Big Trade Commentary Part III (Last One, We Promise)

I just HAD to chime in on this one.

Man, I had just said earlier this past week that the 2007-08 season is "The Year of You have got to be KIDDING me! Trades" . Now this happens. Let's recap what kind of a world we live in:

-Shawn Marion traded for the hollow husk that used to be Shaq?

-Pau Gasol traded for Kwame Brown. THE Kwame Brown?

-Kevin Garnett traded for Al Jefferson and a pile of dog excrement?

-Jason Richardson traded for Brandan Wright, an unproven rook (who isn't doing squat)?

-Ray Allen traded for Wally's World, Delonte West, and a pile of magic beans?

It would be one thing if these deals looked bad in hindsight, but all of them looked horribly bad right from the get go. I have officially lost any sympathy for the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Sonics for at least the next 5 years. We can now add the Suns to that list.

The Marion-Shaq trade, or "Shaq-gate" as I will heretofore refer to it, completely blew me away when I heard about it at work today. In fact, here is the conversation I had with the coworker who told me verbatim:

Coworker: "Hey did you hear about the big trade in the NBA today?"

Me: "No, what happened?"

Coworker: "Shawn Marion got traded."

Me: "WHOA! For who?"

Coworker: "Shaq."

(Silence)

Me: "Haha, very funny."
Coworker: "No man, I'm serious. Check it out. It's everywhere online."

Me: "Weird. Well, I guess Phoenix must be getting a bundle in return. Who else are the Suns getting?"

Coworker: "No one. It was Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaq."

(Silence)

Me: "-But...but...Phoenix does a run-and-gun style! This makes no sense!

Coworker: "I know".

Me: "And Shaq is useless at this point anyway! Shawn Marion is one of the best players in the league!"

Coworker: "I know".

Me: "Damn, what a weird year. I'm off to lunch. Call me if the Suns trade Steve Nash for a box of Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets."

Talking to others it appears there was a similar reaction across America to this trade. Flabbergasted people were mumbling things like, "Well, now I guess Amare gets to play power forward, which is his natural position". Sorry, but even this line of reasoning doesn't make much sense. Shaq basically plays as frequently as a solar eclipse.

I have to step back for a moment and congratulate the down-and-out Miami Heat for somehow getting someone to take one of their most overpaid, overweight, and old players (it was tough to type that as I love Shaq) in exchange for Marion. I went back and forth on how they managed to do it. Did they send a cardboard cutout of 1997-era Shaq? Did Steve Nash temporarily lose his short-term memory and demand this trade happen? Does Isiah Thomas in any way have a hand in Suns team decisions?!?!?!

Nah, in the end I think it boils down to one thing: Rookie mistake by Steve Kerr, who seems to have flown too close to the Sun employment-wise. With Kerr's two big moves so far being the acquisitions of Grant Hill and Shaq, he seems to only want players that were stars in the league back when he played.

-You know what that means...Shawn Kemp to the Suns! Man, I can only hope.