On the eve of the NBA Draft, the first portion of what could be a blockbuster deal that could land the Dallas Mavericks disgruntled Los Angeles Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal was completed.
Although they must still get approval from the NBA office, sources confirmed to SportsLine.com that the Mavs have sent 2003-04 sixth man of the year Antawn Jamison to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and the fifth pick of Thursday's draft.
There seems little doubt the Mavericks aren't close to being finished, and it isn't likely that either player will remain in Dallas, although Laettner's contract of more than $6 million does expire after this season. Stackhouse, however, signed a two-year extension two years ago, leaving him with three more seasons for more than $20 million combined.
The topic of the 32-year-old O'Neal being traded by the Lakers, previously unheard of, became a reality last week after L.A. was eliminated in five games by the Pistons in the NBA Finals. Following the upset, coach Phil Jackson was essentially let go and Lakers owner Jerry Buss made it clear that he intended to build the future of the team around Kobe Bryant.
As a result of those two actions, O'Neal requested a trade.
As for the Mavs, who have publicly said they will not include Dirk Nowitzki in any deal for O'Neal, this appears to be the first of several moves to help position themselves to acquire O'Neal.
With Nowitzki out of the picture, however, everybody else on the roster is game as they attempt to ratchet up enough salaries to reach the $27 million O'Neal made this season.
Certainly the fifth pick of the draft is an additional carrot for the Lakers, along with perhaps the bloated final year of Antoine Walker's contract, but where else does this take them?
Do they really like Stackhouse enough to part with Michael Finley, along with Walker and the pick? Or does it mean the Lakers -- with general manager Mitch Kupchak, a fellow North Carolina alum with Stackhouse -- prefer Stack in the deal?
More likely, neither Stackhouse nor Laettner will unpack in Dallas and they will be moved along shortly for another player or players to package into the deal.
Regardless of what happened Wednesday night, this is a classic example of Mavs owner Mark Cuban unleashing the father-and-son duo of Don and Donnie Nelson on the rest of the NBA to reconstruct the team following their first-round elimination in the 2004 playoffs.
Whether that includes one very large and remarkably agile center that goes by the nickname Diesel, we'll find out soon ... very soon.
But there is no mystery from the Wizards' perspective with the acquisition of the 28-year-old Jamison, who will make more than $12.5 million next season. They now have a veteran scorer/rebounder with a great attitude and who already is good buddies with guards Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes from when the trio played together at Golden State two years ago.
Playing just 29 minutes a game for the talent-rich Mavs off the bench, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound Jamison still managed to average 14.8 points a game after averaging 22.3 the previous three seasons with the Warriors. The North Carolina product will start next to Kwame Brown and it eliminates the injury and selfishness issues Stackhouse brought to the young and impressionable team.
What happens to Stackhouse, Laettner, or even O'Neal, will sort itself out over the next few weeks.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/7444968
Although they must still get approval from the NBA office, sources confirmed to SportsLine.com that the Mavs have sent 2003-04 sixth man of the year Antawn Jamison to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Jerry Stackhouse, Christian Laettner and the fifth pick of Thursday's draft.
There seems little doubt the Mavericks aren't close to being finished, and it isn't likely that either player will remain in Dallas, although Laettner's contract of more than $6 million does expire after this season. Stackhouse, however, signed a two-year extension two years ago, leaving him with three more seasons for more than $20 million combined.
The topic of the 32-year-old O'Neal being traded by the Lakers, previously unheard of, became a reality last week after L.A. was eliminated in five games by the Pistons in the NBA Finals. Following the upset, coach Phil Jackson was essentially let go and Lakers owner Jerry Buss made it clear that he intended to build the future of the team around Kobe Bryant.
As a result of those two actions, O'Neal requested a trade.
As for the Mavs, who have publicly said they will not include Dirk Nowitzki in any deal for O'Neal, this appears to be the first of several moves to help position themselves to acquire O'Neal.
With Nowitzki out of the picture, however, everybody else on the roster is game as they attempt to ratchet up enough salaries to reach the $27 million O'Neal made this season.
Certainly the fifth pick of the draft is an additional carrot for the Lakers, along with perhaps the bloated final year of Antoine Walker's contract, but where else does this take them?
Do they really like Stackhouse enough to part with Michael Finley, along with Walker and the pick? Or does it mean the Lakers -- with general manager Mitch Kupchak, a fellow North Carolina alum with Stackhouse -- prefer Stack in the deal?
More likely, neither Stackhouse nor Laettner will unpack in Dallas and they will be moved along shortly for another player or players to package into the deal.
Regardless of what happened Wednesday night, this is a classic example of Mavs owner Mark Cuban unleashing the father-and-son duo of Don and Donnie Nelson on the rest of the NBA to reconstruct the team following their first-round elimination in the 2004 playoffs.
Whether that includes one very large and remarkably agile center that goes by the nickname Diesel, we'll find out soon ... very soon.
But there is no mystery from the Wizards' perspective with the acquisition of the 28-year-old Jamison, who will make more than $12.5 million next season. They now have a veteran scorer/rebounder with a great attitude and who already is good buddies with guards Gilbert Arenas and Larry Hughes from when the trio played together at Golden State two years ago.
Playing just 29 minutes a game for the talent-rich Mavs off the bench, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound Jamison still managed to average 14.8 points a game after averaging 22.3 the previous three seasons with the Warriors. The North Carolina product will start next to Kwame Brown and it eliminates the injury and selfishness issues Stackhouse brought to the young and impressionable team.
What happens to Stackhouse, Laettner, or even O'Neal, will sort itself out over the next few weeks.
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/7444968
