Shawn Marion Traded for Jermaine O’Neal
February 13, 2009 by Stephen Kersey
Filed under NFL Player Analysis, nba trades
About a month ago, we talked about a Shawn Marion for Jermaine O’Neal trade. On Friday, that trade finally become a reality for the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.
Thrown into the deal were Marcus Banks going to the Heat to the Raptors and Jamario Moon going from the Raptors to the Heat. Banks could get time at point guard for the Raptors, especially considering that Jose Calderon has been injury prone as of late. Moon, likewise, could find some minutes off the bench for the Heat.
However, Marion and O’Neal are the two big names in this trade. In terms of fantasy basketball, this trade increases the value of both players. Marion will start at small forward for the Raptors and should get plenty of looks at the basket. The Raptors can also use his rebounding help and considering that they play at a fast pace, Marion’s overall statistics should be on the rise.
On the other hand, O’Neal should definitely start at center for the Heat. Playing for a team that is starving for a center will increase O’Neal’s value. As long as he stays healthy, O’Neal will play as many minutes as possible. Due to minutes alone, expect O’Neal to be worth more in fantasy basketball.
The other players this should help are Andrea Bargnani and Michael Beasley. Bargnani now has a spot in the starting lineup next to Bosh and Marion for the rest of the season. Beasley should now take Marion’s starting small forward spot and form a frontline next to O’Neal and Udonis Haslem.
