Shaq and Zydrunas? 14 1/2 feet and 600 pounds of fury

This doesn't look likely:

Sources: Suns balk at offer for ShaqComment Email Print Share By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Archive Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James on the same team?




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NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that a deal to make that happen is highly unlikely before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trading deadline, but multiple sources close to the situation confirmed that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix have indeed discussed the possibility.

In a proposal first reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic were offered to the Suns for O'Neal as part of the Cavs' well-chronicled quests to add one more big man for the playoffs and show LeBron that they will do anything necessary to win a championship.

Yet sources with knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com that, entering the final two hours before the deadline, neither team was optimistic about reaching an agreement.

It's believed that the Suns have pushed Cleveland to substitute Wally Szczerbiak's $13.8 million expiring contract for Wallace, which would result in the huge financial windfall that initially prompted Phoenix to make Amare Stoudemire and O'Neal available in trades earlier this month.

Phoenix on Monday began informing teams that Stoudemire was no longer available after replacing first-year coach Terry Porter with Alvin Gentry. The Suns, though, remain eager to reduce their payroll by at least $7 million and up to $9 million to avoid paying luxury tax next season.

If the Suns were willing to accept Wallace and Pavlovic, they would slice $5.5 million from next season's books, as Wallace's salary decreases from $14.5 million this season to $14 million in 2009-10 and because only $1.5 million of Pavlovic's $5 million salary next season is guaranteed.

The Suns' desire to take back Szczerbiak and Pavlovic is understandable. In that scenario, Phoenix would erase $19.5 million from next season's payroll.

Confident that O'Neal's close relationship with James would offset any concerns about making such a bold midseason acquisition, Cleveland shifted its sights to Shaq after bids for a variety of big men -- including Washington's Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler and Los Angeles Clippers center Marcus Camby -- were rejected.

O'Neal has been rejuvenated this season at 36 in spite of the Suns' overall struggles, earning a Western Conference reserve spot in last Sunday's All-Star Game via the coaches' vote and sharing MVP honors with former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here.

I'd love to see Shaq get after one more ring with a new team. He and Lebron would also make for some great interviews

Looks unlikely at this point.

Sources: Suns balk at offer for Shaq
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James on the same team?

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that a deal to make that happen is highly unlikely before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trading deadline, but multiple sources close to the situation confirmed that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix have indeed discussed the possibility.

In a proposal first reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic were offered to the Suns for O'Neal as part of the Cavs' well-chronicled quests to add one more big man for the playoffs and show LeBron that they will do anything necessary to win a championship.

Yet sources with knowledge of the talks told ESPN.com that, entering the final two hours before the deadline, neither team was optimistic about reaching an agreement.

It's believed that the Suns have pushed Cleveland to substitute Wally Szczerbiak's $13.8 million expiring contract for Wallace, which would result in the huge financial windfall that initially prompted Phoenix to make Amare Stoudemire and O'Neal available in trades earlier this month.

Phoenix on Monday began informing teams that Stoudemire was no longer available after replacing first-year coach Terry Porter with Alvin Gentry. The Suns, though, remain eager to reduce their payroll by at least $7 million and up to $9 million to avoid paying luxury tax next season.

If the Suns were willing to accept Wallace and Pavlovic, they would slice $5.5 million from next season's books, as Wallace's salary decreases from $14.5 million this season to $14 million in 2009-10 and because only $1.5 million of Pavlovic's $5 million salary next season is guaranteed.

The Suns' desire to take back Szczerbiak and Pavlovic is understandable. In that scenario, Phoenix would erase $19.5 million from next season's payroll.

Confident that O'Neal's close relationship with James would offset any concerns about making such a bold midseason acquisition, Cleveland shifted its sights to Shaq after bids for a variety of big men -- including Washington's Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler and Los Angeles Clippers center Marcus Camby -- were rejected.

O'Neal has been rejuvenated this season at 36 in spite of the Suns' overall struggles, earning a Western Conference reserve spot in last Sunday's All-Star Game via the coaches' vote and sharing MVP honors with former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.

Posted by Giants91:

i am like rain man

now it's 3. see you in 2010 when LeBron gets here.

Posted by TMS:

Posted by martin:

Posted by Giants91:

i am like rain man

now it's 3. see you in 2010 when LeBron gets here.

at this rate he'll be over Bip's total in no time.

f you

Wish for a ring in Cleveland.....

Lebron can say his work was done.

Posted by Bippity10:

Posted by TMS:

only 9969 more to go to 10K bro

[Edited by - TMS on 02-19-2009 11:13 AM]

I am writing this post for one reason. To make it look like you don't know how to add.

LOL!

terrible thread title - should've had a question mark after it.

who is this douche jimimou?