It's official. Shawm Marion reportedly has asked the Suns' braintrust for a trade out of the desert. Apparently, he's tired of hearing of hearing his name in trade rumors. As if.
Where to now? Marion said he would welcome a trade to the Lakers, and there has been reports of trade talks with L.A. that would send Marion to Hollywood and Lamar Odom to Phoenix. I say, make this happen yesterday.
The proposed trade works well for both teams, financially and on the court. I don't even have to say how much it improves the Lakers. With Marion, Kobe gets a running mate that can both score when needed and defend like hell (in my opinion, he should have won the Defensive POY last year). He really can't create his own shot (which Kobe probably won't like when teams start doubling him), but he can give you 20 and 10 without having one single play ran for him in the halfcourt (which Kobe will definitely like).
Odom, on the other hand, has been dying to get as far away as possible from 24 since he got there and will relish getting to play with a successful team full of unselfish players. The Suns also run a system that utilizes LO's talents. Mike D'Antoni implemented a style that allows for multiple playmakers outside of Steve Nash. Odom is a good enough rebounder, so he give the Suns another option to run the fast break when Nash isn't on the floor. Marion is a better rebounder, but not the ball handler and passer Lamar is.
Lamar also gives them a more positive presence in the locker room, an alternative from the constant bitching about "being noticed" and what not. Odom doesn't even want to be noticed, he just wants to play, as long as it's not with KB.
The Lakers also would get some much needed playoff experience that Lamar never came close to offering. Plus, Shawn Marion is 10x the athlete Lamar Odom is, hence the nickname "Matrix".
Kobe should like this trade, seeing that it's the closest Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss will come to getting a "star" player around him this season. If getting Marion doesn't appease him, nothing will.
Though the Lakers front office has been morally irresponsible concerning the improvement of their roster, I have to give them props for jumping on this Marion situation, knowing that he already had an interest in playing there. And this also works for the Suns, considering they have been cutting costs like the Depression was coming back around.
Hopefully this deal gets done before training camp starts on Monday. Of course, we have to be skeptical about this deal even happening at all, considering how it makes too much sense and all.
2 comments:
Not a Laker fan, but it would be nice to see the Lakers get Marion while still able to keep Odom on the roster. I'm like you ... replace Odom with Marion, and I don't see how much it improves Kobe's chances.
Are you serious?! Phoenix needs to keep Marion as much as the Lakers want him! All this talk about him wanting to be traded out is just in his head! He's just out of it right now that AZ is cutting costs on the team. They're just as good as when they first started with him and improved the teams overall average. He's a great rebounder and it's true that him and Kobe would make a great team. But I can sense controversies between the two as teammates.
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