Ben Wallace

In the aftermath of Cleveland’s loss to Orlando in the East Finals, I suggested the Suns should trade Shaq to the Cavs because of the possibility that Ben Wallace would retire and immediately free up $14 million in cap space.

Of course, the Suns ended up making that cap-friendly deal and will save a cool $18 mil if they buy out Sasha Pavlovic, but after getting back only $4 mil in Wallace’s buyout (plus another $4 mil in luxury savings), it wasn’t exactly the cash windfall I was hoping it would be in a trade that was a pure salary dump.

The biggest reason, of course, is because Big Ben decided he still wanted to play basketball, a decision cemented when he agreed to a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum with Detroit on Friday, according to sources.

Wallace tantalizingly suggested that he would walk away from $14 million for nothing, something that I shouldn’t have been so stupid to believe he would do. After all, do you know anybody who would walk away from that kind of dough for nothing?

The Suns also then acquired Big Ben’s deal as an asset they could move in a cost-cutting trade for another team, such as the rumored Tyson Chandler deal, but they eventually passed on that opportunity.

Unless the Suns choose to pick up an asset instead of saving cash with Pavlovic’s contract, I won’t look at the Shaq trade in as positive of a light as I did at first.

I originally lauded the deal because stylistically and financially the Suns needed to get out from underneath the Shaqtus’ contract, and it benefits the Big Sidekick to go be with LeBron.

However, I also figured the Suns would be getting more than just the flexibility not to have to make any other moves for cap purposes; I thought Wallace and Pavlovic would be turned into assets. Since they weren’t, you really have to wonder why Phoenix couldn’t have squeezed out at least a DeJuan Blair with Cleveland’s first-round pick as far as basketball assets go.

So as Big Ben returns to the place where he became a star, Suns fans should lament the fact he didn’t want to just hang them up (and give Sarver back his salary).

Oh, and check out some video highlights, too, while you’re at it.

Obviously, Robin Lopez was the story of this game for the Suns, and that’s a very, very good thing. Yes, he’s going up against scrubs, but 24 and 16 is still 24 and 16. That includes five offensive boards, a pair of blocks, 7-for-10 shooting from the field and 10-for-12 at the line.

The rebounding is what impresses me more so than the scoring. The Suns have enough scoring on the floor that they just need @eegabeeva88 to be able to catch and finish on the offensive end.

But unlike last year when he really was one of the worst rebounding 7-footers in basketball, he needs to be a force in that aspect of the game next season. And why shouldn’t he be with that kind of size and athleticism?

Many people have questioned whether he wants to really be a monster down low. Hopefully Summer League can start to be a turning point for him going from a timid rookie to a nasty NBA center.

Paul Coro wrote about a recent scrimmage in which Lopez met Earl Clark at the summit when the rookie was trying to throw one down on him, and then proceeded to “stare him down like Pedro Martinez after a strikeout.” I’m not expecting the second coming of Dikembe Mutumbo, but that’s the kind of fire I hope we see out of Lopez next season.

As for the other regulars, Alando Tucker put up a non-descript 15 points and five boards and Goran Dragic scored just three points on 1-for-7 shooting in 17 minutes.

Phoenix Stan, who is lucky enough to be able to attend Summer League, wrote that Dragic just didn’t look right all game and even left the court about four minutes in before later injuring his groin. I still think these games are huge for his confidence and expect him to bounce back in a big way once he rights himself.

At least Dragic got in more run than Earl Clark, whose much-awaited Suns debut will have to wait a few days because he was scratched with tightness in his lower back.

My boss at real work, Arnie Kuenn from the Phoenix link building company Vertical Measures, was also lucky enough to be in Vegas speaking at a conference on Monday, and wouldn’t you know it he made time to fit in a little Summer League action.

Arnie tweeted that Tucker looked “pretty average” out there but that Taylor Griffin, Zabian Dowdell and Carlos Powell all impressed.

Dowdell went for 15 points, five assists and four boards, and Powell chipped in with 13.

