Marion to the Heat; Shaq Involved

First things first: none of the headlines for this trade should feature the words "Shaq to the Suns". In fact, any variation on that phrase (that includes "Suns acquire Shaq", "O'Neal heading out West" or the horrific "Sunny Day for the Diesel") deserves to be immediately discredited. Shaq is not the best player in this deal, and the last time I checked it is the best player who should get the headline when a blockbuster goes down (Pau? KG? Iverson?).

This is why I will begin by focusing on the Shawn Marion end of the trade, the good side.

This acquisition is fantastic for the Heat. In Marion, they get a proven defender and offensive contributor, an athletic forward and an overall excellent piece to go alongside Dwyane Wade. Together, the two will provide Miami with one of the most versatile and talented duos in the league, and they've got a good shot at climbing out of the East's cellar before the season is up.

Marcus Banks, a little gem in the deal, should be a solid backup point guard who has had a good amount of practice since entering the league (that's what playing behind Steve Nash will do to you). He can play behind Jason Williams until he's comfortable enough to take over the starting spot.

Overall, the trade benefits the Heat immensely: they give up the constantly-injured O'Neal, who has done little for the team for about a year, they gain a fantastic player in Marion and a solid backup point guard in Banks. This might just be a good opportunity for Miami to turn things around.

I wish I could say the same for the Suns.

It's hard to tell exactly what Steve Kerr was thinking when he pulled the trigger: O'Neal is aging, doesn't fit the Suns' style at all, and needs to be repaired every month or so. Steve Nash will get agitated when he finds empty space beside him on the fast break, Amare Stoudemire will lose even more touches on offense (Shaq needs the ball a lot more than Marion did) and he will drag down the Suns every single possession. If Phoenix wants a championship, they're going to have to go in a completely different direction. It's time for the "run-and-gun Suns offense" to be an element of the past.