O'Neal Says Parting Ways With Pacers May Be Best

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Another disgruntled NBA franchise player who wants to win now, not later, has popped up in Indiana.

Pacers veteran Jermaine O'Neal voiced his displeasure with the direction of the team Thursday following a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Jermaine O'Neal
Forward-Center
Indiana Pacers

Profile
2007 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
28 19.3 10.6 3.0 .461 .732

"We're a very average team right now," O'Neal told the Indianapolis Star. "We're going to be average until we decide as players that we want to win and do the right things we're supposed to do to win. If we don't do it, we're going to mingle around .500, get in the playoffs and then be out."

The constant Pacers inconsistency has O'Neal thinking about his future with the team. Although clearly frustrated, O'Neal, who is averaging a team-high 19.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game, said his first choice is to remain with the team. But he did not rule out that a change may be necessary.

"If I can't take this team to another level, I truthfully believe we should go our separate ways at the end of the season," said O'Neal, according to the Indianapolis Star. "I'm saying in general, the bottom line is you play to win. If we don't have a system set to win a championship, if we don't have the crew to win a championship, then what are we doing?

"I'm getting to the point, I'm in my 11th year, I don't want to play 82 games and then exit to watch somebody else pop champagne. ... I'm tired of that. I want to compete for a championship. If we can't do it, that's a whole [different] story."

O'Neal said he wouldn't discuss any details regarding if he had taken his frustration to CEO Donnie Walsh and team president Larry Bird, but Walsh said he understood O'Neal's feelings.

"I think he's played really well and if the time comes for [talking about O'Neal's future], then that will be the time. We'll see," said Walsh, according to the Indianapolis Star. "We're going through a difficult part of the season. I'm frustrated, the coaches are frustrated on occasion and the team is frustrated.</div>

ESPN Article

Okay, here we go. *rubs hands together*

ESPN Trade Machine

JRich + Troy Murphy for J. O'Neal works straight up.

It's funny though, that we might not even be able to trade our two core "franchise players" (before Baron came) for another team's one. I wouldn't do that if I were Indy. How can we sweeten the deal and get this guy? Not only does he average 19.3 pts 10.6 boards, but he leads the league in blocks with 3.2!

Think of this:

1- Baron
2- Monta
3- Barnes
4- O'Neal
5- Biedrins

 

I'm sure the Warriors could put together a competitive package (which might have to involve someone we wouldn't want to trade). But the problem I see is that in what universe does any Warriors team (even one including JO) look like a near-future championship contender? I just don't see it. He gets us to the playoffs, maybe even into the second round, but not all the way. And according to him, a championship is priority #1. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have him on the Warriors, and they should make an effort, but honestly I just don't see the Warriors being a viable option for him. It sounds like he wants to be plugged into a team that's already on the cusp or on the rise, with other Allstar players to support him. Imagine JO and Arenas together for example. Or JO and Kobe, or whatever. I think it's going to be something like that.

 

pj brown, hinrich, and noch for JO

gordon
thabo
deng
JO
wallace

 

Relax, the only way he leaves is if they don't have a successful postseason - and I believe they will - Eastern finals even possibly.

 

<div class="quote_poster">phunDamentalz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Relax, the only way he leaves is if they don't have a successful postseason - and I believe they will - Eastern finals even possibly.</div>

I hope indiana loses 13 in a row then he demands to be traded.
wallace and JO would be a great tandum.

 

If JO was a Warrior, I think this pushes Biedrins to the bench because you know the kind of forwards that Nelson likes. He'd rather make J.O. a 240 lb center and keep Barnes, Pietrus, Dunleavy his "power forwards". Unless Nelson finds his new Dirk Nowitzki in guys like Lamar Odom, Kevin Garnett and other guys that can play 4 positions and have the height of a small center.

 

I hope O'Neal doesn't go to the Lakers. I would consider dealing a package of Jason or Monta along with Murphy and Ike for O'Neal. Also I can see O'Neal staying on the East like AI wanted to for a while because it is much easier to go deep in that confrence.

 

How about Jermaine O'neil, Sarunas J. to the Twolves for Kevin Garnett, Rashaad McCants? Larry Bird and Kevin McHale can help each other out if both stars become malcontents.

 

It works, but basically we're trading two of the most similar supestars in the league -- KG and JO are alike in so many ways.

However, while I'm burning the midnight oil here (off from school at SJSU until the 25th and fooling with my new MIDI controller I got for Christmas) I'm still trying to digest that link you gave about KG, Custodian. I've always thought KG is the ultimate franchise guy. However it appears he punched some dude for not reason, and eye-witness accounts say it was just because he was getting outplayed in a pick-up game. He also punched Wallyworld in practice. Man..... Of course, I have learned to take any media article with a grain of salt. Still, this one seems pretty substantiated. What a let down. Suddenly KG has gone from being, IMO, a role model, to being a thug like Stephen Jackson. Say it ain't so!!!

