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Shaq approves trade to Heat


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Center is excited about Wade, Riley

ESPN.com news services

 

Warm weather. Smaller centers. A star guard. Pat Riley. Life in South Florida sounds mighty nice to Shaq.

 

As first reported by ESPN's David Aldridge on Saturday, the Lakers center has agreed to accept a proposed trade that would send him to the Miami Heat in exchange for guard Caron Butler, forwards Lamar Odom and Brian Grant and a future draft pick.

 

The trade has not been finalized, but O'Neal has informed both the Lakers and Heat that he will not do anything to hinder the swap and would not opt out of his contract after next season.

 

"We've said that we would agree to a trade," O'Neal's agent, Perry Rogers, said in a story posted Saturday night on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Web site. "I think that's going to happen. I'd be very surprised if it didn't happen."

 

The deal cannot be completed until Wednesday when a two-week leaguewide moratorium on trades and free agent signings expires.

 

"It's very serious. I think it's very close to getting done," said Grant's agent, Mark Bartelstein.

 

The Lakers may be forced to take this proposal, as there are no other prospective deals on which O'Neal has signed off.

 

Dallas was the early front-runner to acquire O'Neal, but a Mavericks source seemed resigned Saturday to O'Neal's going to Miami. The source said that if the Heat can work out a contract extension for O'Neal when his current deal expires in two years, there is nothing the Mavs can do to thwart the trade.

 

Rogers said the Heat had not discussed a new contract with O'Neal.

 

"No extension was agreed upon. That was never a condition for Shaquille," Rogers told the Associated Press. "He wanted to go to an environment that was a team environment. We feel confident that that's what Pat Riley and [owner] Micky Arison have created as a culture. This is the type of place that Shaquille would love to finish his career.''

 

Miami is one of five cities that O'Neal has told the Lakers would be acceptable to him.

 

Despite O'Neal's smiling denial to The Associated Press on Saturday afternoon that he had met with Heat president Pat Riley, sources told Aldridge that O'Neal apparently agreed to accept the trade after spending part of Saturday morning in Orlando meeting with Riley and Miami general manager Randy Pfund.

 

Apparently, Riley, Pfund and O'Neal's representatives met for three hours. O'Neal was not present for the entire meeting, but hit it off immediately with Riley.

 

"He feels this is the environment he wants," a source who was at the meeting said of O'Neal. Riley "was really good about understanding what Shaquille wanted to accomplish," the source said. "He was a great listener."

 

According to the source, O'Neal likes how Riley used Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later in Abdul-Jabbar's career and believes a return to the Eastern Conference, with its relative lack of big men, will help extend his career. O'Neal also was excited about the prospect of playing with second-year guard Dwyane Wade, who he feels is a special player.

 

"You don't have to go back too far to see a guard and Shaquille being able to do some damage, even with role players surrounding them," the source said, referring to O'Neal's early years in the league with Orlando, when he and Penny Hardaway helped lead the Magic to the Finals in 1995.

 

O'Neal will remain in Orlando until the deal is finalized.

 

On Friday night, ESPN's Jim Gray reported that the Lakers had OK'd their end of the deal and the decision to make the trade, including either Butler or a first-round pick, was now in the Heat's hands. The Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise had reported Thursday on the initial talks between the teams.

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Why Oh Why do the Heat have to be in the Southeast Division? I can just see Shaq abusing Dwight Howard down in the post. I see your Pacers signed Stephan Jackson and are trading for him in exchange for Al Harrington. 6 years at 44 mill is better value than us giving Hedo Turkoglu 6 years at $39 mill though.

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Haha yeah.  Harrington is a stud, and I hate to see him go.  However, I can see Jackson fitting into Indiana really fast.  This team's going to be solid again; it just needs to tweak a couple of things.  This is a start.

I heard rumors of a Jason Terry and Stephan Jackson for Jamaal Tinsley and Al Harrington deal though, now that'd be interesting. ;)

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From what I've been reading on the Indianapolis Star's website. I think it's just AH and SJ involved in the deal. I like Tinsley; I'm glad he's staying.

