O'Neal reportedly could be traded away by Heat

[BDodgers at aol.com]

O'Neal reportedly could be traded away by Heat
 
ESPN.com news services






 



 
 

Heat Considering Trading Shaquille O'Neal

The _Miami Heat_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=mia) 's season 
has come to this: _Shaquille O'Neal_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=847)  may be on the trading block. 
Citing two sources close to the situation, the Miami Herald reported on  
Tuesday that the team has told the center that he should be prepared for a  
possible deal. 
The Herald goes on to report that a trade of O'Neal to the _Phoenix Suns_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=pho)  for _Shawn Marion_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3332)  and _Marcus Banks_ 
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3716)  has been discussed. One 
of O'Neal's  representatives told the newspaper that they were informed that 
talks with  Phoenix were ongoing and serious. 
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports that this scenario has been rumored for a week, 
 but it will not work without major modifications due to financial  
restraints. 
The Heat have a league-worst 9-37 record and have lost four straight. O'Neal  
has missed the last six games with a sore left hip. Heat coach Pat Riley said 
on  Tuesday that O'Neal will undergo an MRI. 
''We just want to back it up and see, after two weeks, what it shows,'' Riley 
 said, according to the Herald. 
O'Neal led the Heat to the 2005-06 championship, but he is averaging a  
career-low 14.8 points per game, while adding 7.8 rebounds in 32 games this  
season. 
Trading O'Neal would open considerable salary cap room for Miami, which is  
due to pay the 35-year-old $20 million in each of the next two  seasons.






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