Is Shaq available?

[The Diesel]

I still think Shaq is returning to the Suns...Gentry and him have a great relationship and Shaq has said on more than one occasion since the season ended that he WANTS to return.

The only teams that might have some interest are Dallas and Cleveland (If they don't win the title)

It was also reported that Portland had some discussions with the Suns at the trading deadline.

Now is the perfect time to get rid of Shaq while his value is still high.

Isn't it amazing how Kerr claims "our fans love Shaq" when 99.9% of Suns fans want him traded?

[RaisingArizona]

--- Find a sucker .... err, I should say "trade partner" we can unload JRich on and then outbid LA for Ariza. Yeah, I know that's easier to say than do. I love Duds but that was a **** trade.

Wheres Isiah Thomas when we need him?

[JES12]

A trade involving DAL or DAL & NOH can provide instant cap relief assuming we take less back.

In a trade with just DAL, we could have Stackhouse's un-guaranteed contract coming back to us. We can waive him as soon as we have the option. Howard would have to be included.

Or you could send Stackhouse to NOH and get Chandler & Howard. That's great value for O'Neal. Howard's $10mm could come off the books at the same time.

You are not getting Howard in a Shaq trade unless Carroll is involved instead of Stack. Kinda like the Marion/Banks deal, except Howard is younger than Marion and Shaq is older which is why Carroll is longer.

And LMAO at Chandler & Howard for Shaq. Dallas would just cut Phoenix out of that trade.

[JMac1]

Shaq to NO for Daniels,Rasaul Butler and Chandler. Suns save 10 million, get a PnR defender to mollify Nash. No one wants Dallas Trash!! Resign Nash to 3 year 30 and Stat 4 yr 65 watch Lopez develope behind Chandler taking over when Chandler expires. I like JRich, he needs to play defense is all. He avg 17.5 for us!!?? I love how our fans want everyone to be great. No one can be a role player. JRich role is smaller for us.

Nash/Dragic/Daniels
JRich/LB/Butler
Hill/Clark/Dudley
Amare/Lou
Chandler/Lopez

Taking on all comers!!

[DowJones]

Just out of curiosity, what if Cleveland sent you Ben Wallace and Pavlovic's contract? Pavlovic can be bought out for $1-2 million which Cleveland would give you and you save $5 million off the cap, which means $10 million in total due to the luxury tax.

You are essentially trading Shaq for a savings of $5 million in cap space and $10 million overall. Plus you could probably just buy Wallace out to save more money.

[MaryvalesFinest]

I don't think the Suns would do that much of a downgrade in talent just to save a few million. I mean if it saved them 10M + I can see a salary cutting trade happening but just a few probally not. I could see something happening though if the Cavs either included JJ Hickson or there first round pick though.

[dantian]

Just out of curiosity, what if Cleveland sent you Ben Wallace and Pavlovic's contract? Pavlovic can be bought out for $1-2 million which Cleveland would give you and you save $5 million off the cap, which means $10 million in total due to the luxury tax.

You are essentially trading Shaq for a savings of $5 million in cap space and $10 million overall. Plus you could probably just buy Wallace out to save more money.

When Cavs lose in this year's playoffs, likely already to Magics, Shaq would be a lot more valuable to them than just that, not to mention for minor changes Suns may want to stay competitive with Shaq. So, it's unlikely that Suns would do Cavs that much favor.

[nanoclarkology]

I like Wallace and he isn't backing down from Howard. I actually think he is doing a better job than BigZ but I would do that trade either. I wouldn't mind something with Wallace in it if they ate some of his contract though.

[inyourface48]

plus we'd get that bell-sound back

[shrink]

I don't think the Suns would do that much of a downgrade in talent just to save a few million. I mean if it saved them 10M + I can see a salary cutting trade happening but just a few probally not. I could see something happening though if the Cavs either included JJ Hickson or there first round pick though.

This is exactly the type of deal you could run through MIN, where they take on the bad talent and send you Mike Miller et al.

PHO GIVES: Shaq + Dudley + #14
PHO GETS: Mike Miller + Ryan Gomes + Sasha Pavlovic ($3.25 mil off) + $3.7 mil TPE

MIN GIVES: Mike Miller + Ryan Gomes
MIN GETS: Ben Wallace + Dudley + #14 + future lottery protected pick

CLE GIVES: Ben Wallace + Sasha Pavlovic + future lottery protected pick ($18,750,000)
CLE GETS: Shaq ($21,000,000)

I like this deal. With this much savings, PHO actually could get under the lux AND add talent. Getting $7.0 mil in 2009 cap space is generally pretty expensive, but it would save the Suns about $16.5 mil. This makes you up tempo again, and Miller and Gomes would really help.

Hope for Orlando to eliminate CLE, because I think they might offer this for Shaq to appease LeBron and try to keep him in Cleveland.

[DowJones]

I don't think the Suns would do that much of a downgrade in talent just to save a few million. I mean if it saved them 10M + I can see a salary cutting trade happening but just a few probally not. I could see something happening though if the Cavs either included JJ Hickson or there first round pick though.

This is exactly the type of deal you could run through MIN, where they take on the bad talent and send you Mike Miller et al.

PHO GIVES: Shaq + Dudley + #14
PHO GETS: Mike Miller + Ryan Gomes + Sasha Pavlovic ($3.25 mil off) + $3.7 mil TPE

MIN GIVES: Mike Miller + Ryan Gomes
MIN GETS: Ben Wallace + Dudley + #14 + future lottery protected pick

CLE GIVES: Ben Wallace + Sasha Pavlovic + future lottery protected pick ($18,750,000)
CLE GETS: Shaq ($21,000,000)

I like this deal. With this much savings, PHO actually could get under the lux AND add talent. Getting $7.0 mil in 2009 cap space is generally pretty expensive, but it would save the Suns about $16.5 mil. This makes you up tempo again, and Miller and Gomes would really help.

Hope for Orlando to eliminate CLE, because I think they might offer this for Shaq to appease LeBron and try to keep him in Cleveland.

I like this deal but I would like to see Cleveland get Dudley in return. I'm not sure how that all works out though.

[TASTIC]

^Dudley has his share of fans here...plays hard, plays D, young, cheap, multiple positions and developing 3 point shot...he won't be a throw in...

[rsavaj]

^Dudley has his share of fans here...plays hard, plays D, young, cheap, multiple positions and developing 3 point shot...he won't be a throw in...

What he said.

[shrink]

He's not a throw-in. He has to have some value because you can't make up the trade value gap without him.

Let me ask how much the #14 is worth in this weak draft. $5 mil? $8 mil? Even if you got expirings back that couldn't play, this deal still clears EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLARS.

On top of this, at half the price, Mike Miller and Ryan Gomes are both more valuable players than Dudley a 37-7ear old Shaq, and Miller and Gomes would use Dudley's minutes anyway.

I agree Dudley has some value. But I had to find some more value for PHO to add to the trade to justify the money the Suns received plus the talent boost. I felt Dudley was the right guy because he has some value and because his role would diminish.