Big Trade for Toronto fans

Other Sports Basketball
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NEW YORK –

After on-and-off again negotiations, the Indiana Pacers have agreed in principle to send six-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal to the Toronto Raptors for point guard T.J. Ford and the 17th pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, a league executive said Wednesday.

After nearly completing the deal earlier in the week, Pacers and Raptors officials needed to exchange more medical information on O’Neal’s left knee and Ford’s neck before finding a comfort level with the trade. It is believed both sides now are comfortable making the deal, though the trade won’t be complete until both O’Neal and Ford pass their physicals.

Toronto also will send Rasho Nesterovic and another role player to match up with O’Neal’s salary. O’Neal is owed $44 million over the next two seasons. He played just 42 games for Indiana a year ago with a left knee injury. O’Neal has expressed a desire to leave the Pacers for a contender.

Ford, who has a history of neck injuries, became expendable when Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo decided that he wanted to make Jose Calderon the franchise’s future at point guard.

The Pacers would now hold the 11th and 17th picks in the draft.

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A Healthy Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Bosh will be dangerous in the East.

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lets be real here, the raptors could have their all time 12 best players and still not make it to the finals, thats how bad they’ve been as a franchise since their inception.

also, o’neal is a athletic big guy on the downside of his career after a knee injury, he’s not a huge haul and will just create and awkward rotation of bigs as barginani develops unless of course bargani can move to the wing(which, while he likes to shoot threes, isnt’ feasible)

kudos to indiana for unloading a big contract and getting a young servicable guard who can be moved again if nessicary.

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WEAK TRADE, oneal stays hurt.

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Jermaine can be the second option behind Chris Bosh. I think that should help with the injuries. barginani going to go as well.

Looks like Artest will opt out of contract with the Kings. It’s obvious that the Lakers want to unload Oden. Now thats another insane gain for the Lakers, sign Artest as a free agent. I am sure they won’t resign Oden, than theres 14 million free salary cap space available.

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Sources: Pacers agree to O’Neal-for-Ford swap with Raptors

ESPN.com news services

On the eve of the NBA draft, the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers finally agreed to a trade.

Sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher that the Pacers and the Raptors have agreed to a deal that, pending physicals, would send Jermaine O’Neal to Toronto in exchange for T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic and the No. 17 pick in tomorrow’s NBA draft.

Jermaine O’Neal
O’Neal

Center
Indiana Pacers

Profile
2008 Season Stats GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
42 13.6 6.7 2.2 .439 .742

O’Neal had surgery last April to repair torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee. He came back to start this season but occasionally played through swelling and pain. Before the Pacers announced his most recent injury, O’Neal said the knee hadn’t fully healed from the procedure.

O’Neal played in only 42 games last year and at one point missed 33 straight games before returning to the lineup on March 31. He had his worst season with the Pacers since 2000-01 as he averaged 13.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg after averaging 19.4 ppg and 9.6 rpg in 2006-07. Team officials recently told the Indianapolis Star that O’Neal, a five-time All-Star, and his knee are healthy.

He was the star of the Pacers’ team in 2003-04 that won 61 games and reached the Eastern Conference finals. But he was also involved in the Pacers-Pistons brawl at the Palace at Auburn Hills in 2004 that caused a meltdown of the Pacers that season and put the team in a funk from which it hasn’t recovered. Since that 61-win season, the Pacers have missed the playoffs the last two years and haven’t won more than 44 games in a season.

T.J. Ford
Ford

Point Guard
Toronto Raptors

Profile
2008 Season Stats GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
51 12.1 2.0 6.1 .469 .880

Ford has a history of neck injuries that began his rookie year. He collided with Minnesota’s Mark Madsen on a drive to the basket on Feb. 24, 2004 and had to be carted off the court on a stretcher after injuring his tailbone. Ford missed the entire 2004-05 season and his backup, Mo Williams, emerged as a possible candidate for the starting job. Ford played in 72 games for Milwaukee in 2005-06 season as the Bucks made the playoffs, but he was traded to Toronto after the season for the Bucks’ Charlie Villanueva and cash.

In his first season with Toronto, Ford played in 75 games, averaging a career-high 14.0 ppg and 7.9 apg as the Raptors won the Atlantic Division for the first time in team history. Last season, Ford missed 13 games with a neck injury after Atlanta’s Al Horford knocked him to the ground on a breakaway layup. Throughout the season, backup Jose Calderon proved more than adequate and took advantage of Ford’s injury to land the role as the Raptors’ favored starter.

Nesterovic averaged 7.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg last year, but went from a regular starter for Toronto in his first year to a backup last year.

O’Neal is set to make $21 million this season and $23 million in 2009-10. Ford has $25 million and three years left on his contract.

The Pacers will now hold the 11th and 17th picks in Thursday night’s draft while the Raptors will not have any selections.

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do you think artest would put up with any of the death glare’s the kobster gives to anyone who misses an open jumper?

oneal was the 3nd option this year behind dunleavy and granger and still sucked and got hurt. and he was splitting touches with stephen jackson and al harrington 2 years ago before they got traded to golden state.

aside from 06-07 where he preformed servicably well, but not worth his 18$mil contract, o’neal hasn’t come close to playing 80 games since 03-04. he’s just sitting on his huge contract, and not playing like the 20 and 10 guy who might have warranted a huge contract.

he gets hurt alot, and for 18$ mil he better be more than a 2nd option.

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Nope they both gonna start oneal at 5 bosh at 4.

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Artest loves kobe for what it’s worth.

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do you think artest would put up with any of the death glare’s the kobster gives to anyone who misses an open jumper?

True- he is pretty crazy. :smiley: Half the trade rumours this early are just that. This Oneil one is legitimate.

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until he has to play with him 100 games a year.

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the oneal move doesn’t make sense to me.

obviously mitch kupcheck and phil jackson will have to make the call whether they want lamar odem or someone else, and artest is certaintly a viable option, but if they sit tight with the pieces they have coming back, they should be well positioned to make the finals again.

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Talent is never the issue with the Lakers. Kobe being the 1st option is. I think they need a big man you can post up, bynum is the obvious, but he is injury prone. And I not sure Kobe can let his ego go to give up shots for his team.

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The triangle works best with Big centres, eg Shaq & Longley, it helps create more options for jump shooters and cutters. The Lakers need bynum

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Imagine the lakers offseason if they add both artest and bynum? Ones a given obviously(bynum). But if they add artest, good lord, that’s one heack of a team.

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Talent has been an issue with the lakers, ever since shaq left. It’s been kobe and some aau bodies. This was the first year, that kobe had talent around him, as the 1st option.

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Love the Raptors, but probably only an average move. But at least they have been getting progessively better.

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Yes it is Artest brings aggression on the defensive end. Another good trade would he Shane Battier ( i think the best defensive player in the NBA)

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I mean their roster on paper looked more dangerous than Bostons this year. Especially the bench. They will get better next year. But Kobe needs to change how he plays under this type of defense.

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Not really, the lakers dont have ballers. there so called ballers dont show up in big games.