Griffin scored just four points and grabbed a pair of boards, but you can already tell he’s a guy for whom stats don’t tell the whole story. Arnie tweeted that he made the play of the game by stealing it, taking it down the floor and then making a behind-the-back dish for a bucket.

Still, I like the idea from Bill SImmons’ mailbag to have Taylor undergo a face transplant along with his brother Blake to save little bro from the ineptitude of the Clippers. It’s the greatest sarcrifice a big brother could ever make.

Since the Suns won’t be doing anything else with the $18 million windfall from the Shaq deal now that they’ve officially completed Ben Wallace’s buyout, they might as well see if that kind of dough would do it for Donald Sterling. That would be better than Tyson Chandler anyway, right?

One final note, somebody who’s savvy with social media really needs to take over the Twitter account of “Sun Tzu,” and they better hurry.

Mike Lisboa from Bright Side explains why.

For those of you too lazy to click, this seriously appeared on @Amareisreal and on this twitpic: “Breaking News!!Stat is Dead,Reincarinated as Sun Tzu. Fans I love you all.I couldn’t do this with out you.God is my strength I can’t lose.”

Ummmmm, yeah.

At least we know “Sun Tzu” is optimistic about his return from major eye surgery …

When the Suns acquired Wallace from the Cavs in the Shaq deal it was expected that he would not play a single game for the Phoenix Suns, but Wallace was considered a valuable trade piece. Rumors were swirling that the Suns would try to trade Wallace’s expiring contract for an active big man, i.e. Tyson Chandler, but that proved to be pure conjecture.  The idea of Chandler blocking shots and boarding next to STAT was appealing, but apparently not appealing enough for the Suns’ front office.

Suns fans, myself including, already started penciling Chandler into the 2009-10 Suns’ starting lineup, but it is clear the Phoenix was not sold on his health and his $12.5 million dollar 2010-2011 salary.  The Suns certainly could use another big body down low, but after the Wallace buyout, that big man will not be Tyson Chandler.

One trade chip from the Shaq trade has already been cashed in, but the Suns still hold on to the very valuable contract of Sasha Pavlovic. Pavlovic is slated to make $4.95 million this coming season; however only $1.5 million of Pavlovic’s contract is guaranteed.  So if the Suns do wish to waive the Serbian swingman they will save a total of $18 million dollars from the Shaq deal, assuming they are a taxpayer.

While the Suns are expected to waive Pavlovic, he could serve as extremely valuable cap relief for any team looking to unload salary. I would expect several Pavlovic trade rumors to hit the mill in the next coming weeks, but ultimately I think the Suns will simply waive him.

Although it is depressing that the Suns most likely gave Shaq away for cash, Robert Sarver got some money back in his pocket and Steve Kerr got the Suns some “flexibility.” No Tyson Chandler is somewhat disheartening, but that $12.5 million dollar 2010-11 salary may have been just as painful.

Frye officially inks with the Suns

Although forward Channing Frye had already agreed to sign with Phoenix, the Suns made it official this afternoon.  Frye will make approximately $4.07 over the next two seasons; the second year is a player option. Frye will be introduced to the Phoenix media Tuesday afternoon at US Airways Center.

After a call from good friend Steve Nash and a visit from Gentry, Kerr and Sarver in Orlando, Grant Hill will indeed stay in Phoenix. (AP/Ross D. Franklin)

Just when I was positive Grant Hill was leaving for New York, Hill opted to stay in Phoenix with the Suns. I have learned not to assume anything is official until it is actually, well, official.

Contrary to previous days’ indications, Grant Hill has agreed to remain with the Phoenix Suns.  Paul Coro is reporting that Hill has signed a two-year deal with a second-year player option.  Hill will make $3 million next season and around $3.24 million in 2010. It looked like Grant Hill was all but on his way to the Big Apple, but with Steve Nash extension talks progressing quickly, Hill chose to remain in Phoenix.

