard/shooter, or even Malone back.

 

[dethman]

lakers will be way too small after this trade. butler, odom, and kobe will be fighting for playing time, especially with george and rush out there looking for time as well. grant will get slaughtered by the west. i have a feeling in the future, people will look back and say the lakers traded shaq for who???

 

[Dragnov]

ESPN update!

Lakers get Odom, Butler, Grant, AND a future first round pick! (2006 or later).

STEAL!

Now go sign-and-trade for Dampier!

 

[iamme]

deal confirmed

 

[wyvrn]

Damn this sucks. Well at least Shaq moves to the Eastern conference. I was hoping the Mavs would get Shaq, and I still think they could make a comparable deal for him. Dirk, Howard, and Walker wouldn't be a worse deal than that. Oh well

BTW, to the guy that said Dirk is soft. Yep he is, but once you see Grant play you'll realize the Lakes will have NO DEFENSE this year. Hahaha! Grant got by being undersized in the center-less east, but they're gonna have to play him at PF in the West or he will get pounded. And Dirk has more blocks than Grant at least

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
Damn this sucks. Well at least Shaq moves to the Eastern conference. I was hoping the Mavs would get Shaq, and I still think they could make a comparable deal for him. Dirk, Howard, and Walker wouldn't be a worse deal than that. Oh well

BTW, to the guy that said Dirk is soft. Yep he is, but once you see Grant play you'll realize the Lakes will have NO DEFENSE this year. Hahaha! Grant got by being undersized in the center-less east, but they're gonna have to play him at PF in the West or he will get pounded. And Dirk has more blocks than Grant at least

iirc, didn't mark cuban say dirk was off limits?

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: iamme

Originally posted by: wyvrn
Damn this sucks. Well at least Shaq moves to the Eastern conference. I was hoping the Mavs would get Shaq, and I still think they could make a comparable deal for him. Dirk, Howard, and Walker wouldn't be a worse deal than that. Oh well

BTW, to the guy that said Dirk is soft. Yep he is, but once you see Grant play you'll realize the Lakes will have NO DEFENSE this year. Hahaha! Grant got by being undersized in the center-less east, but they're gonna have to play him at PF in the West or he will get pounded. And Dirk has more blocks than Grant at least

iirc, didn't mark cuban say dirk was off limits?

Yeah unfortunately. But even if we had kept Nash, we were going to have to give up the Flying Deutschman to get the Diesel. I was against it at first, but I'm tired of finishing as bridesmaids. I wanna shot at the championship!

If we give up Dirk, Howard, and Walker, we still have a good team. Daniels is the SG, Finley at SF, #5 pick Harris at PG, Shaq at center, and Najera or Fortson at PF. Plus we have Stackhouse coming off the bench.

 

[iamme]

the more i think about this, i really think the Lakers got a decent deal.

before the trade, the Lakers lacked depth and rebounding. with Odom, Grant, and Butler, they get 3 guys who averaged over 8 boards a game during the playoffs.

now their lineup is:

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

they have a glut of forwards, though. i dunno....i may be in the minority, but i think the Lakers don't look half bad.

 

[wyvrn]

With this trade, the Lakers aren't going to have any defense. Grant is not a Western conference center either, he is a PF. They are much like the Mavs last year with lots of scoring, lots of PFs, a aging, WORSE PG in Payton, and questionable defense. Not impressive to me.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
With this trade, the Lakers aren't going to have any defense. Grant is not a Western conference center either, he is a PF. They are much like the Mavs last year with lots of scoring, lots of PFs, a aging, WORSE PG in Payton, and questionable defense. Not impressive to me.

i'd like to see how payton does w/o the triangle b4 writing him off.

 

[wyvrn]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: wyvrn
With this trade, the Lakers aren't going to have any defense. Grant is not a Western conference center either, he is a PF. They are much like the Mavs last year with lots of scoring, lots of PFs, a aging, WORSE PG in Payton, and questionable defense. Not impressive to me.

i'd like to see how payton does w/o the triangle b4 writing him off.

I absolutely loved Payton's career, and thought he was the better aquisition last year compared to Malone. But watching him in the playoffs, he is obviously on his way out. That performance, from a veteran player in money-time, cannot be excused by the offensive scheme. He just had nothing left, and his defense was deplorable.

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: wyvrn

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold

Originally posted by: wyvrn
With this trade, the Lakers aren't going to have any defense. Grant is not a Western conference center either, he is a PF. They are much like the Mavs last year with lots of scoring, lots of PFs, a aging, WORSE PG in Payton, and questionable defense. Not impressive to me.

i'd like to see how payton does w/o the triangle b4 writing him off.

I absolutely loved Payton's career, and thought he was the better aquisition last year compared to Malone. But watching him in the playoffs, he is obviously on his way out. That performance, from a veteran player in money-time, cannot be excused by the offensive scheme. He just had nothing left, and his defense was deplorable.

for the most part i agree with you.

but sometimes players that get taken completely out of the offensive flow don't concentrate on Defense.

based on his career, i'd like to see payton in one more situation before i write him off. mb ruby can get a few more good years out of a HOF PG.

 

[iamme]

watching Payton get torched by Chauncey, i was wondering if it was:

a. signs of payton's defensive decline
b. signs of payton pouting

i, too, will be interested to see how payton plays next season.

 

[iamme]

just read that the L.A. times reports Vlade Divac may come back to the Lakers.....

Vlade instantly becomes the Lakers starting center and the Lakers become even deeper. i like Brian Grant coming off the bench better than him being a starter.

 

[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.

 

[sniperruff]

divac will just suck up your money and then provide a sub-par performance.

and yes i think it is a bad trade for the heats as well. odom and butler has much more potential than shaq. i'd shop something else for shaq if i were the heats.

 

[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.

 

[GoingUp]

damn LA should win for sure next year now

 

[Ludacris]

You guys are smoking crack. The Lakers will barely make the playoffs next year if they make it at all. You heard it here first. Teams like the Spurs, T-Wolves, and the Rockets will have a field day with those scrubs.