Thu Jun 24, 2004 2:22 pm
Well they have said the Grizzlies have the most to trade to the Lakers for Shaq, but if I were the Grizz I would do this: Swift, Gasol, Posey, Jwill for Shaq 
Tue Jun 29, 2004 4:06 pm
Shaq repeats his trade demand
Looks like he's not backing down from his original demand. I still won't believe it until it happens, but it seems that it wasn't a heat-of-the-moment demand.
Looks like he's not backing down from his original demand. I still won't believe it until it happens, but it seems that it wasn't a heat-of-the-moment demand.
Tue Jun 29, 2004 7:55 pm
Webber's name has come up in recent trade talks.
He's apparently told a source: He wouldn't mind going to LA.
...omg...
He's apparently told a source: He wouldn't mind going to LA.
...omg...
Tue Jun 29, 2004 8:36 pm
Shaq-ramento
Fantasy or nightmare?
It's a juicy subject, to be sure.
Shaq in Sac.
Shaq-ramento.
Long live Shaq and the Queens, with the Kings and the Diesel working together.
From ludicrous to compelling to happy to sad, reactions to the possibility run the gamut.
"It's outrageous to even think about, or to even really talk about, because I just don't see the Lakers trading him," Kings director of player personnel Jerry Reynolds said. "But ... anyone who's got a Kings jersey on is someone I like. Whoever has a Lakers jersey on, I don't like. That simple."
Grant Napear, the co-host with Mike Lamb of KHTK's Sportsline-1140 talk radio program, said the Shaq-to-Sac talk has the airwaves buzzing. Napear is convinced fans would suddenly like O'Neal, should he become a King. Napear postulates they would insist Shaq was a good guy after all, no offense taken from all of his shots at the Kings over the years.
"There's no way it's going to happen," Napear said. "But if it did, if Shaq had 30 points and 18 rebounds in his first game, there'd be 17,317 (people) who would be on their feet at Arco Arena giving him an ovation. That's exactly how sports fans are.
"The first time Shaq would say he loves this city and the fans and the Maloofs, the fans would melt. And if the Kings won a championship with Shaq, they'd erect a statue of Shaq right in front of the arena."
The same place they now hang him in effigy.
Even Napear, who as a fan bristles at Shaq's shenanigans as much as anyone, said that if O'Neal were "to average 28 (points) and 18 (rebounds) with the Kings, I'd get over it."
Kings guards Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie said the mere idea of their chief antagonist in their colors is difficult, but intriguing, to fathom.
"I'd take him any day," Jackson said. "Any team would. If it happened, he'd be a Sacramento Queen."
If it happened, it would likely be at the cost of either player, and a boatload of others, which doesn't particularly interest Christie.
"I would assume that there isn't a team in the NBA that hasn't considered the idea of getting Shaq," Christie said. "But it all depends on how much you'd have to give up. You don't want to tear up your whole team for one guy. I'm more in it for the team.
"Shaq's a very special talent, and there's not another Shaq out there, but Michael Jordan was the greatest of them all, and he showed that you need a team behind you to win."
Kings fans, too, had mixed reactions, whether they were playing pickup basketball games or shopping for office supplies.
Those who relish the role of hating and baiting the Lakers noted that, if Shaq left the club - already without coach Phil Jackson - there wouldn't be much left to heckle.
Others wondered how odd it would be to plead for a converted free throw from a player they're accustomed to hoping bricks one.
Some said Shaq would be an "embarrassment" if he came aboard, and others said it was "a no-brainer," particularly after catching word that O'Neal was overheard saying in Las Vegas recently that he wouldn't mind playing for the Kings.
Regina Birkholz is a 52-year-old Elk Grove homemaker who drives a black sedan with Kings stuffed animals inside and a license plate holder proclaiming her "the biggest Kings fan."
"I'd prefer not to have (Shaq)," she said. "I can't imagine how hard it would be to root for him. What he's said in the past, all those times he opened his big mouth, no thanks."
Timothy Loving, 48, who owns a janitorial service in Sacramento and is a regular street ball player on 10th and P, disagreed.
"You've got to accept a man like that," he said. "When he's playing against you, you're supposed to boo him. But if he joins your team, you're supposed to root for him. To me, (it's) a great compliment that he'd play here. Sacramento fans should accept him with open arms. If you don't understand that, you don't understand basketball."
