Heat considering O'Neal trade

[mfbmike]

As Jermaine O'Neal and his troublesome right knee returned to the Toronto lineup on Friday night, perhaps no one studied the Toronto Raptors center more closely than Pat Riley. The Miami Heat president has been seriously considering a trade package for O'Neal that would send Shawn Marion to Toronto, multiple league sources said. Yet Riley first needs to see O'Neal's progress before he'll make the leap of faith on a trade. Nevertheless, O'Neal, 30, was telling league associates as recently as Friday that he believes there's a good chance he'll end up in Miami. "If he's healthy," one source close to O'Neal said Friday, "it could very well happen." League executives say that Riley has been determined to make a deal for a center, and has had substantive talks with Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo.

Yahoo! Sports

OH LAWDS

[CB4]

Rofl. We better get him.

[Kuzzy Powers]

Do it up. Shawn Marion could be the piece we need to make a run in the 2nd half.

[mfbmike]

Heat are desperate for a presence down low and Marion is having a hard time finding his offense next to Wade. I wouldn't be bothered if the trade went down for the Heat tbh.

[Flight24]

i think its a solid trade for both teams. i would like to see it go down.

[corbin]

fucking stupid.. go ahead and trade for O'Neal and enjoy looking at him on the bench with a suit.

[LC AAU]

High Risk, High Reward. Marion isn't good in half court sets. This could be great for us if JO stays healthy.

[mfbmike]

Marion is hardly the player he used to be. And he will more than likely head into free agency come offseason. Savior? More like sidekick.

[MvP]

I came in here thinking it was about Shaq, I was like wtf lol

Jermaine is on the decline, they should just keep Marion.

[mfbmike]

Better than an unhealthy O'neal, in my opinion.

valid point.

[mfbmike]

My only fear is, if they end up getting O'Neal, whose contract expires in 2010, we won't have the money to get Boozer this offseason. oh noes.

[mfbmike]

Toronto Raptors center Jermaine O'Neal reportedly believes he will soon be traded to Miami. Heat forward Shawn Marion isn't sure how long he will remain in South Florida once the team finishes its seven-game trip that ends Sunday against Oklahoma City. The one certainty in the equation Saturday was that the Heat continued to explore trade options with Toronto and at least two other teams on potential deals that could lead to Marion's departure in advance of the league's Feb. 19 trading deadline. League sources directly involved with the Heat and Raptors confirmed Saturday that the teams are discussing a deal that would send Marion and reserve guard Marcus Banks to Toronto for O'Neal. The balance of Marion's stay in Miami could be determined by the stability of O'Neal's chronically sore right knee, which has required at least one surgery and kept him out of nine games before he returned to the lineup Friday.

Damn, this might really happen. :X

[Kuzzy Powers]

Neither of them played today, so I was thinking it might be really in the works, but it turns out they're both legitimately injured and Pat Riley also highly denied the trade., but most GMs do.

[Kuzzy Powers]

My only fear is, if they end up getting O'Neal, whose contract expires in 2010, we won't have the money to get Boozer this offseason. oh noes.

Resigning Wade is a much higher priority.

[Berowsk]

What is with the Heat getting O'Neals way after their primes?
First Shaq, now J.O.?