Does O Neal Really Want to be Traded?
Jermaine O'Neal has spent his whole career, all ten seasons, with Indiana Pacers. He's had a pretty successful career there averaging 13.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, and 1.8 blocks per game. However, these past few weeks, O'Neal hasn't really been sure want he wants to do or what team to play with for the rest of his career.
First, he says he wants to get traded to the LA Lakers and team up with Kobe and the gang.
While he was at Baron Davis's charity basketball game, he told the crowd and everybody else in the world that he wanted to be traded.
"It's time for me to move on," he said. "And the Lakers are the team I want Indiana to trade me to."
He then added this, making it clear that the Pacers were aware of his intentions.
"I love Indiana and the fans and we have a lot of nice young talent," he said, "but obviously [the Pacers are] in a situation now where they're rebuilding. I told them I can't be in a rebuilding mode right now. I'm at a point in my career where I can't wait another five years to contend. I'm not in a position physically to take in five years of losses and downtime."
There couldn't be any better news for a Laker fan. Could this really be a Bryant/O'Neal Duo, Part 2? Also, maybe getting O'Neal to the Lakers would help persuade Kobe to stay in LA. However, the Pacers have stalled a lot and keep asking for players who the Lakers aren't ready to give up.
"Larry Bird is a hard man to deal with," O'Neal said. "He tries to make unfair trades. He wants to gut a team, but the Lakers are trying to get over the hump. I want Indiana to benefit, but with some nice young players and draft picks. I want to make it clear that I don't want to gut a team that I come to because then it'll be like I'm in Indiana all over again.
"If things don't work, I have an option in my contract next year and I will opt out and become a free agent."
An O'Neal to the Lakers would also help Jermaine, as he has always been a superstar, but he hasn't had a team that could make it all the way in the playoffs. He is still missing that elusive first ring; the jewelry that Kobe and the newly acquired Fisher already have three off.
O'neal and Bryant have also been playing ball together for a very long time. When they were 15, they played AAU together. Also, they entered the NBA during the same draft.
So it seems that a trade to LA is really what O'Neal would want and wants. But the plot thickens...
In an interview with a writer from the Pacers official homepage, this question was asked: Where do you want to be in 2007-2008?
O'Neal replied by saying, "I want to be here. I want to be a Pacer. All along, my concern has been the well-being of the team. Obviously, we haven't had the type of years we would expect for quite a few reasons. We've had a lot of distractions. But I have a lot of respect for this city and I hear where they're coming from, as far as wanting a winner."
He then goes on to say that he has talked to Don Walsh and Larry Bird about the future of the team. Also, he says that he doesn't that the Pacers are rebuilding because they havnt made any blockbuster trades.
Also, he says that his comments have been misinterpreted by the media and added, "said if the Pacers were to go in another direction and move me to either one of those teams, I would accept a trade with L.A. or New Jersey, if that's what they wanted to do. What they did was dissect it and say, 'Jermaine wants out of Indy.' I don't want out of Indy. I've told them time and time again I want the best situation for the Pacers. I want to be here. I want to be able to retire here, and I want to retire here as a champion."
So what can the average fan make of the events the past few days? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I mean, it's almost like he's pulling a Kobe Byant on us. One minute, he's saying that he wants out of Indiana. The next, he's saying that he wants to stay.
In my opinion, I say that he ends up staying in Indiana, and if they can't get anything done during this season, he will explore the free agent waters during the next offseason. But that guess is just a shot in the dark.
The only thing we as fans can do is wait as the story unfolds.
-Klo91 (Founder - Hoops Logic)
Author: Karlo Reyes
Karlo is the founder of Hoops Logic (http://www.hoopslogic.66ghz.com). It is a site dedicated to serving the fantasy basketball enthusiast. He is the main author and editor of the site. Please visit and join the community.
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