Carole Pirruccello, 50, a health service employee, remembers that Shaq is Public Enemy No. 1. She says a Public Apology No. 1 would be needed if there were a deal.
"He has trash-talked us pretty bad, so he would have to repent for all the nasty things he's said," she said. "If he does come, I think Sacramento fans would accept him. But the public apology must come first."
A Lakers fan also had his say.
Albert Morris is a 44-year-old electrician in Sacramento. He's a longtime Lakers fan who wears a Shaq jersey to Kings games when his beloved team is in town.
"Shaq to the Kings? I'd kill myself," he said. "It would crush me. I hate the Kings as it is. If Shaq came to the Kings, I'd be full of hate. Hate the Kings even more and hate Shaq for the first time. I pray it doesn't happen."
And then there's the optimism of Kings fan Darrell Cutchlow: "It would be nice to pick up Kobe, too."
Laying the odds
You probably will not be seeing Shaquille O'Neal in a Kings uniform next season. In fact, the odds are probably 100-1. But what if he did come to Sacramento? It's fun to contemplate the ramifications. Here are the odds on the possible scenarios:
*Odds that Kings fans would suddenly start thinking O'Neal's body-jarring, teeth-loosening shoulder slams in the paint can't possibly be offensive fouls: 3-1
*Odds that O'Neal would buy Old Sacramento and open a theme park called Shaq-A-Palooza: 15-1
*Odds that O'Neal would flatten Kobe Bryant like a tasteless pancake when the Lakers came to town: 2-1
*Odds that O'Neal would pal around with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, taking Sunday chopper rides in Natomas and brunching at the Radisson: 7-1
*Odds that the Kings would roar through the regular season and then suddenly take a nosedive when O'Neal injures his big toe the day before the playoffs: 12-1
*Odds that the Maloof brothers would ask O'Neal to pay for a new arena: Even
- Ron Wenig
Shaq's most painful insult
"I'm not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Write it down. Take a picture. They always talk the talk, but they never walk the walk. They had us right where they wanted us. But in Game 7 (of the 2002 Western Conference finals), Doug (Christie) couldn't make shots, Chris didn't want to shoot, Vlade (Divac) fouled out on purpose. I don't think they'll ever have what it takes."
- Shaquille O'Neal
October 2002
GOOD READ!
Fantasy or nightmare?
It's a juicy subject, to be sure.
Shaq in Sac.
Shaq-ramento.
Long live Shaq and the Queens, with the Kings and the Diesel working together.
From ludicrous to compelling to happy to sad, reactions to the possibility run the gamut.
"It's outrageous to even think about, or to even really talk about, because I just don't see the Lakers trading him," Kings director of player personnel Jerry Reynolds said. "But ... anyone who's got a Kings jersey on is someone I like. Whoever has a Lakers jersey on, I don't like. That simple."
Grant Napear, the co-host with Mike Lamb of KHTK's Sportsline-1140 talk radio program, said the Shaq-to-Sac talk has the airwaves buzzing. Napear is convinced fans would suddenly like O'Neal, should he become a King. Napear postulates they would insist Shaq was a good guy after all, no offense taken from all of his shots at the Kings over the years.
"There's no way it's going to happen," Napear said. "But if it did, if Shaq had 30 points and 18 rebounds in his first game, there'd be 17,317 (people) who would be on their feet at Arco Arena giving him an ovation. That's exactly how sports fans are.
"The first time Shaq would say he loves this city and the fans and the Maloofs, the fans would melt. And if the Kings won a championship with Shaq, they'd erect a statue of Shaq right in front of the arena."
The same place they now hang him in effigy.
Even Napear, who as a fan bristles at Shaq's shenanigans as much as anyone, said that if O'Neal were "to average 28 (points) and 18 (rebounds) with the Kings, I'd get over it."
Kings guards Bobby Jackson and Doug Christie said the mere idea of their chief antagonist in their colors is difficult, but intriguing, to fathom.
"I'd take him any day," Jackson said. "Any team would. If it happened, he'd be a Sacramento Queen."
If it happened, it would likely be at the cost of either player, and a boatload of others, which doesn't particularly interest Christie.
"I would assume that there isn't a team in the NBA that hasn't considered the idea of getting Shaq," Christie said. "But it all depends on how much you'd have to give up. You don't want to tear up your whole team for one guy. I'm more in it for the team.