I was ready for the Grant Hill goodbye ceremony, but the veteran forward chose Phoenix over expected destinations like New York and Boston. Boston was offering essentially $4 million over two years, while New York could offer Hill either a one-year $5.85 million dollar deal or a 3-year $10 million dollar deal.

Steve Kerr, Alvin Gentry and Robert Sarver traveled to Orlando to meet with Hill on Wednesday night and Thursday morning to offer Hill the new $6.24 million-dollar deal.  Steve Nash also called his good friend pitching his case for Hill to remain in Phoenix.  New York and Boston both made a lot of sense for Hill, but it was the news that Steve Nash was nearing an extension that swayed Hill.

In regards to the Nash and Hill situation, Hill’s agent Lon Babby told the Republic, “I do know it’s important for Grant that Steve be there next year. I know they’ve had conversations.”

With Nash and Hill signed for two more years, it looks like the Suns are poised for one more run.  Hill should come back and play the exact same role that he did for Alvin Gentry and the Suns last season.  Look for him to continue pushing the tempo and filling the lanes on the break.

Babby had this to say about Hill re-signing with the Suns: “Grant assessed the quality of the (Suns) team coming back and felt comfortable that they’d be extremely competitive.”

Babby added that Hill has some “unfinished business” in Phoenix. “He didn’t want to leave Phoenix on a sour note (after missing the playoffs),” Babby said.

In addition to retaining Hill, the Suns also have assurances from free agent big man Channing Frye and his agent Rob Pelinka that Frye will sign with the Suns. The 26-year old U of A product is expected to sign a two-year deal that includes a second-year player option.  ESPN is reporting that Frye will likely take the biannual exception for a deal totaling around $3.8 million dollars over the two years if he picks up his option.

Native Phoenician Channing Frye will return to the Valley to help the Phoenix Suns make a 2009 playoff run.

Frye, a former Phoenix St. Mary’s High School product and 8th overall pick, was receiving interest from Cleveland, Denver, San Antonio, and Orlando, but ultimately chose Phoenix.

Frye was explosive his rookie year in New York, to the tune of 12.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg in 24 minutes per game. Unfortunately, Frye’s rookie campaign was cut short by a sprained knee ligament.  He was able to play 72 games the following season, yet he lost some of his quickness and explosion.

Frye has been caught behind LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland for the past two seasons, averaging only 17.2 and 11.8 minutes per game.  A chance to come back to Arizona and play for the high-octane Suns could turn Frye’s uneventful career around.

Frye is certainly not as athletic as he was pre-knee injury, but he is still a big body (6-11, 245) with a lot of skills.  His post-up game needs a little fine-tuning, but he makes up for his lack of back to the basket game with his ability to shoot the basketball. His range actually stretches all the way out to three-point range; he made 11 threes on 33 attempts last season.

Frye still is a little soft in regards to defense and rebounding, but he has the size and skills to come in and start next to Amare right away.  Depending on how Robin Lopez develops, Channing Frye may very well be the Suns’ starting center next season.

Although Frye and Hill won’t change the complexion of the Suns drastically, their signings finally allow people to see what Steve Kerr is trying to accomplish with this team. Prior to these signings, no one – including players and fans – had any idea where this franchise was headed.

One minute Amare was out the door, the next minute he was welcoming an extension.  Nash apparently wanted more money than the Suns would offer, but now it appears an extension is being reached.

The same uncertainty went on with Hill.  It seemed he would be playing in New York next season, and then he had a change of heart and chose to stay in Phoenix. Tyson Chandler was thought to be on his way to Phoenix, whereas he is now being tagged as ‘damaged goods.’

As you can see, Suns management hasn’t exactly done a good job of communicating with the fans and players regarding the direction of the team.  However, actions speak louder than words, and these signings speak volumes about where the Suns are headed.

As I previously alluded to, a Hill signing means that Nash will probably re-sign. What comes along with a Nash extension may be a commitment to Amar’e Stoudemire. Realgm.com has reported that the Suns will at least keep STAT for the 09-10 season.  With that said, Golden State trade rumors can finally be put to bed.

