Big deal: the trade of Shaquille O'Neal weakens the Lakers, turns the Heat into a title contender and makes the Eastern Conference the center of the NBA's universe

Sporting News, The, July 19, 2004 by Sean Deveney

Rudy Tomjanovich was not getting quite the attention that was expected. Here he was, a 12-year coaching veteran with an inspiring life story (an unforgettable injury in an on-court fight as a player, the ultimate triumph as a coach, a winning battle over cancer), taking over the most glamorous job in the NBA, and yet every member of the gathered media was somewhat distracted. One eye on Tomjanovich, for sure, but the other on the nearest cell phone or television screen or carrier pigeon, or whatever news-gathering device was nearest. No offense to Rudy T, of course. It's just that as he was speaking, arguably the biggest deal in NBA history was being cemented nearly 3,000 miles away, in Florida.

Shaquille O'Neal from the Lakers to Miami for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, Caron Butler and a draft pick. That surely will be handy knowledge in a trivia contest some day.

Did we say this is the biggest deal in league history? Heck, this could be the biggest swap since the Louisiana Purchase. This is a deal that still has shock value, though it seemed inevitable that O'Neal was headed somewhere. It was clear he was unhappy with the Lakers organization as far back as last October, when he repeatedly shouted, "Pay me!" in the direction of owner Jerry Buss during the Lakers' first preseason game in Honolulu. O'Neal wanted a contract extension. Buss did not want to commit big-time dollars and years to O'Neal and was put off by his on-court negotiating style. Buss also wanted to retain O'Neal nemesis and teammate Kobe Bryant, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent this summer. The stage, then, clearly was set for the Lakers and O'Neal to part ways.

Still, it feels odd. O'Neal is the best center in a league that only has a handful of legitimate ones. Though his age (32) and lack of conditioning have worn down his value, he might be the most physically dominant player in league history. As one general manager says, "You always learn to expect the unexpected in this business. But you never expect someone to do something so foolish as trade Shaq."

In just a few weeks, the foolishness of these Lakers has led to the death of the team. (Was it really less than a month ago that the Pistons knocked the Lakers into oblivion?) We have been bequeathed a new NBA, with an uncertain balance of power. The Lakers now appear to be on par with Phoenix and Memphis. Miami should, at least, rise to the elite of the East with Detroit and Indiana, and those three teams might be better than any in the West. At most, Miami will bring a championship to South Florida.

We've been given a league where a single player (Bryant) must be bribed to sign with a team not just by the ho-hum lure of a $130 million contract, which the Lakers have offered, but by being given utter control over the franchise--to the point where he can force out two guys who are, arguably, the greatest coach in league history and the best player of his era. And Bryant can accomplish this despite facing possible jail time. The Lakers have done something foolish here, and in the process, the Heat has skyrocketed and the whole league has changed.

The trade's implications for the immediate parties are obvious. During his introduction, Tomjanovich said, "I'm hoping for the very best personnel and all those things. If it isn't, I'll coach who we have, and I'll coach them to the best of my ability." Clearly, these Lakers no longer have the league's very best personnel, an advantage they carried for most of the eight years O'Neal and Bryant were paired in gold and purple.

Now, the Lakers will have Gary Payton as the point guard, and Bryant--assuming he does not bolt as a free agent and is not found guilty in his rape trial, which begins in August--as the shooting guard. The Lakers then have two options for the frontcourt. They can go with Odom at small forward, Grant at power forward and sign a center (Vlade Divac has been mentioned). Or the team can go small, with Butler or Devean George at small forward, Odom at power forward and Grant at center. Should Karl Malone decide to return, he would be the power forward.

That lineup is not bad, but make no mistake, the Lakers were ripped off in this deal. They had to make it to appease Bryant and help assure that he would re-sign, just as they had to jettison Phil Jackson and made a $40 million offer to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. But in exchange for O'Neal, they failed to get an All-Star player. Grant has two bad knees and is more heart than talent, and Butler is vastly overrated. Odom has value, but he has been inconsistent in his five-year career and is a guy who is best when creating, when working with the ball in his hands. Of course, it will be tough for Odom to wrest the ball from Bryant's control. The Lakers might have a decent lineup next season, but no one is shaking in his high-tops over it, like when O'Neal manned the middle. In fact, it was Grant who, in the summer of 2000, helped force a sign-and-trade from Portland to Miami, in part because he did not want to knock around with O'Neal in the Western Conference anymore. No one is going to request a trade because they're tired of banging bodies with Lamar Odom.