"Shaq's a very special talent, and there's not another Shaq out there, but Michael Jordan was the greatest of them all, and he showed that you need a team behind you to win."
Kings fans, too, had mixed reactions, whether they were playing pickup basketball games or shopping for office supplies.
Those who relish the role of hating and baiting the Lakers noted that, if Shaq left the club - already without coach Phil Jackson - there wouldn't be much left to heckle.
Others wondered how odd it would be to plead for a converted free throw from a player they're accustomed to hoping bricks one.
Some said Shaq would be an "embarrassment" if he came aboard, and others said it was "a no-brainer," particularly after catching word that O'Neal was overheard saying in Las Vegas recently that he wouldn't mind playing for the Kings.
Regina Birkholz is a 52-year-old Elk Grove homemaker who drives a black sedan with Kings stuffed animals inside and a license plate holder proclaiming her "the biggest Kings fan."
"I'd prefer not to have (Shaq)," she said. "I can't imagine how hard it would be to root for him. What he's said in the past, all those times he opened his big mouth, no thanks."
Timothy Loving, 48, who owns a janitorial service in Sacramento and is a regular street ball player on 10th and P, disagreed.
"You've got to accept a man like that," he said. "When he's playing against you, you're supposed to boo him. But if he joins your team, you're supposed to root for him. To me, (it's) a great compliment that he'd play here. Sacramento fans should accept him with open arms. If you don't understand that, you don't understand basketball."
Carole Pirruccello, 50, a health service employee, remembers that Shaq is Public Enemy No. 1. She says a Public Apology No. 1 would be needed if there were a deal.
"He has trash-talked us pretty bad, so he would have to repent for all the nasty things he's said," she said. "If he does come, I think Sacramento fans would accept him. But the public apology must come first."
A Lakers fan also had his say.
Albert Morris is a 44-year-old electrician in Sacramento. He's a longtime Lakers fan who wears a Shaq jersey to Kings games when his beloved team is in town.
"Shaq to the Kings? I'd kill myself," he said. "It would crush me. I hate the Kings as it is. If Shaq came to the Kings, I'd be full of hate. Hate the Kings even more and hate Shaq for the first time. I pray it doesn't happen."
And then there's the optimism of Kings fan Darrell Cutchlow: "It would be nice to pick up Kobe, too."
Laying the odds
You probably will not be seeing Shaquille O'Neal in a Kings uniform next season. In fact, the odds are probably 100-1. But what if he did come to Sacramento? It's fun to contemplate the ramifications. Here are the odds on the possible scenarios:
*Odds that Kings fans would suddenly start thinking O'Neal's body-jarring, teeth-loosening shoulder slams in the paint can't possibly be offensive fouls: 3-1
*Odds that O'Neal would buy Old Sacramento and open a theme park called Shaq-A-Palooza: 15-1
*Odds that O'Neal would flatten Kobe Bryant like a tasteless pancake when the Lakers came to town: 2-1
*Odds that O'Neal would pal around with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, taking Sunday chopper rides in Natomas and brunching at the Radisson: 7-1
*Odds that the Kings would roar through the regular season and then suddenly take a nosedive when O'Neal injures his big toe the day before the playoffs: 12-1
*Odds that the Maloof brothers would ask O'Neal to pay for a new arena: Even
- Ron Wenig
Shaq's most painful insult
"I'm not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Write it down. Take a picture. They always talk the talk, but they never walk the walk. They had us right where they wanted us. But in Game 7 (of the 2002 Western Conference finals), Doug (Christie) couldn't make shots, Chris didn't want to shoot, Vlade (Divac) fouled out on purpose. I don't think they'll ever have what it takes."
- Shaquille O'Neal
October 2002
GOOD READ!
Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:42 am
Sit wrote:Shaq's most painful insult:
"I'm not worried about the Sacramento Queens. Write it down. Take a picture. They always talk the talk, but they never walk the walk. They had us right where they wanted us. But in Game 7 (of the 2002 Western Conference finals), Doug (Christie) couldn't make shots, Chris didn't want to shoot, Vlade (Divac) fouled out on purpose. I don't think they'll ever have what it takes."
- Shaquille O'Neal
October 2002
When a player speaks his mind, they are seen as arrogant. Same goes for T-Mac, he's not a loudmouth, he just speaks waht he thinks, no in betweeny I want to be a good guy in the press' eyes type.
