That's right, I couldn't believe it either. Serious discussions are taking place about Shawn Marion being sent to the Lakers in exchange for Lamar Odom and a contract. So why would either team do this? Both Marion and Odom are talented forwards, and Marion is unhappy in Phoenix, while the Lakers do feel pressured to make a move in order to help placate Kobe Bryant. But still, the Lakers and the Suns trading with each other? That's like the Celtics and Lakers trading with each other in the 80's. Ok, so not to that extreme, but you get my point. That's the part that makes me think this deal is unlikely to actually happen.
So what are the fantasy implications of this potential deal? Odom's value would increase obviously. In the Suns offense he could probably put up numbers that would make him worthy of a mid second to early third round pick in a standard 10 team league. My gut reaction with Marion was that he would lose value, but I am not so sure about that. While the Lakers do run a half court offense, Marion did thrive in the era before the Suns started to really run. Still, in the end I think Marion would almost have to suffer a slight dip in production, which may drop his value to top 10 instead of top 5.
But will this really go down? Well, here's what Marion himself had to say (taken from the Sporting News):
Confirming that he spoke to Kobe over the weekend:
"I've been friends with Kobe for a while, so we talk here and there, anyway."
Still, Marion was enthusiastic about the potential trade. "Why wouldn't I be?" he said. "You have a great organization, great ownership there with the Lakers. I don't see no problems with playing there."
"I think I would fit right in," Marion said. "People talk about the triangle offense all the time, like it is impossible. But it's an offense. Wherever you play, you have to learn the offense. It's not that complicated. You pass, you cut, you slash. Offense is offense. And I would love to play with Kobe."
Still, a change would be tough for Marion. "I wanted to retire a Phoenix Sun," he said. "That would be nice. I think everyone would like to play their whole career for the team that drafted them. But sometimes it comes to the point where you just have to take that step and move on. It's like a bad marriage. It doesn't matter who's right or wrong, both people should just move on."
From what Marion is saying it sounds like this deal really does have some legs. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was on the LA radio station AM 570 this afternoon and said he didn't expect any trades to go down before training camp, but GMs lie all the time in situations like this in order to cover themselves in case something falls through. This will certainly make a big impact on fantasy drafts, so keep your eyes on the news wire. Marion a Laker and Odom a Sun...who woulda thought?
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