It seems that Kerr is choosing to go for another playoff run with a team very similar to last season’s, aside from Shaq of course.  The Suns will hold off on the “rebuilding” project and will continue to do what they have done for the better part of 10 years: try to compete in a loaded Western Conference.

Whether the Suns will be a factor in the West with this current roster I can’t say.  But at least we know Kerr and Sarver have made a little more  of a commitment to winning than most people had believed they would.

As of now, this looks like a 2009-2010 playoff team:

PG – Nash/Dragic

SG – Ricardson/Barbosa/Tucker

SF – Hill/Dudley/Clark

PF – Amare/Lou/Griffin

C – Frye/Lopez

Yes last year’s lineup may have been more impressive on paper, but with a full year together, this team could surprise a lot of people. No one had big expectations for the Suns going into the 2004-2005 season, and look what happened that year.

As a result of these signings, the Suns get better as a team and finally show the direction in which they are headed.  We can also now assume that the Suns will in fact re-sign Steve Nash, Amare will be around at least one more season, and the Suns will not choose to blow it up and start over.

The signings of Grant Hill and Channing Frye alone are huge for the Suns, but it is these implications that come along with the acquisitions that can finally put Suns fans at ease.

Suns nearing buyout of Wallace

It has been a busy day for the Suns’ front office.  The Suns are nearing a $10 million dollar buyout of Ben Wallace’s current $14 million dollar contract. Once Sasha Pavlovic is waived, the Suns could end up saving as much as $18 million dollars from the Shaq deal depending on their luxury tax situation.

Clark signs rookie deal

The Suns also agreed to a four-year deal with the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft, Earl Clark. Clark will make $1.77 million his rookie season and has a guaranteed $1.89 million his second season.  As for the last two years, the Suns hold team a team option for the third year at $2.03 million and another team option on the fourth year at $3.03 million.  

This signing was obviously expected, but it is nice to have it finalized.  Clark will have his chance to show what he can do come Monday in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Is Nash looking ahead to finishing off his career in a different uniform? (AP/Thearon W. Henderson)

As Suns fans anxiously wait to see what direction their franchise will be going this season, the same could be said 10 times over for star guard Steve Nash.

Nash has hinted a number of times at possibly rather being in New York next season, as he not so subtly did on Letterman a few weeks back while making a joke, but every time he’s been asked about the topic he’s discussed making things work in Phoenix as his top priority.

If the Suns trade Amare for youth and decline to bring back Grant Hill, it would be hard to believe Nash would want to stick around to babysit a group of kids while his NBA expiration clock is ticking and fast.

Even if the Suns do bring Amare back, it wouldn’t be a stretch to believe Nash would want out considering the Suns don’t look like they’re going to be a serious contender in the immediate future.

Phoenix Stan of Bright Side thinks that if J Kidd goes back to Dallas, Nash will be heading to the Knicks later this offseason. He makes the points that Nash likely wouldn’t be happy with a rebuild, he’s not at his best when he’s in a situation he’s unhappy with as we saw last season and his trade value is at its highest point its going to be this offseason.

(Quick aside: how funny is it that Cuban is about to give J Kidd a three-year deal at age 36 when he worried about offering a 30-year-old Nash who still had a couple MVPs in him a long-term deal way back when.)

I’d add that with the way Nash is idolized in Phoenix, this is a situation that both sides are going to try to make as unmessy as possible. Nash isn’t the type of player who’s going to trash his employer to force a move, and with some of the bad PR heading toward Suns management for dismantling a championship contender, they’re going to do all they can not to botch this.

That’s starting with Kerr at least paying lip service to a three-year extension that doesn’t make sense for a Suns team that’s headed in the direction that they appear to be headed in.

Nash told The Globe and Mail that he hopes to stay in Phoenix but a trade would be “a possibility” if an extension can’t be worked out.

