Shaquille O'Neal 1996 NBA Free Agency ( Old Article)

[Lebron23]

Shaquille O'Neal is among a host of NBA free agents who could vanish from
their teams.

Jackie MacMullan

The date, July 1, has been circled on NBA calendars for months and anticipated with a giddiness usually restricted to four-year-olds unleashed in a room full of toys. It is the day the most talented crop of players in league history will become free agents.

There are 140 in all, running the alphabetical gamut from Minnesota Timberwolves rookie guard Jerome Allen to Dallas Mavericks journeyman forward David Wood. Teams will have their pick of Jordans (Michael and Reggie) and Millers (Anthony and Reggie). They will even get to choose between Ervin Johnson and Earvin Johnson (a tip: the latter says he's retired).

In addition 26 players can opt out of their current contracts, including such worthies as Orlando Magic center Shaquille O'Neal and forward Horace Grant, Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning, Washington Bullets forward Juwan Howard, Indiana Pacers forward Dale Davis and Detroit Pistons guard Allan Houston. Recently, however, July 1 has also taken on an ominous cast: Barring major developments, it could be the start of an NBA lockout, which would freeze player movement. Differing interpretations of the tentative agreement reached last Aug. 8 by NBA owners and the National Basketball Players Association have threatened to throw the league into its third consecutive summer of labor unrest.

That would be bad news for Jordan (Michael, that is) and O'Neal, who have said they want their status resolved quickly. Jordan, who has set a salary minimum of $18 million per season for his negotiations with the Chicago Bulls, is not expected to change teams, especially now that Bulls coach Phil Jackson has re-signed for $2.5 million next season. But O'Neal may be packing his bags. He could dramatically alter the balance of power in the NBA if he leaves Orlando and signs with the Los Angeles Lakers. The All-Star center's agent, Leonard Armato, acknowledged last week that such a shift is possible. (The Lakers, like all teams, cannot publicly express their interest in a player on another club before July 1 without risking penalties for tampering.)

Shockingly, sonic Orlando fans are ready to wish the big fella good riddance. The city is still smarting from the Bulls' humiliating four-game sweep of the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, and the finger has been pointed squarely at Shaq and his errant free throw shooting (36.4%) during the series. On June 2, a week after Chicago's triumph, The Orlando Sentinel published the results of a survey conducted in Magic country by America's Research Group. It asked whether the Magic should fire coach Brian Hill if that were one of O'Neal's conditions for returning. An overwhelming 82% answered no. The survey also inquired if O'Neal was worth his current seven-year, $41 million contract. Only 49% answered yes.

Sources say the results rankled Shaq, who had been stung by earlier assertions in the Orlando media that he was not a good role model because he was having a child with his longtime girlfriend but did not announce immediate plans to marry. That lifestyle choice would barely register on the seismograph in Los Angeles, where O'Neal could blend in as another high-profile celebrity, albeit one who dunks and raps in addition to flashing his mug across the silver screen. (He'll exhibit those last two skills as a rapping genie in Kazaam, scheduled for release on July 17.) "Appealing?" Armato asks aloud after pondering how O'Neal would find the L.A. scene. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Orlando officials counter that they've treated O'Neal royally. Moreover, O'Neal's family has settled in Florida. But his mother, Lucille, a major influence in his life, may not object to relocating to Shaq's newest digs, which happen to be in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Financially, however, the Magic has an advantage over the Lakers. According to NBA rules, a team can spend any amount it wishes to re-sign its own free agents. Despite published reports of a four-year, $54.7 million Magic offer to O'Neal, Orlando general manager John Gabriel insists, "We have not put down a number. We haven't even implied a number."

Observers of the league believe Orlando will tabulate how much the Lakers can clear under their cap, then submit a number that is slightly higher. "There's no blank check being drawn up," insists one Orlando official. Meanwhile, there's little doubt L.A. is angling to open up cap room for O'Neal. Last week the Lakers were shopping center Vlade Divac to the Bucks. Divac's departure would clear $8.3 million over two years.

So which way is Shaq leaning? "Shaquille likes Orlando," says Armato. "He feels a degree of loyalty toward the DeVos family [the Magic's owners]. He likes his teammates. Having said that, it's important for him to be in an environment where he can flourish as a basketball player and a person." In other words, the bidding for Shaq remains wide open.

While losing O'Neal would be catastrophic on the court for Orlando, apparently the public outrage would be moderate. When the America's Research survey asked Magic fans if Orlando should match a contract offer for O'Neal, 69% said no, and that was without a dollar figure attached.

Fans aren't the only ones saying no to big-money demands. The Charlotte Hornets already have told free-agent point guard Kenny Anderson that he should move on if he expects to get the $6 million a season he is reportedly seeking. General managers who like Anderson at a lower price are already complaining that agent David Falk, who represents Anderson and the coveted Howard, is hinting he'll package the two players.

In Miami there's talk that two other free agents handled by Falk—Mourning and Denver Nuggets center Dikembe Mutombo—could join forces on the Heat. Mutombo would play center and Mourning would be at power forward, the positions they played when they were Georgetown teammates from 1988 to '91. League sources say Denver is willing to shell out an average of about $9 million a season for Mutombo but will consider re-signing and then trading him.

Asked to comment, Nuggets coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff says, "Sorry. I'm keeping my mouth shut." Yet it wasn't hard to perceive Bickerstaff's frustration last April when he was asked to address the anticipated demands of the 1996 class of free agents. "These players want all these huge dollars," said Bickerstaff, whose team, even with the All-Star Mutombo, missed the playoffs. "But for all that money, shouldn't you be able to jump on their backs and have them carry you?"

