Offshore Bookies Offer Odds on Where Shaq Will Play Next Year

[Evilmav2]

Betting Service Offers Odds on Where Shaq Will Play Next Year
Despite Demanding a Trade, Odds Are O'Neal Will Stay in Hollywood

Tuesday June 22, 12:45 pm ET

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- When a star athlete demands a trade in sports today, rumors circulate throughout the league while front offices put together trade proposals hoping to alter the course of their franchise. This appears to be the case now that Shaquille O'Neal has requested a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers. A leading offshore gaming company for over 10 years, BetWWTS.com today announced odds on which team Shaq will be playing for at the start of the 2004-05 NBA season.

Although Shaq has told the Lakers that he wants out of Hollywood, BetWWTS.com still lists the Lakers as the favorite to secure O'Neal's services for the 2004-05 NBA regular season at 5/2 odds. The Dallas Mavericks are listed at 3/1 to bring "Shaq Diesel" to "Big D" before the start of next season. A return to "The Magic Kingdom" could also be on the horizon for O'Neal as BetWWTS.com has listed Orlando at 5/1 odds to make a move for the league's most dominant player. The Memphis Grizzlies (7/2), Indiana Pacers (15/2) and Portland Trailblazers (9/1) may also have the ingredients to pull off a blockbuster trade to retain Shaq's services. Although they reside in the biggest market in the league, BetWWTS.com has listed the New York Knicks as a 25/1 long shot to bring the big man to "The Big Apple."

"Although Shaq wants to be traded from Los Angeles, the ability of another franchise to assemble a deal bringing comparable value back to the Lakers eliminates a number of teams from contention," said Simon Noble, CEO of BetWWTS.com. "The early rumors have Mark Cuban willing to do almost anything to bring O'Neal to Dallas including trading perennial All-Star Dirk Nowitzki and Antoine Walker to LA. With Orlando reportedly close to moving T-Mac to Houston for Steve Francis in another blockbuster, there is still a chance that Shaq could make a return to the Magic."

[LRB]

"The early rumors have Mark Cuban willing to do almost anything to bring O'Neal to Dallas including trading perennial All-Star Dirk Nowitzki and Antoine Walker to LA. With Orlando reportedly close to moving T-Mac to Houston for Steve Francis in another blockbuster, there is still a chance that Shaq could make a return to the Magic."

That's like saying that rumors are that David Stern is the Anti-Christ. Wait there's a lot more substance to that one.

[FineCubanCigar]

Why would Shaq go to Orlando with no T-Mac . . . isn't that the reason those rumors started anyway????

[chumdawg]

Reminds me of the summer of 1995, when the rumors were that Jerry Jones was getting ready to sign Deion Sanders. Treasure Island was offering 7-to-2 on the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl. I gave them $200 and a few months later they gave me $900. I was very fond of Larry Brown that evening...

[EricaLubarsky]

Man thats a no-win bet.