“I would preface it by saying that I love Phoenix and that’s what I’m focusing on right now,” Nash told the Toronto paper. “But I live in New York City, and I love it there, and [Knicks head coach] Mike D’Antoni was one of my favorite coaches. If it didn’t work out in Phoenix, obviously that would be a place I’d consider.”

Phoenix Stan proposes something like Nash for David Lee in a sign-and-trade, Danilo Gallinari and a first. I don’t see any way in hell the Knicks do that considering there’s a decent chance they’ll get Nash without giving up any compensation next offseason. But a trade certainly should happen from a Suns perspective if Nash doesn’t want a two-year extension after this season in the $8 mil range.

I could see a deal centering around Lee in a sign-and-trade and Chris Duhon. Ideally you then pair Lee with Amare and go into the next decade with a couple young legit bigs, but if nothing else Lee gives the Suns a big who thrives in the transition game and who will go out and get you 20 rebounds every once in a while. Duhon knows how to run this system and brings a $6 mil expiring deal.

From there, they could focus on acquiring an elite point guard (or a future elite point guard) in an Amare trade if they don’t go ahead and just keep him.

Speaking of Amare, either the Warriors and Suns are playing a hell of a poker game or that deal really appears to be all but dead. I credit the Suns for not making a panic trade once the Warriors apparently pulled Curry off the table.

My stance since the trading deadline in February has been I’m OK with an Amare deal so long as they get back a package of youth that can recharge the franchise. Such a deal never presented itself around the deadline, and I’m skeptical that it will at any point this summer.

If you can get a Curry-Biedrins-Wright, pull the trigger; otherwise, stay put and hope he doesn’t leave you for nothing next summer.

One more note from the Globe and Mail story, it mentions that the Shaq trade was ”a move that Nash reportedly supported – if not pushed for – in a meeting with Kerr.”

We all know Nash and Shaq couldn’t co-exist together on either end of the floor and that Nash discussed the team needing active bigs during his exit interview. Still, it’s kind of interesting that the veteran point guard would find it easier for him to win in Phoenix without the four-time champion in the middle than with him there.

Maybe the Suns should have consulted Nash before trading for the Big Cactus in the first place.

And what about the Ben Wallace deal?

ESPN’s Ric Bucher has reported on Twitter that the Suns can deal Wallace’s deal for Tyson Chandler whenever they so please. They just want to check everything else out before going down that path.

In his blog, Paul Coro points out that such a deal may be doubtful because of Chandler’s $12.75 mil option next summer, an offeseason the Suns are clearing cap space for. If the Suns want the Hornets to sweeten the deal, they might be unwilling to provide a young cheap option the Suns want considering they won’t even be getting any talent in return in this deal.

Depending on what the Suns do, the Chandler deal could make a ton of sense. A lineup of Nash-J-Rich-Hill-Amare-Chandler with Dragic, LB, Dudley, Clark, Lou and Robin coming off the bench should be able to contend for a top-four spot in the West.

Of course on the flip side, it would severely limit their 2010 flexibility, but since Chandler would be such a perfect complement to Amare in the front court as well as to Nash in defending the pick-and-roll, if the Suns want to go for it now and then decide to build around Amare in the future, this is the move to make.

If they want to play for 2010 or end up dealing Amare for a center like Biedrins, obviously this move doesn’t make sense.

If the Suns decide not blow the entire thing up, Tyson Chandler is a good option at center next to Amar'e.

Now that the Shaq trade is in the books and Robert Sarver got the salary relief that he was vying for, who will be the Suns’ starting center next season?

Louis Amundson is certainly not the answer, and Robin Lopez is nowhere near ready.

The solution may very well be found in the form of New Orleans Hornets center Tyson Chandler. 

Rumors have been floating around NBA forums and blogs about a possible trade that would send Ben Wallace’s $14 million contract to the Hornets in exchange for the 7-1, 235-pound Chandler.

Chandler’s contract is not ideal ($12.3 million next year with a $13.1 million player option in 2010-11), but the Suns have been missing a big man who can defend, attack the glass, and play successfully next to Amar’e Stoudemire since Kurt Thomas left.

