Kings say no to Shaq

[jayC]

Ailene Voisin: Shaq in Sac? Price looks high
A Kings executive says trading for the Lakers' center would 'gut our team.'
By Ailene Voisin -- Bee Columnist
Published 2:15 am PDT Saturday, June 26, 2004
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When it comes right down to it, the Kings are no different than 29 other NBA franchises. They blame Shaq for everything. They have wearied of pursuing free agents, swapping players, formulating mostly futile game plans with the massive Lakers center forever in their minds and their midst. They wish the Big Slug would give it all a rest - the dunks, the wisecracks, the rings - and give someone else a chance.
Now about that phone call ...

Shaq talks, everyone listens.

Of course there have been conversations between Kings and Lakers officials. Every general manager with a pulse and a paycheck has chatted with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. And according to one high-ranking Kings executive, one thing that favorably distinguishes the Kings from most franchises is that they have enough quality players to warrant further discussions.

"But the problem is that the Lakers want too much right now," said the Kings source. "We can't gut our team. That wouldn't make any sense. Maybe two, three years ago, when Shaq was a little younger you would have to think about it, but not now."

Indeed, any Shaq-to-Sac scenario is unlikely for several reasons: (a) the Lakers would want Brad Miller, Peja Stojakovic and Doug Christie, essentially depleting the roster; (b) the Maloofs would have to extend O'Neal's contract beyond 2005-06, committing another two years and $60 million to an injury-prone player who will be 34 when his current deal expires; (c) O'Neal, who repeatedly complained about Kobe Bryant's sticky fingers, would be equally disdainful of an offense dominated by Chris Webber, whose trade value is proving to be minimal; and (d) any new Lakers coach will plead for the chance to play peacemaker between Shaq and Kobe, the league's most electrifying superstar who enters the free-agent market July 1.

Some league executives, including Kings president Geoff Petrie, even remain skeptical about the perceived inevitability of a Shaq-Kobe breakup.

"It doesn't make sense," said Petrie, who confirmed Friday that he has spoken with Kupchak, "that with what the Lakers have been able to accomplish with those two guys, that they show him (Shaq) the door before they even know they're keeping Kobe.

"That's not anything I've been told, just what I think. And any time you have a player of Shaq's caliber come up, it always fuels a lot of speculation. But until they decide they're going to do something, nobody can touch him."

Nonetheless, for anyone who has spent significant time in the company of either superstar, another season of Shaq and Kobe seems equally improbable. Familial intervention has long been exhausted. Phil Jackson (Shaq's guy) has been dispatched to accommodate Kobe and save owner Jerry Buss a whopping $12 million in annual coaching salary.

Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Karl Malone, strong-willed veterans who separated Shaq and Kobe during their verbal sparring rounds, are unlikely to return. Kobe, the No. 1 priority and Buss' personal favorite, wants to play in an up-tempo offense, which would seem to exclude Shaq's lumbering presence.

And as upset as O'Neal was about his lack of field-goal opportunities, he remains even more perturbed about other numbers, primarily the absence of additional zeroes on his contract after his option for 2005-06.

So the talk continues. On the airwaves, at the water cooler, in NBA offices. Shaq is going somewhere, maybe Dallas, Indiana, Miami. Maybe even Sacramento. Shaq recently revealed a horribly kept secret to a reporter from the Las Vegas Sun, namely that he likes the Maloofs and would like to play for the Kings.

It's true. He does. He would. In spite of his digs about kings and queens, and contrary to his image as a Bel-Air kind of guy (and he lives across the street and down a few houses from Adrienne Maloof), Shaq has always preferred smaller cities and considers Orlando his primary residence.

In casual conversations, he has often compared Sacramento favorably with Orlando, spoken fondly of his visits here and budding friendships with his favorite law enforcement types, foremost among them Sheriff Lou Blanas.

But the real reason you most likely will not see Shaq playing in Sac?

The Diesel is breaking down. Too much upper body weight has placed too much pressure on assorted lower body parts. The price tag figures to be more than the Kings are willing to pay, no matter how absolutely tantalizing the prospect. Besides, as Memphis president Jerry West noted Thursday night on ESPN, why would anyone trade Shaq to an opponent within the same conference?

No, this will not happen.

But, yes, this will be fun.



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About the Writer
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Reach The Bee's Ailene Voisin at (916) 321-1208 or avoisin@sacbee.com. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/voisin

[mavsfanforever]

Good riddance. Now Indiana and Dallas are the main players. I do not think Indiana will give up O'Neil. Mitch clearly said he needs two all stars and a young prospect for Shaq. Nash, Walker and Howard fit that description.

[dude1394]

This is going to be funny. The lakers are going to find out that what shaq is worth isn't what they say but what the market says. He's going nowhere...

[Drbio]

If he does get traded it won't be for the likes of Dirk, J O'Neal, Webber etc.

LA is living in a dream if they think they are getting that kind of deal.

[MavsFanFinley]

I thought this was funny.

Link

A Shaq trade won't be easy to pull off

Jon Heyman
SPORTS COLUMNIST

Kobe Bryant should thank Shaquille O'Neal; the Shaq Sweepstakes are obscuring Bryant's court sessions.

Just guessing, but he probably won't thank him.

A source from one superstar's entourage said Chris Webber has hinted to Kings management he'd go to Los Angeles.

They've discussed Webber and former Laker Vlade Divac for Shaq. But any deal with Sacramento should include Mike Bibby, just as any deal with Dallas -- the odds-on favorite -- should include Dirk Nowitzki.

"They're trying to make a killer deal for him," Nets GM Rod Thorn said of the Lakers. "Even for a player of his stature, it's tough to make a killer deal."

Shaq's already eliminated the Clippers, who offered Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Chris Wilcox and a draft choice. No reason to play for Donald Sterling, who patterned his team after himself: Both are moneymaking losers.

As for the Nets, Shaq's true hometown team, Thorn said he believes it would take Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin "and something else."

We recommend offering Martin and Jason Kidd (a year younger than Shaq at 31 and a prima donna, even by NBA standards) instead.

"I don't know," Thorn said about our suggestion. "If we did that, we'd need a point guard and a power forward, which is where the Lakers are now."

It used to be that teams wanted to be where the Lakers are. Not now. Not only has GM Mitch Kupchak lost Phil Jackson, and perhaps Shaq and Kobe, but even worse, he has to keep Gary Payton. Payton and Karl Malone can't even successfully ride coattails anymore.

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally posted by: Drbio
If he does get traded it won't be for the likes of Dirk, J O'Neal, Webber etc.

LA is living in a dream if they think they are getting that kind of deal.

I'd think Sac would deal SheWeb in a flash to get Shaq--it's what all else they'd have to send that would be the snag. SheWeb is already well on the downside of a checkered pro career. One more stop ain't gonna hurt her reputation any.

Aside from Shaq, I think Sac would be pretty receptive to a change to unload Webber for a younger, prospect to play alongside Peja, Bibby, Miller, Christie and Bjax.

[Cubans_Posse]

Sac would have to give up too much for this trade. good call sac