Arizona Republic:
Hmmmm... Phoenix won't trade Marion... will they? Marion is a faaaaaar better fit in Phoenix than either of those rumored guys.

Agreed! Besides...if I were either Utah or L.A., I wouldn't trade for The Matrix either. He would be just in the wrong place in Utah and stripping yourself of nearly the only asset you have would be a bad idea for the Lakers. Especially if it costs you both Odom and Cook to get a guy nobody really knows if his rise to NBA-Stardom is more owned to Steve Nash and the system he plays in than his own talents, but has an ego and salary expectations like he was a franchise player (which he is in any case not).

College Wolf wrote:
Yeah, that would be dumb. If I was PHX I would want someone with a similar game to Marions in return or draft picks. I don't think Odom fits the uptempo mold too well and Kirilenko will be in Europe soon...

I just don't understand why Marion is sooo upset? He's not their best player but he's getting the most money. How can you be mad about that?

@ whiskeydizzey:
Just as I stated above, I think he just lacks the self awareness. He consideres himself more valuable to the franchise than he truly is. In Phoenix, everybody except nash is replacable! But this guy simply does not get it. Another reason I wouldn't trade for him...

Sanyarin wrote:
Yeah, looks like we were both posting the same idea at the same time. Good stuff!!

I just gave you a howl otherwise I'd give you another one!!

Aha...ESPN has an article stating that Marion has finally and openly asked for a trade, stating he just could not stand hearing his name swirl around trade rumors anymore. He would prefer to play with Kobe, by the way (I still consider this trade too costly for the Lakers without considerable gain).

Is it just me or are those guys more thin skinned today than in earlier times. Maybe it has something to do with the fact, that information and rumors, no matter from what source and how believable are spreading so fast nowadays...but trade scenarios are what the regular fan keeps interested in his team in the offseason. And anybody who has at least SOME value will be discussed to be part of a trade once he has played a only few weeks for a team.

Just wanting to be traded, because you hear yourself mentioned in a trade? Is that logical? And it is not that Marion had suddenly fallen out of favor like Kirilenko has in Utah.

I am even more convinced than ever that I won't trade for this guy! Calling himself a professional in the same sentence...pfff!

Sanyarin wrote:
Wow, what a moron. I mean he is the highest paid player on one of the 3 best teams in the NBA, and that isn't enough for him? He's Shawn Marion, not Michael Jordan! WHY would he want to go from Phx to LA? Doesn't he care AT ALL about winning a championship? Doesn't he understand that the Phx system is perfect for his style of play and skill set????

BonK wrote:

Word.

What an idiot. Lol, good thing we didn't get him in a potential KG trade.

By the way: Like I have mentioned in earlier posts, I am one of those observers who believe Marion to be extremely overrated and his main talents to be a perfect fit for PHX' system and playing on the same team Nash is.

I will be extremely curious to see how he fares without those two factors. Although I think if one system could also benefit him, it's the triangle offense but anyways. I wonder if failing at another team would bring his ego down to earth again...but maybe I am utterly mistaken on him and he is indeed a true starplayer...no superstar-franchise-player, but nontheless.

I am really eager to find out.

I think Marion's pretty stupid right now. Why wouldn't you want to play for Phoenix, especially with Nash there? Going to LA in search of a big contract isn't smart- I'm assuming he wants to win more than make money (and it's not like he's poor right now), so I don't understand his line of thinking.

I would give it one more year at the most. If not for the suspensions during the San Antonio series, Phoenix could have been in the finals.

LOL! I think we should trade for him...

whiskeyNO, NO, NO, NO (see my other posts) !

Well, i kinda like the take of Bill Simmons on ESPN's Page 2 on the whole Marion situation. I especially enjoy how it makes me only wanting this guy less and less on \"my\" team...I'm surprised that this was even possible, but obviously there is always room for more (or less).

What I like about the article - on a more serious level - is that Simmons obviously shares my opinion that Marion is clearly braindead, wanting out a championship caliber team from which he benefits extremely, only because he believes himself to be someone he does not really is. Although I was just not able to figure out if Simmons thinks (like I do) that Marion was highly overrated or just not-as-good-as-he-believes-himself-to-be. Some things Simmons writes seem to contradict each other, but anyways.

I also think - as well as Simmons does - that Kirilenko would be well suited playing with the Suns and they would benefit from his all-around game and defensive skills in their interchangeable up-tempo system. I also agree that Kirilenko as well would flourish in such a system...

What I do not agree on, was that Marion was the slightly better player (Simmons mentions a Kirilenko to Marion ratio of 85-90%). My take on the comparison is, that they are at least equally good players. Kirilenko has already shown that he is able to carry a rebuilding team on his shoulders alone, something Marion has not done so far. Having always played along with the NBA's finest point guards (ehem...Marbury's case is argueable, I guess) and with a lot of other scoring threads around him, he has yet to prove that he can carry the load all by himself. So I do not see why Kirilenko was 85% of Marion...

Another thing...why should the Jazz trade for Marion? Fine, PHX and AK47 will surely benefit from that trade (if you leave AK47's contract issues aside)...but what about the Jazz? Kirilenko is sad, because he feels neglected, but he just weeps a little, works his behind of and waits for his PT. Marion on the other hand usually pouts and complains...the Jazz are Boozer's and William's team now, and Sloan's fixation on dicipline is legendary. Anyone thinking that marion might be a good fit on that team, in that system and with that coach? I highly doubt that.

It's great that Simmons want's this trade to happen for AK47 and for the Suns, especially for Steve Nash...me too, btw. . But for a trade, there are always two parties needed (unless you trade with the Wolves, that is) and Simmons does not waste a thought on why the Jazz should do that. That's a serious flaw!

I like Jack McCallum's article on SI even better than Bill Simmon's !

Naturally, because he supports most of my opinions - which is something to say, considering he might has better knowledge about the enigmatic Marion than anybody else.

What riddles me, is that he, although sharing my opinion that Marion was good, but far not as good as he believes himself to be, seems convinced that Kririlenko and Odom would be a downgrade for the Suns compared with Marion.

Honestly, I do not think so. I'll admit thyt I might be biased about AK47, who I really like a lot, but I'm pretty neutral when it come to Odom and he too, although a different type of player than Marion, could be highly beneficial to the Suns with his passing and scoring abilities, especially when played on PF with Amare at C.

Yeah, I agree! We should definitley trade for him Sanyarin