The Hornets have had enough of the brittle big man, as they even attempted to trade him to the Thunder at the trade deadline last season before the trade was rescinded.

New Orleans needs to shed quite a bit of payroll in order to stay under the luxury tax, and it seems shipping Chandler for a big expiring contract is how they want to go about it.

In fact, the Cleveland Cavaliers are even on record stating that if they were not able to get Shaq in a trade than they would have done a deal for Chandler, a deal most likely centered around newly-acquired Sun Ben Wallace.

The Hornets believe that Chandler is damaged goods, as he has had multiple ankle surgeries over the last few seasons.  But if the Suns’ new-age training staff can revive Grant Hill’s gimpy, 36-year old ankles, I don’t see why they wouldn’t be able to work their magic on the 26-year-old’s ankles.

Chandler is notoriously a nine and eight guy, but he has the tools to run the floor and catch alley-oops from Nash much like he did with Chris Paul in New Orleans.

With the Diesel gone and the Suns searching for more defensive pieces, Tyson Chandler could be the perfect fit.  The Suns get much younger and much deeper up front, with a more experienced Robin Lopez now coming off the bench.

The Suns still save enough to stay under the luxury tax, yet stay competitive enough for Nash to finally sign an extension (although not everyone is on board for that) and Amar’e to re-sign after next season. 

Although no sources have reported the deal, the trade works for both teams and is nowhere near far-fetched. 

If the Suns are able to draft a Terrence Williams or Earl Clark to play the three in Alvin Gentry’s offense, the Suns would gain youth and improve drastically on the defensive end. 

Then with the team’s three second-round draft picks, they could either trade up for a first-rounder or snag some more big men and maybe a point guard or two. 

If Tyson Chandler comes to Phoenix and the Suns hold on to the 14th pick, then the Suns’ roster could look a lot like this next season:

PG – Nash/Dragic/Tyrese Rice

SG – Richardson/Barbosa

SF – Terrence Williams/Grant Hill/Dudley

PF – Amar’e/Brockman/Adrien

C – Tyson Chandler/Robin Lopez

Yes Chandler is not exactly an iron man and his contract is pretty ugly.  But if the Suns plan on holding on to Nash and Amar’e for the long haul, Chandler keeps the team competitive while adding youth to the roster.

Get ready for Shaq the Cav after the Suns dealt him to Cleveland for cash. (Illustration by The Horace Grant Halftime Report)

Shaquille O’Neal seems to be dubbed with a new nickname every time he opens his mouth.

The Big Aristotle. Shaq Diesel. The Big Cactus.

As he moves on to become The Big Sidekick next to LeBron James after the Suns dealt him to Cleveland on the eve of the draft pending league approval, don’t forget to add The Big Disappointment from his none too brief tenure with the Suns.

Shaquille O’Neal brought the Magic to their first-ever NBA Finals, he brought the Lakers a three-peat (and it would have been more if he didn’t also buy his own ticket out of town), and he brought the Miami Heat a championship as well.

All Shaquille O’Neal brought the Phoenix Suns was one measly playoff victory after the team had fallen behind 3-0 in a series that was basically over.

When the Suns dealt the glue of their contending teams for him a year and a half ago and Shaq held up his one finger yet to feel the warmth of a championship ring, the Suns were expecting a bit more than that.

Now he’s gone, off in the night as the rest of the league waits for the draft to descend, leaving with as little surprise as there was shock when he was originally traded for.

In his place the Suns are receiving nothing but salary relief: a soon-to-be-released Sasha Pavlovic, a possibly soon-to-retire Ben Wallace, a 2010 second-round pick and $500,000 in cold hard cash.

The best way to describe Shaq’s tenure in Phoenix is that Shaq was that rectangular-shaped Lego piece that you keep trying to jam into a square hole. Sometimes you can cram a piece of it in there and pretend like it works, such as what happened during the short-lived “Seven Seconds or Shaq” Era, but at the end of the day the piece just doesn’t fit.

