For the second time in four years, what was once unthinkable occurred with swiftness: Shaquille O'Neal, the dominant big man of his era, was traded, with the Miami Heat sending him to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday for forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks.
The stunning move continued a raising of the stakes in the NBA's Western Conference, with the Suns gambling that the 35-year-old O'Neal has something left after showing severe signs of aging the last couple of seasons, and also betting that O'Neal can meld his half-court game with the Suns' fast-paced, seven-seconds-to-shoot philosophy.
O'Neal passed a physical in Phoenix yesterday and was supposed to watch last night's Suns game against New Orleans from a suite at the US Airways Center. He will speak to reporters today.
The Suns have been the league's highest-scoring team for several seasons behind the brilliance of two-time league MVP Steve Nash. With Nash, All-Star Amare Stoudemire, and veterans including Grant Hill, Raja Bell and Leandro Barbosa, the Suns will not be hurting for offense.
"We feel, with our core group here surrounding him, he doesn't have to be a star," Suns president Steve Kerr said of O'Neal in an afternoon news conference carried on the team's Web site. "He can be one of the guys."
The trade came together quickly, with the Suns aware of the ramifications of the Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition of forward Pau Gasol from Memphis on Friday.
Despite having the West's best record at 34-14 entering Wednesday night, Phoenix was just 14-12 against Western Conference opponents this season. The Suns knew they had to get bigger to have any hope of competing in the playoffs against big teams such as the Spurs, Mavericks - and now the Lakers.
The Suns and Heat got serious Tuesday morning, and by Tuesday night, all that was left was for O'Neal to fly to Phoenix for a physical. By late afternoon on Wednesday, a smiling O'Neal was on the home page of the Suns' Web site, above the headline "Now Diesel Powered."
Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, who has bristled at criticism that the team's offensive style cannot deliver a championship, says he expects O'Neal, one of the game's best low-post passers out of double teams, to fit in with his new team.
"I really thought we had a chance to win the title the way we were," D'Antoni said at the news conference. "But when the Shaq thing came up, we just got better. And if you can better your team, why not do it?"
O'Neal averaged 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds in 32 games for the Heat this season.
For its part, Miami got O'Neal's remaining $40 million salary off of its books and brought in one of the league's most versatile forwards in the 29-year-old Marion, a four-time All-Star and 2004 Olympian. Marion, averaging 15.8 points and 9.9 rebounds, likely will play small forward for the Heat, which had a league-worst 9-37 mark entering Wednesday night's play.
Banks, 26, has never found a home in his previous NBA stops - Boston, Minnesota and Phoenix - but is a physical point guard who would be an upgrade at that position for the woeful Heat. Veteran Jason Williams has been injured for most of the last two seasons and could be dealt before the Feb. 21 trade deadline.
Marion, the subject of numerous trade rumors the last few years, was happy for a fresh start in Miami. Still, he could opt out of his contract at the end of the season, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.
Reaction around the league seemed uniform: The Suns are taking a gamble, but with Nash now 34 years old and Hill 35, their window to win a championship is closing, and they had to do something.
"I think he'll become more motivated than he's ever become," a Western Conference general manager who did not wish to be identified said of O'Neal on Wednesday. "He's going to have to. Because the way they play, he's going to have [to play in] a high-possession game."
