To start, it looks like the Eastern Conference may get stronger.
Wait. The East getting stronger? Is that a misprint?
With a tall, 7-1 center possibly being traded from the West to the East, it does not sound so crazy.
The rumored talks of Shaquille O'Neal getting traded took an interesting twist when it was reported in the San Jose Mercury News that the Miami Heat were in serious talks with the Lakers about trading for Shaq in exchange for Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and Caron Butler. There are also reports that Shaq has agreed to go to Miami.
Miami giving up a prized player like Caron Butler is a very big price to pay, but when a team has a chance to acquire the best center in the NBA, very few teams would not make that deal.
Shaq, along with Dwayne Wade, would form an enticing one-two combo that could have a chance to win the Atlantic Division. The only question with the Heat is surrounding good players around Shaq and Wade that can challenge Detroit as the best team in the East. Rasheed Wallace is still available, but look for Detroit to push hard to resign him.
Speaking of signings, not many people know what to make of the outlandish offer sheets that have been signed by Carlos Boozer and Melmet Okur, both by the Utah Jazz. This not only states that there is no chance for Detroit and the Cleveland Cavaliers will not match these contracts, it also puts the rest of the Western Conference on notice that Utah is ready to compete next season. They finished a few games over .500 last season, but missed the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. These two signings should push them in there.
As for the other Western Conference teams making a lot of noise: hint ... two of them are from Texas, and one team is in the hunt to sign Kenyon Martin.
The Houston Rockets, with the acquisition of Tracy McGrady from the Orlando Magic, have established themselves as contenders for the NBA title. The one-two punch of McGrady and Yao Ming will cause a lot of coaches to have sleepless nights. They had to give up Cuttino Mobley and all-star Steve Francis to complete the deal, but if they can sign a point guard, say a Derek Fisher, that can give the ball to Yao and McGrady, then they can be in pretty good shape.
The Dallas Mavericks are still not out of the Shaq sweepstakes after trading away Antwain Jamison to acquire some talent that they could trade to get Shaq. However, the Lakers want Dirk Nowitzki as part of the deal, but Dallas owner Mark Cuban is unwilling to do that. That is what makes the Shaq deal to Miami seem more likely. Replacing steve Nash will not be easy, but getting rid of the scorers that could not play defense was a new start for the Mavericks.
The Denver Nuggets look like a team that can really contend in the Western Conference, since it looks like they are the frontrunners in the Kenyon Martin shopping spree. As a restricted free agent, the New Jersey Nets can match any offer, but the Nuggets want to put out an offer that will make it impossible for the Nets to match. After resigning Marcus Camby, they have the money to sign Martin to a lucrative deal. With the emergence of Carmelo Anthony after his rookie campaign, the Nuggets could be a force to be reckoned with next season after making the playoffs this season.
Lastly, one has to be wondering what has become of the Sacramento Kings. They were an overtime away from reaching the NBA finals back in 2002 and have gone backwards since. Considering that coach Rick Adleman does not get fired before the season starts, this could be the Kings' last chance at making it to the Finals before management decides to implode the team. They are getting old real fast and cannot get over the hump, not to mention that they still cannot play defense.
All of this means nothing until next season, but it is not bad to think about during the hot summer days.
It is time to bid adieu, and before going, watch out for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic next season. Yes. The Magic. That is not a misprint, either. They will scare teams next season.
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