You almost wanted Alvin Gentry to submit to a lie detector test when he kept talking about how great it was to be able to throw the ball down low to the Most Dominant Ever.

The thing is Gentry’s Suns are built to run guys like Shaq off the floor. Sure, it was nice to get a few easy buckets once in a while, but the Suns cannot compete with Nash and Shaq guarding the opposition’s pick-and-roll when his offensive game doesn’t mesh either.

On one hand, this is a case of addition by subtraction in that now Amare (assuming he’s not dealt either) is free to operate on the low block by himself, and Nash won’t have to worry about mouths to feed, he can just play Phoenix Suns basketball and whoever’s open shoots the rock, just like old times.

As for what the Suns tangibly get out of this?

A pile of money large enough for Scrooge McDuck to dive into.

First off, Pavlovic will be waived before he even can get to Phoenix. Only $1.5 million of his $4.95 mil deal is guaranteed, a savings of $3.45 mil times two because of luxury savings for a final savings of $6.9 million.

Those savings balloon to $10 million when factoring in the differences between the salaries the Suns are taking back and Shaq as well as luxury savings, not to mention the half mil Cleveland is throwing in.

The second-round pick obviously doesn’t really matter with the Cavs expected to be among the NBA’s elite next season.

The big question mark here is whether or not Ben Wallace retires and what kind of buyout he would take.

Ben Wallace in his prime would be a godsend for the Suns, running the floor in transition and protecting the rim.

The Ben Wallace the Suns are getting is an athletic shell of the Ben Wallace we remember from his Detroit days, so if Wallace spends next year in the Phoenix area then Suns fans better hope that it’s in Sun City.

After the playoffs ended, Big Ben hinted at possibly be willing to walk away from his entire salary, and if nothing else he should be game to give up a huge chunk of that.

Obviously, this also puts a huge hole in the middle in Phoenix (as if that’s anything new). Only Amare, Robin Lopez and Lou Amundson remain, which is pretty scary for Suns fans considering Amare’s uncertain health.

The Suns must add a big man either through the draft or free agency. B.J. Mullens now becomes an option at No. 14, although let’s hope the Suns pass on the raw seven-footer in favor of a more established small forward.

This means Robert Sarver 100 percent absolutely must put his money where his mouth is and pick up at least a quality backup big in free agency, if nothing else, with some of the money saved in this deal.

The reason why I wrote about this trade as something I wanted the Suns to do immediately after Cleveland lost to Orlando is because we all knew Sarver was going to make a move, be it dealing Nash, Amare or Shaq. He just wasn’t going to take that big of a luxury hit for a borderline playoff team, like he did last year with not even a postseason trip to show for the sixth-most expensive squad in the NBA.

Trading Shaq is by far the best one of those scenarios, and if he keeps the rest of the team intact and adds the lottery pick and another piece in free agency (a big man), then the Phoenix Suns should reestablish their old identity as a devastating running team that knows exactly what it is (unlike last year).

That’s not to say the Suns won’t miss Shaq (who is surprisingly quiet on Twitter as of this writing).

He’s such a character and one of the best showmen in the league. I for one can’t wait to see all the antics he will pull with LeBron, and I’m happy that he now has a legit chance to win another ring with another superstar swingman.

It’s kind of ironic that the Shaq Era was such a failure when Shaq himself did everything that could have been expected of him as a third-team All-NBAer this past season, and his health was even better than advertised as well.

It’s just this proves that the Phoenix Suns changed forever on Feb. 7, 2008, when Shaq joined the roster.

In short, it just wasn’t meant to be, and the Suns really haven’t been the same since, although maybe the deal only accelerated the Suns’ downward slide from contenderdom that possibly would have happened anyway.

Shaq brought pranks, a trip up the career scoring list and more nicknames than one blogger can remember.

But when he wins just one more playoff game than your grandmother, you can’t help but call his tenure in Phoenix “The Big Disappointment.”