Shaq denies reports that he wants out...

[MaryvalesFinest]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/ar ... e0311.html

"If you guys don't hear me say that, null and void," O'Neal said. "If I've got something to say, I'll call (Suns General Manager) Steve (Kerr) personally. Of course (I want to stay); why wouldn't I?

"I got Nellie (Head Athletic Trainer Aaron Nelson) and the Suns. Great city. Great group of guys."

I'm guessing he's just trying to smokescreen the whole thing and is going to be traded this summer but he could be telling the truth so who knows.

[Mr. Sun]

Remember the so-called "insider" never said Shaq said he wanted out! That was all "assumed."

[jazzy_jeff]

Whether Shaq does want out, even he's smart enough to realize that he's not going anywhere before the summer so there's no point throwing gas on the fire now, especially with the Suns still clinging to playoff hopes.

I wouldn't be surprised one bit if it comes out after the seaosn that Shaq wants out nor would I be surprised if he starts next season elsewhere

[TXSun]

ahhhh those so called "insiders" i tell you. Knowing Shaq he probably wants to finish the season strong and keep playing at an All-star level to get a nice 1 year contract next year.

[The Diesel]

Here's another article about this situation.

The drama that is the Phoenix Suns continues as their season begins to look more and more bleak.

After a four-game road trip that resulted in four tough losses, followed by a home loss to the Mavericks, the Suns are now five games out of the playoffs.

While Shaquille O'Neal is publicly saying all the right things he is privately unhappy, according to an article in Tuesday's Los Angeles Times.

O'Neal was displeased about his name being mentioned in trade talks.

The article goes on to suggest that it could be from the team returning to running or both.

According to O'Neal the article is fabrication.

"I'm telling you I'm a professional if I got a problem I'm going to Steve [Kerr], and I'm not going to negotiate anything through [the media]," O'Neal said after the Suns fifth straight loss. "It's not how it's done, that's not how you take care of business. I'm a business man and I do business straight across the board, I've been doing that my whole career."

O'Neal even went so far as to squashing the idea of him not wanting to be with the Suns anymore.

"We got [trainer Aaron Nelson] and the guys, great city, great group of guys, of course," he said when questioned about wanting to stay.

Suns general manager Steve Kerr saw the article and asked O'Neal if any of it was true.

"I talked to Shaq [Tuesday] about that particular article, and he said 'If I'm going to say something I'm going to say something to you' and that was the end of it," Kerr told Sports 620 KTAR's Doug & Wolf Wednesday morning.

But it was just three weeks ago that O'Neal told Sports 620 KTAR's Craig Grialou, "I'm not supposed to be here," after the Suns had just beaten the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The comment was referring to how close the Suns were to pulling off a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the deadline approached.

The following day when asked about being frustrated with the trade talk, O'Neal decided to not answer the question directly.

"Write what you think," O'Neal said.

http://ktar.com/sports/?nid=21&sid=1100167

[pidi]

btw - who cares what shaq wants??? if the team is going to trade him than he can´t do a thing about it...

[TXSun]

btw - who cares what shaq wants??? if the team is going to trade him than he can´t do a thing about it...

gotta give him props though, for playing at an Allstar level this year. There will be alot of takers for him this summer. Perhaps Cavs if they don't win it this year.

[wiff]

btw - who cares what shaq wants??? if the team is going to trade him than he can´t do a thing about it...

gotta give him props though, for playing at an Allstar level this year. There will be alot of takers for him this summer. Perhaps Cavs if they don't win it this year.

Yeah but 21mil is a lot to stomach for another team in this economy. What are you guys expecting to get back in a trade for Shaq? I know he had a resurgence but the guy is getting up there in age. Is only locked up for the one year.

I can't see many teams throwing high picks your direction. Or valuable players who contribute since they would be renting Shaq for only a season.

[wiff]

Also isn't your owner looking to shed salary? How are you going to trade Shaq unless you send him to a team who is under the cap and you get back expirings as well? Typically under the cap means not competitive. I'm sure Shaq would love that.

Otherwise you might as well keep him and let him expire.

You could send him to the Thunder because they should be around 11mil under the cap and they could send you 9.3mil in expirings. The Thunder could absorb Shaq's contract and your owner would lose 10mil total salary but you would be left with Earl Watson and Damien Wilkins.

Not exactly ideal for competing if you are the Suns.

[tsherkin]

Shaq's a $20M expiring, so he's got some value, especially in the upcoming offseason and in the current environment.

Remember, you have to trade contracts to get him, so I mean it's possible even a struggling team might want him.

[-SDU-]

if we want cap relief, i dont see why we trade him this offseason?

he expires after the year

sure if we traded him thisyear we could get someone who expires this year, but after this season finishes, we wont get anyone that expires sooner...

i only see him going if we get good young (cheap) talent in return (ie hickson, tyrus, or someone like that + picks)

and i dont want that to happen myself

[wiff]

Shaq's a $20M expiring, so he's got some value, especially in the upcoming offseason and in the current environment.

Remember, you have to trade contracts to get him, so I mean it's possible even a struggling team might want him.

To my understanding if a team is under the cap the contracts don't have to be equal (or close to equal).

But still even if a team wanted Shaq the Suns owner is still going to have to pay close to the 21mil on his contract because the contracts they get back in a trade should be equal(+-). Unless he sends him off to a team that is under the cap that's the only way he can cut off some of the salary next season.

I guess the team could cut him and whatever the team pays Shaq for his new contract would be subtracted from the Suns salary. But no one is going to give a guy at his age a big contract.

What makes this situation even uglier is that the Suns don't even own their own draft pick next year, the OKC Thunder do.

So if they cut Nash and trade Shaq how many wins are they going to have next season? Why bother cutting Nash and getting rid of Shaq this offseason? Hang on to them and see what happens because if you lose it's not going to benefit you anyway. The fans are going to have to endure two years of losing before they can add a lotto pick.

Man the Suns went from the league's most fun team to watch to a train wreck in about two seasons.

[tsherkin]

I didn't say equal contracts, but whether the exchange is of exact value or not, teams are going to want to send the Suns longer deals for Shaq's large, expiring deal.

[wiff]

I didn't say equal contracts, but whether the exchange is of exact value or not, teams are going to want to send the Suns longer deals for Shaq's large, expiring deal.

Sure, absolutely.

And I don't see any reason the Suns would be willing to take back long term deals when it looks like they are doing everything they can to get under the luxury tax.

I still don't get Sarver's talk about blowing it up when they don't have a draft pick to start building with.