Shawn Marion has had an impressive career in the NBA. He is on the Pheonix Suns, a team that is a title contender year in and year out. He plays alongside Steve Nash, one of the top two point guards in the world, and Amare Stoudamire, a dominating young and athletic post player. The Sun's signed proven veteran Grant Hill over the summer. The team plays in what seems to be a non-stop fast break offense, in which he is usually the finishing end of an exciting alley-oop. He is the Sun's highest paid player, due to make $16.4 million and $17.8 million respectively in his final two years of his contract. He is a four time All-Star, two time All-NBA third team, All-Rookie second team, a member of the 2004 U.S. Men's National Olympic Team which won a bronze medal, and has career averages of 18.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game over his eight year NBA career. And to top it all off, he has an endorsement deal with Nike. Yet after all these accolades, he's unhappy and wants to be traded. Why? He's got everything short of a championship, why leave a good thing, willingly?
The answer: the team used him as trade bait. Imagine, ownership trying to push their team over the edge and dangling a good player in an effort to get something in return that could give them that inside edge to the championship. Has Marion ever heard the phrase "You can't get something for nothing"?
Marion told the Arizona Republic, "I'm tired of hearing my name in trades." He continued his rant, "I love my fans in Pheonix but I think it's time for me to move on."
Sound familiar? Think back to 2005. Then Pheonix Sun and Marion teamate Joe Johnson became a free-agent and decide to explore the market, wanting to be a marquee player, no longer a supporting cast member. So where did he go- Atlanta. And how did that play out? Well since Johnson's arrival the Hawks have won a total of 56 games, the same amount of games they lost in Johnson's first season in Atlanta. The Suns won 115 games in that time, doubling the Hawks' total, winning 61 games last season and reaching the conference finals two seasons ago. Johnson has played extremely well and is gaining much attention. But winning ball games, playing in the playoffs, having a shot at a title? Johnson and the Hawks are not even playing close to .500 ball.
Yet, Marion persists. "I haven't done anything wrong," he claims, "I leave it on the floor night in and night out. Sometimes, it's just time, and it's time to go." "It's been like a nightmare. It hurts me making this phone call. It's hurting me in my stomache."
But wait, there's more...
"It's just a bad marriage."
Well, I think he's made his point clear. In addition to being upset about being mentioned in numerous trade rumors, he's also a little ticked the Suns didn't reward him with a contract extension. His point is clear to me- he certainly isn't playing for the right reasons. His team is winning games, and they are winning in a fun fashion. But he wants to go. And listening to trade rumors? They are rumors, they didn't actually happen, some of them even are made up, not even close to true. In some ways, it's a compliment. Someone wants him, thinks he is their missing piece, and his current team knows he's good enough that other teams would be interested in listening to their proposals. Do you think a team would be interested in Pheonix's offer if the main piece was Sean Marks or Brian Skinner, especially if the Suns' target is someone like Kevin Garnett? No, me neither.
So Marion has not been traded. And he said he will be a proffesional and show up to camp when it becomes mandatory. The Suns will look forward and try to win that elusive championship. But it makes you wonder, after his summer tantrum, does Marion deserve to join them? Or should he get his wish and be traded, and possibly, like Johnson, go to a team in the NBA basement? Personally, I'd like to see the latter happen, and see how happy Marion is in a place like Minnesota.