Oh, it's pretty much the truth too.
Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:29 pm
Jackal wrote:When a player speaks his mind, they are seen as arrogant. Same goes for T-Mac, he's not a loudmouth, he just speaks waht he thinks, no in betweeny I want to be a good guy in the press' eyes type.
I agree to a certain extent, but I think it also depends on what the player is actually saying. For example, sometimes Charles Barkley's outspoken nature is amusing and entertaining. You have to respect his convictions and the fact he's willing to speak his mind.
But his comments after a game against New Jersey in the 80s "This is a game that if you lose, you go home and beat your wife and kids" (or words to that effect), followed by the "Screw the women's groups" (or words to that effect) comment in regard to the backlash was not a good thing to say - especially if that was his true feeling about the matter. It certainly does say something about his character if that was how he really felt.
There are times when all of us, no matter what we do and to whom we are speaking, should stop and think about what we're saying. I know there have been times in my life when I wished I had.
Fri Jul 09, 2004 1:24 am
The Lakers have fielded about 17 or 18 offers, narrowed them down to about five or six and are now looking at a deal with the Miami Heat that would include former Clipper Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and probably a first-round draft pick, sources said.
Odom is considered a base-year compensation player, meaning only a portion of his $9 million salary for next season is available. But all of it can be used by July 14. Grant makes $13.2 million.
The Lakers would like rookie sensation Dwayne Wade, but the Heat won't part with him, sources said.
"It's not going to be a fair deal all the way around," a Lakers source said.
To make any deal work, the Lakers would have to come within 15 percent plus $100,000 of O'Neal's $27.6 million salary for next season.
Shaq to Miami?
After Darko gets his, Wade gets his championship the next year? Would be a nice deal, even though I don't want to part with Odom, this allows for a lot.
If we can still swing the Drew Gooden deal with Caron Butler:
PG - Wade
SG - Jones
SF - Butler (Rasual)
PF - Gooden
C - Shaq
if not.......
PG - Wade
SG - Jones
SF - Butler (Caron)
PF - Haslem
C - Shaq
This lineup will definately win some games, first place in the East baby.
Fri Jul 09, 2004 1:44 am
I like that deal,but I know the lakers wont accept it though cuz of some reason involving money.I hope they do so Shaq can keep his ass in the East where he belongs.
Fri Jul 09, 2004 4:34 am
Lakers are cheap, I doubt that'd do that.
Sat Jul 10, 2004 2:26 am
That deal from the heat is garbage. Forget Brain Grant, he's undersized and a really good bench player not a starter. I would demand Dwane Wade and Odom for Shaq. Or C. Butler and Odom. Brian Grant??? .... hella weak
Sat Jul 10, 2004 2:29 am
That deal from the heat is garbage. Forget Brain Grant, he's undersized and a really good bench player not a starter. I would demand Dwane Wade and Odom for Shaq. Or C. Butler and Odom. Brian Grant??? .... hella weak Mitch needs to grow some nads and demand more than that for Shaq. Anyways I see Shaq going to New York, they've been begging for a big man to compliment Starbury and it sends Shaq's big ass out of the west where he won't torment the Lakers. What the Knicks could offer??.. who knows
Mitch needs to grow some nads and demand more than that for Shaq. Anyways I see Shaq going to New York, they've been begging for a big man to compliment Starbury and it sends Shaq's big ass out of the west where he won't torment the Lakers. What the Knicks could offer??.. who knows
Sat Jul 10, 2004 3:06 am
BREAKDOWN: Mad math of possible deal for Shaq
Posted July 9 2004
The rules of the NBA's collective-bargaining agreement make any trade for Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal one of higher math. The basics:
O'Neal is scheduled to earn about $27.7 million this coming season.
Under league rules, teams above the salary cap, such as the Heat and Lakers, essentially must exchange matching salaries in trades.
Specifically, the final math of such trades must come within 15 percent of matching salaries, with no more than an ensuing $100,000 differential.
Accounting for O'Neal's salary, the Heat therefore would be required to package about $23.5 million in '04-05 salaries to the Lakers.
Heat salaries for '04-05 include Eddie Jones ($13.4 million), Brian Grant ($13.3 million), Lamar Odom ($9.1 million) and Caron Butler ($1.9 million), with smaller contracts of the likes of Malik Allen or Wang Zhi-Zhi available to balance a trade.
- Ira Winderman
Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel