| Is J.O. To Chicago A Good Idea? Authored by Andrew Perna - June 11, 2008 - 11:58 am
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That is simply the nature of the game, with the state of the Pacers playing a huge role in making the talks even louder surrounding the former All-Star forward.
If one were to compile a list of all rumors involving J.O. over the last six months, you’d probably need a few reams of paper. He’s been linked to everywhere from Los Angeles to the New York, with no stone left unturned when it comes to possible trade scenarios.
Last week rumors swirled around the internet that the Pacers and Cavaliers were contemplating a deal that would have sent O’Neal and the No. 11 pick to Cleveland for a package including draft selections and a number of expiring contracts.
Just as quickly as the speculated deal spread, the potential swap was shot down by Pacers General Manager David Morway in a phone conversation last Thursday afternoon.
Morway even went as far as to avoid the typical ‘no comment’ response altogether, calling the rumored deal absolutely “ridiculous”.
Now, this week, mere days after the last murmurs involving J.O. were heard, his name is being mentioned in the same sentence as yet another Central Division rival.
A deal involving the Pacers and Bulls was given birth in the Chicago Sun-Times on Sunday, citing nothing other than Chicago’s need for an interior threat.
If asked about this deal, Morway would likely have the same response as he did to the mention of the aforementioned Cleveland swap, but nonetheless these types of things are entertaining to muse on.
While that refuted deal with the Cavaliers would have given the Pacers nearly $20 million in salary cap relief next summer, the latest “idea” involving the Bulls could help Indiana end their two-year playoff drought next April.
Acting under the assumption that Chicago will take Derrick Rose with the first overall pick to fix their issues at point guard, they’ll still have a rather large hole to fill in the paint. A healthy O’Neal could fill that void rather nicely, especially since the Bulls appear to have the types of players that would excite Indiana.
GM John Paxson could offer the Pacers an enticing package including forward Tyrus Thomas, a future draft pick and one of their excess guards (Larry Hughes, Kirk Hinrich or Ben Gordon).
Thomas could play in the paint for Indiana, although two years after he was drafted No. 4 out of LSU there are doubts about his ability to play at an elite level in the NBA.
A rebuilding team like the Pacers – you could officially place that ugly label on them if Jermaine is sent packing – could use an extra draft pick in the near future, whether it be in 2008, 2009 or 2010 as well.
The issue then becomes which guard, or what pair of guards, the Bulls would add to the package.
O’Neal’s enormous contract isn’t an easy one to trade under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, meaning that it will be hard for Chicago to offer Indiana a two-player package that’s good enough for the Pacers to agree on.
Things certainly begin to get complicated.
If Thomas is a constant in the deal, then Indiana would have to add a piece alongside O’Neal to make taking the additional salaries of two more Bulls feasible. However, there is a two-for-one swap that would fly under the league’s strict trading regulations.
It’s not as appealing for the Pacers as trade for Thomas and either Gordon or Hinrich, but J.O. could be dealt straight-up for Hughes and Drew Gooden.
I don’t dislike Gooden, but I have never really liked him either. Depending on who you ask, he’s either underrated or overvalued – an opinion rarely falls inbetween. However, his contract does expire next summer. That would give Indiana a body in the paint that can come of the books entirely in 2009. Not too bad of a proposition for a team looking for help and cap relief at the same time.
Hughes is well, Hughes.
He’s overpaid, that much is certain, and like O’Neal he has two years left on his current contract. He isn’t owed nearly as much as J.O., but he also isn’t as good as player as Jermaine was in prime.
Larry was a 22-5-5 guy just a few seasons ago in Washington, but an injury and a stint in Cleveland seems to have robbed him of both explosiveness and a sparking reputation.
From the Pacers’ perspective a swap involving a pure point guard like Hinrich and a volume scorer like Gordon would be the most beneficial. There is no way the Bulls would part with Thomas, Hinrich and Gordon for O’Neal, but some combination involving two of those three could work.
Any trade the Bulls pull involving Gordon this summer would have to come via a sign-and-trade, complicating matters even more.
In the end, if we have learned anything from hashing and re-hashing trade scenarios involving O’Neal and the Bulls, it’s that dealing J.O. will be no easy task for the Pacers should they decide to end the forward’s eight-year run in Indiana.
In the meantime, get accustomed to a different “possible” destination for O’Neal every morning when you wake up.
It’s just that time of year again.
Andrew Perna is a Senior Writer for RealGM and the owner and operator of PacerPerspective.com. Please feel free to contact him via e-mail with comments or questions on this piece: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. |
