Gambo: It's A Fact - Shaq Traded To Phoenix
February 5th, 2008 @ 9:12pm
by John Gambadoro/Sports 620 KTAR
The Shaquille O'Neal trade to the Phoenix Suns is not a rumor.
In fact, I expect it to happen sometime early afternoon on Wednesday.
O'Neal will be in Phoenix on Wednesday for a physical, according to a Suns team source.
The Suns have moved Wednesday morning's shoot-around, which was originally scheduled at 9:45 a.m., to 4:45 p.m. - hours prior to their contest against the New Orleans Hornets.
The Suns will part ways with Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks and move to a conventional style with O'Neal playing the 5.
The Suns have major concerns about chemistry issues on the team and feel a trade for O'Neal would alleviate those issues, plus give them the post defender they lack.
The money would be a wash this year and next, but the Suns would be on the hook for $20 million in 2009-10 - the final year of O'Neals' contract. There is a belief that the window for Steve Nash to win a championship is down to this year and next and that O'Neal would give the Suns a better chance to win now.
My sources tell me that O'Neal desperately wants to come to Phoenix and will be rejuvenated to have a chance to win again and that the Suns do not have any concerns over his injured hip.
The Suns will not expect O'Neal to dominate as he did in his prime, in fact his minutes will probably hover around 25 per game as they try to keep him fresh for the playoffs and a potential matchup against Tim Duncan and the Spurs.
Just what this means for Mike D'Antoni is anyone's guess.
It is clear that a trade for O'Neal would be a negative indictment on the Suns current style and would suggest that management does not believe the current run-and-gun style can win a title.
Sports 620 KTAR's Craig Grialou contributed to this report
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