You know those commercials about "It takes 5" when KG asks the camera "But you ain't a fool, are you?"

I hope he's not a fool...

 

Indy wont take 2 gimps for JO. I think Foyle could be involved though because if his defense and they would have to get a big man back in return. As much as I love Ike, I could send him for JO especially since he seems to not mesh well with JO. I still would not give up Beans though. I just hope a trade would not push beans to the bench and that since JO PLAYS PF, we would keep Beans at C...

 

<div class="quote_poster">Run BJM Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">That wouldn't help anything because KG wants to compete for a championship, which he can't do in Indy without JO there and JO wants to at least go to a team that will do some damage, which Minny won't do without KG there.</div>

Well crap, both teams should just give them to teams with an all-star shooting guard and no big men then...

bah superstars, what a bunch of whiners.

Okay... what about something to the Lakers or Dallas?

Lamar Odom, Vladmir Radmanovic, Andrew Bynum (or substitute future first round picks) for Jermaine O'neil.

Stack, Devin Harris, Maurice Ager, Dasagana Diop (replace any similar contracts to those of rookie scale contracts with future first rounders) for Jermaine O'neil?

 

<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Well crap, both teams should just give them to teams with an all-star shooting guard and no big men then...

bah superstars, what a bunch of whiners.

Okay... what about something to the Lakers or Dallas?

Lamar Odom, Vladmir Radmanovic, Andrew Bynum (or substitute future first round picks) for Jermaine O'neil.

Stack, Devin Harris, Maurice Ager, Dasagana Diop (replace any similar contracts to those of rookie scale contracts with future first rounders) for Jermaine O'neil?</div>


Note...in the Dallas deal,or the Hinrich/Nocioni (expires) deal...there ain't no 20 pt scorers,no 10 rbd guys. ..and they ain't backing it up with some high end recent lotto picks. Seriously-it baffles me that we always seem to propose to overpay-yet think Chi or LA or Dallas or ? can get JO (or KG) with no sacrafices. O'Neal is expensive now-and rising. His contract hits a fat $23 mill soon. Are we bipolar-or what? We want to swap off young-cheap talent for a disgruntled celebrity with one of the NBA's fattest contracts---while we ALSO want to swap off young talent as "incentive" so we can dump "contracts ...aka recent starters......because we really want to give big contracts to the NEXT generation,which...oops we traded off to get rid of a 6-11 rebounder and get a 6-11 rebounder and clear out another of last year's starters

Well....we've been lucky with walk ons.

At this point,J Rich is not gonna have anything like full market value. Don't be surprised if Nellie makes J Rich BETTER than he was. Considering that J Rich,last year out scored Garnett, J O'Neal,Gasol,S Nash, and a lot of other big names,better could be pretty sweet.

I guess if we got JO and kept Biedrens-Nellie would use a PF.....some. Obviously,it would be back to the drawing board for a style based on JO,we'd be oriented to our new centerpiece star and not to depth (which the deal probably removes).

 

<div class="quote_poster">custodianrules2 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">If JO was a Warrior, I think this pushes Biedrins to the bench because you know the kind of forwards that Nelson likes. He'd rather make J.O. a 240 lb center and keep Barnes, Pietrus, Dunleavy his "power forwards". Unless Nelson finds his new Dirk Nowitzki in guys like Lamar Odom, Kevin Garnett and other guys that can play 4 positions and have the height of a small center.</div>

This is my argument for trading Ike. We need a more athletic and mobile PF.

But seriously, if we had JO and Nelson moved him to C and put AB on the bench so he can play Dunleavy, then it's time Nelson to get ready for the retirement farm.

 

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Dunleavy-POB-Zarko-1st Round Pick for JO?</div>

Done. If Mullin refused that, he definately should be fired.

 

O'Neal is a near-superstar but he's beyond a difference maker right now (wow did I just write that?) Difference makers are who the Warriors should be looking for, a young big Battier. They've already got two cheap difference makers in the pipeline, Monta and Andris. Don't saddle the team with and aging O'Neal for the next 5 years.

 

<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Dunleavy-POB-Zarko-1st Round Pick for JO?</div>

I don't think the Pacers would give up Jeff Foster for Dun/POB/Zarko/pick, let alone O'Neal. I don't know if that was a joke or not, but there's no way -- one player's career could be over (Zarko), one player may never have a career (POB), and one player is Mike Dunleavy. This trade is basically 3 scrubs + pick for a superstar.

Realistically, though, I could see Murphy/JRich/filler, or Murphy/Pietrus/Ike, or something, but it would have to be hefty considering all the other teams who would go after JO, one of the best players in the game.

I guess the 1st round pick is a good bargaining chip though... I just think it has to be something like Murph/JRich.