 

Pacers close to deal for Jackson

By Mark Montieth

[email protected]

July 10, 2004

 

The Indiana Pacers are close to an agreement with Atlanta on a sign-and-trade deal that would send Al Harrington to the Hawks for Stephen Jackson.

 

The deal can not become official until Wednesday, but Jackson and other league sources confirmed the nature of the negotiations Saturday evening.

 

"We're close and hopefully it will be done soon," Jackson told The Indianapolis Star Saturday from his home in Port Arthur, Texas. "I'm definitely hoping it works out."

 

Jackson reportedly will sign a six-year contract worth $44 million with Atlanta and then be traded to the Pacers for Harrington, who has two years and $13.3 million remaining on his contract.

 

Jackson, 26, averaged 18.1 points for the Hawks last season, his fourth in the NBA. He started at shooting guard on San Antonio's championship team two years ago. Harrington, 24, averaged 13.3 points in the regular season and 9.5 in the playoffs. He was runner-up to Dallas' Antawn Jamison for Sixth Man of the Year.

 

Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh declined to comment on the trade until it can become official.

 

"We've had discussions," Walsh said. "I'm not going to confirm or deny a deal."

 

Jackson, however, is already envisioning how he will fit in with the Pacers next season.

 

"I kind of see myself coming in with a championship under my belt and bringing some attitude and passion for the game," he said.

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This is a very good deal for both the Pacers and the Hawks... Now, I wonder who my Bulls are gonna be getting in free agency? I was kinda hoping Brian Cardinal, but he's gonna sign in Memphis for I think the whole MLE, which Pax wants to spend on two players.

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The Lakers are getting FLEECED, And I love it. Lamar Odom is a nice player when he's got his head on straight. But nowhere near the impact player Shaq is. Caron Butler looks like nothing more than a solid 13 ppg, 5-6 rpg type of player. And Brian Grant? LMAO. This guy barely put up 8 ppg an 7 boards in the EAST. He's gonna get murdered in the west. Add to that he's already undersized.

 

Now from the Heat point of view. Sure Shaq is 32 and declining. But he's still the most dominant player in the game. He still commands more double and triple teams than any other player in the league. And now that he's gonna be going up against smaller eastern conference front courts, I don't see any reason why he won't average anywhere from 23-25 ppg and 10-12 rpg.

 

 

Oh yeah. Props to Kobe for getting a 9 time world champion coach fired, to go along with getting the most dominant center of the last 30 years traded. Now you finally have you're OWN team. Have fun winning 35-40 gms every year and getting your ass handed to you in the playoffs. If u make it..lol

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I have mixed feelings about getting Shaq as a Heat fan. I'm excited about getting Shaq and what he brings to the Heat. I'm also excited to see Wade play with Shaq. However, the Heat still have alot of work to do to become real contenders. With their MLE and LLE they have to find a PF to play beside Shaq, someone like Stromile Swift or Keon Clark.

 

On the downside with Shaq, who knows if he will actually lose weight and stay healthy. The Heat right now would be one injury(Shaq) away from Dwyane Wade having to average 50 a game :-(.

 

Another plus is that if Shaq doesn't re-sign, the Heat will have over 30 mill in cap space next year.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1837581

 

Saturday, July 10, 2004

Updated: July 11, 10:48 AM ET

Center is excited about Wade, Riley

ESPN.com news services

 

 

Warm weather. Smaller centers. A star guard. Pat Riley. Life in South Florida sounds mighty nice to Shaquille O'Neal.

 

The much talked-about blockbuster trade between the Lakers and Heat involving the NBA's most dominant force has become all but a reality.

 

"I can confirm that all the parties have agreed to the deal," O'Neal's agent, Perry Rogers, told the Washington Post in a telephone interview Saturday night. "It's all pending [league] approval, but I can say everything has been agreed to."

 

Also, the Los Angeles Times, citing team and league sources, reported on its Web site Saturday night that the Lakers have in agreed in principle to the deal.

