Matrix Inflation

Will somebody please remind Shawn Marion that he is not a franchise player. Please.

According to Arizona Central, Marion is upset at the Suns' front office because they haven't yet started to discuss an extension for him.

Marion is, by the way, the Suns' highest-paid player (he'll earn $16.4 million this year), despite being the team's third-best player. And in continuing with the "Shawn Marion Whining Series", he wants even more money, most likely in the $20 million range.

$20 million...for Shawn Marion? Hell no, for the following reasons:

The Matrix is not a $20 million guy.
The list of $20 million-type guys stops and ends with Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal (before last year), LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Allen Iverson. That's it. Did I miss anyone? No, and Shawn Marion is not and will not be on that list.

Phoenix can't afford to give it to him.
Has Shawn not been seeing Robert Karver (Suns owner) and Steve Kerr (new GM) cutting costs at a rapid rate this past summer, or over the past year for that matter, to avoid the dreaded luxury tax. They sent Kurt Thomas to Seattle for little to nothing and they've been selling first round picks like dimebags the past two years. Now the Suns are supposed to pay $20 million to a guy who is clearly not worth it. Right.

The Suns could still get rid of him.
The Matrix has been featured in several trade rumors for over a year, including a rumored deal for KG this summer. There's been a much talked about deal for Andrei Kirilenko recently and I would imagine the organization is tiring of his continuous whining about not being respected. Add to the fact that he might be overpaid, and he might not even be there for an extension.

Don't get me wrong, I think Marion is a great player and a vital asset to the Suns style of play and their success. But $20 million + and you're not the reason people come to the arena to see the Suns? Try baseball.