Thread: O'Neal may be traded to LA to play with Kobe and the Lakers

Jermaine talks trade

BY JULIAN GARCIA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Tuesday, August 7th 2007, 4:00 AM


Jermaine O'Neal said over the weekend that he'd welcome a trade to the Nets. But it seems more likely that O'Neal will end up with the other team he'd like to play for, the Lakers.
Speaking at a charity basketball game in Los Angeles on Sunday, O'Neal made it clear that he doesn't want to go through a rebuilding process with his current team, the Pacers. He then mentioned the Lakers and the Nets as two teams he'd prefer to play for, with the Lakers being his first choice. He has a house in L.A. and trains there in the offseason.
"I think L.A.'s a real possibility and I think New Jersey's a possibility too," O'Neal told SI.com.
But in order for O'Neal to become a Net, something dramatic would have to happen. In late June, the Nets were trying to work out a deal that would have sent Richard Jefferson, Nenad Krstic and Jason Collins to Indiana in return for O'Neal. But those talks died and were never rekindled.
The Celtics' acquisition of Kevin Garnett last week did not seem to make the Nets any more desirous of O'Neal's services.
In fact, Nets president Rod Thorn suggested yesterday that nothing will happen. Asked if the Nets are actively searching for a big man via a trade, Thorn's response was, "No."
"As I've said quite often, you never know if something will come up," Thorn said. "But right now, things are very quiet."
Pacers president Larry Bird responded to O'Neal's statements yesterday and suggested it would take a lot to pry O'Neal away from his team.
"We have stated repeatedly that if we can make our team better through a trade, we will do so," Bird said in a statement. "Jermaine has become an All-Star player with the Indiana Pacers and in any discussions regarding him or any of our other players, the expectations for the franchise and our fans is to receive fair market value in return if a trade is to be considered."
Since O'Neal-to-the-Nets rumors first popped up before the draft in June, the team added Boston College center Sean Williams with the No.17 pick and signed veteran Jamaal Magloire, who played last season for the Trail Blazers.
The Lakers, meanwhile, lost out on Garnett, making it all the more likely that O'Neal will land in Los Angeles to satisfy Kobe Bryant's desire for a roster shakeup.