 

As first reported by ESPN's David Aldridge on Saturday, O'Neal had agreed to accept a proposed trade that would send him to Miami in exchange for guard Caron Butler, forwards Lamar Odom and Brian Grant and a future draft pick. The Miami Herald on Saturday night reported that the Lakers will receive a first-rounder in 2006 or later.

 

The deal cannot be completed until Wednesday, when a two-week leaguewide moratorium on trades and free agent signings expires.

 

Realistically, the Lakers have been left with only this proposal from the Heat, as there are no other prospective deals on which O'Neal has signed off.

 

Dallas was the early front-runner to acquire O'Neal, but a Mavericks source seemed resigned Saturday to O'Neal's going to Miami. The source said that if the Heat can work out a contract extension for O'Neal when his current deal expires in two years, there is nothing the Mavs can do to thwart the trade.

 

Rogers said the Heat had not discussed a new contract with O'Neal.

 

"No extension was agreed upon. That was never a condition for Shaquille," Rogers told The Associated Press. "He wanted to go to an environment that was a team environment. We feel confident that that's what Pat Riley and [Heat owner] Micky Arison have created as a culture. This is the type of place that Shaquille would love to finish his career.''

 

Miami is one of five cities that O'Neal had told the Lakers would be acceptable to him.

 

Despite O'Neal's smiling denial to AP on Saturday afternoon that he had met with Heat president Pat Riley, sources told Aldridge that O'Neal apparently agreed to accept the trade after spending part of Saturday morning in Orlando meeting with Riley and Miami general manager Randy Pfund.

 

Apparently, Riley, Pfund and O'Neal's representatives met for three hours. O'Neal was not present for the entire meeting, but hit it off immediately with Riley.

 

"He feels this is the environment he wants," a source who was at the meeting said of O'Neal. Riley "was really good about understanding what Shaquille wanted to accomplish," the source said. "He was a great listener."

 

"That was critical for us," Rogers told the Miami Herald about discussions with Heat management about the team's culture. "This was always about Shaquille getting to a city that had a team-based culture and not of a specific player. And, two, was determined to win -- and, three, was a city that he loved. That leaves a short list [of teams], so we're ecstatic."

 

According to Aldridge's source, O'Neal likes how Riley used Kareem Abdul-Jabbar later in Abdul-Jabbar's career and believes a return to the Eastern Conference, with its relative lack of big men, will help extend his career. O'Neal also was excited about the prospect of playing with second-year guard Dwyane Wade, who he feels is a special player.

 

"You don't have to go back too far to see a guard and Shaquille being able to do some damage, even with role players surrounding them," the source said, referring to O'Neal's early years in the league with Orlando, when he and Penny Hardaway helped lead the Magic to the Finals in 1995.

 

O'Neal will remain in Orlando until the deal is finalized.

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No, he got a fair offer from San Antonio last season and could have stayed with the world champs but he was insulted and declined it so he wound up in Atlanta for even less money.

I think his agent actually messed up his negotiations and was forced to sign for less.

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I have mixed feelings about getting Shaq as a Heat fan. I'm excited about getting Shaq and what he brings to the Heat. I'm also excited to see Wade play with Shaq. However, the Heat still have alot of work to do to become real contenders. With their MLE and LLE they have to find a PF to play beside Shaq, someone like Stromile Swift or Keon Clark.

 

On the downside with Shaq, who knows if he will actually lose weight and stay healthy. The Heat right now would be one injury(Shaq) away from Dwyane Wade having to average 50 a game :-(.

 

Another plus is that if Shaq doesn't re-sign, the Heat will have over 30 mill in cap space next year.

You've got Udonis Hasmen to use at PF, but I think they should split up the MLE b/w 2 players and stock their bench.

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You've got Udonis Hasmen to use at PF, but I think they should split up the MLE b/w 2 players and stock their bench.

I agree. I think they have the LLE to use as well. They should look at adding Toni Kukoc or Eric Williams. Or maybe somebody like Stromile Swift. I also heard that Karl Malone might follow Shaq to Miami whenever this trade is official.

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