Back when I was a Pacers fan (well, I still kind of am but it's tough), I was never hugely into O'Neal, and the below excerpt from an article on the trade makes me think that the Raptors definitely made the right decision in getting him out of town, and more importantly, getting Marion into town:

Marion, a four-time all-star, was sent to Miami last season in the Shaquille O'Neal trade. He immediately becomes Toronto's best perimeter defender and most athletic wing player, and his US$17.8-million contract expires this summer. O'Neal's deal runs through 2010, and he was rendered expendable by the emergence of Andrea Bargnani. Now, the Raptors have the freedom to re-sign Marion at a lower salary, or to pursue a free agent such as Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu, whom Colangelo has long coveted.
Source(s):
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/postedsports/archive/2009/02/13/to...


Permalink | Report