Jermaine O'Neal on the Move?
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by user BigPPup
The trade rumor is swirling around the Indiana Pacers, and the talks are centered on the big man Jermaine O'Neal. According to ESPN.com there have been rumors surrounding O’Neal since last in the regular season, and now it is becoming apparent that Larry Bird and company are willing to pull the trigger and make the move. The players the Pacers are looking at may surprise you more than anything.
Currently the rumor mill is circulating that Indiana is in talks with the Toronto Raptors for dealing the services of the big man. What are the Pacers looking for in return? It would be a package deal that would include Toronto’s Number 1 draft pick, and possible young stud Charlie Villanueva.
Anytime you deal the number one draft pick it is news worthy, but perhaps the more intriguing part of this deal is who Indiana is looking at taking with the top pick. Adam Morrison. That’s right the raging star from Gonzaga with the horrible mustache (which he is still sporting). I’m not sure if this is Larry Bird thinking he actually did see a mini him in Morrison or what, but that is the direction the Pacers of indicated they are leaning in.
This trade is interesting for a lot of reasons. First off if the Pacers move O’Neal to any team it would mean they are officially blowing up the team that took them to the Eastern Conference Finals, and was once thought of being a step away from the NBA Finals. A trade of O’Neal will mean that within twelve months the Pacers have traded off their two best players (Ron Artest was dealt in February), and they would have very little to show. Even if Adam Morrison were to pan out, I cannot foresee that happening in the next two to three years.
Secondly what does Larry Bird and company sees in Morrison that makes him so appealing? He has yet to climb to the top of anyone else’s draft top. The comparisons have between Morrison and Bird has been widely circulated for the past two years. However, no one really took those comparisons seriously. Now that the master is taking heed to the student, there may actually be some validity to the comparisons.
Date
Thu 06/15/06, 7:19 am EST