Detroit's Houston does not carry the Pistons; that is forward Grant Hill's job. But sources say the team is aware that if it uses Hill's contract (an average of $7.3 million a year over the next seven years) as a ceiling for Houston, it could lose its shooting guard, particularly if the New York Knicks, as expected, come calling. The Pistons are braced to pay Houston more than Hill—but only if the market dictates it. Houston made almost $1.2 million in 1995-96 while averaging 19.7 points per game, up from 14.5 the season before.

Washington backup center Jim McIlvaine earned a relatively paltry $525,000 last season and averaged only 14.9 minutes, 2.3 points and 2.9 rebounds, but he was 10th in the league in blocked shots (2.1 per game) and has become a hot "second tier" commodity. Says Ron Grinker, who represents McIlvaine, "Teams will have to ante up $3 million a year, and we'll go from there. Look around. Look at how many teams need centers."

Point guards, too. New Jersey Nets guard Chris Childs, who last season averaged 12.8 points and 7.0 assists but made $350,000, is banking on the same kind of supply and demand as McIlvaine is. New Jersey's new coach and executive vice president of basketball, John Calipari, also took on the position of telecommunicator by taping a message to be phoned to fans in Jersey. In the recording Calipari asks the fans to answer multiple-choice questions on everything from whom the Nets should draft to which free agents the team should sign. If Calipari has paid attention to the demands of Childs's agent, Steve Kauffman, perhaps the message should include, "If you think Chris Childs is worth $4 million a season, please press one."

On the other hand, that's the kind of question Calipari is getting paid $3 million a year to answer himself.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...8323/index.htm


Shaq leads the way in NBA's free agent multi-year contract bonanza

Jet, August 5, 1996

In the wake of Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan's unprecedented $30 million, one-year contract, the NBA's financial floodgates opened wide and and to go to free agents pumped in million contract riches with previously unheard of multimillion dollar, multiyear contracts.

Riding the crest of the wave of wealth is Shaquille O'Neal. The 24-year-old former Orlando Magic center rocked the West Coast and the sports world when he signed a seven-year, S120 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The contract is reportedly the biggest in sports history.

Shaq ignited a bidding war between the two teams and reports said the value of the contracts were comparable. And though he didn't reveal the deciding factor for going to Los Angeles, Shaq admitted he'd always dreamed of playing with the Lakers.

Joining Shaq in the multimillion dollar contract signing frenzy at JET press time are other NBA standouts listed below with their teams and the reported terms of their contracts.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...0/ai_18535140/


Shaq made a great decision. 4 years later he won his first NBA Finals MVP, and he became one of the most dominant players in NBA History.

[shaq's--lakers]

Best move ever

[Rasheed1]

Best move ever

and at the same time while they were hauling in the diesel, they drafted Kobe and Fisher....

that was good work right there

[necya]

"Shaq made a great decision. 4 years later he won his first NBA Finals MVP, and he became one of the most dominant players in NBA History."

the goal of this move was not reach. he moved to meet MJ in the finals and not anymore in the eastern conference.
i like shaq, but in orlando, or in LA, he had to wait the fall of Malone, Olajuwon and MJ to go to the finals. nothing heroic. if he had stayed, he would be in the finals in 99 with the magic and make the same run as with the lakers.
shaq was born at a good period to be the only true center

thanks for the article

[Rake2204]

George Mikan's looking pretty spry up there.

It's remarkebly easy to watch an old Shaq all year in Cleveland and let his age wash over you, temporarily erasing memories of what he used to be. His mixtapes are more fun for me to watch now than they were when he was actually good.

Shaq Lakers Mix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqj_iDjsG0k

[the_future02]

Yeah Shaq could have went and won anywhere after 98. Would have loved to see Orlando vs San Antonio finals

[Lebron23]

Yeah Shaq could have went and won anywhere after 98. Would have loved to see Orlando vs San Antonio finals

I agree. Nobody could stop Prime Shaq. Not even the 2001 defensive player of the year Dikembe Mutombo.

[32jazz]

the goal of this move was not reach. he moved to meet MJ in the finals and not anymore in the eastern conference.
i like shaq, but in orlando, or in LA, he had to wait the fall of Malone, Olajuwon and MJ to go to the finals. nothing heroic. if he had stayed, he would be in the finals in 99 with the magic and make the same run as with the lakers.

World doesn't revolve around Jordan dude Which city would you pick if you were interested in being in the middle of the movie/music scene?L.A. or Orlando?

Shaq called Orlando a 'dried up pond" when he left & could not get out fast enough to easier expound upon his 'off the court' interests.

To win the championship you will eventually have to beat the best no matter what division you are in. His decision was more of expanding the Shaq brand than about basketball although it doesn't hurt going to the consistently greatest organization in the league.

And thanks nostradamus for your confident omnipotent assessment of how his career would have unfolded in Orlando.

Runs like the one he had in L.A. are rare & impossible to predict.

[FormerSunsFan]

A few things.

1. I think Shaq would have won earlier if he had stayed in Orlando and they waited their turn. He started over in LA and had to wait 4 more years until he won a championship.

2. The 1996 free agency sweepstakes rivals this year's.

3. That year's big prize--Jordan, not Shaq--considered going to New York. They went after him and even Reggie Miller, settling for Allan Houston (Deja Vu?). Jordan said the Knicks had a chance. This is out of his own mouth so don't shoot the messenger.

[jbryan1984]

Ya, the beginning of the last decade would had been very different in the basketball world had Shaq stayed with Orlando. Lakers probably would not had won 3 in a row, Phil Jackson may have not went there, no T-Mac in Orlando, Orlando would had been a great team with Shaq and Penny getting better every year. I remember even as a young kid feeling for Magic fans back then as Shaq was like the next "poster child superstar" during my childhood.

[Court Vision]

and at the same time while they were hauling in the diesel, they drafted Kobe and Fisher....

that was good work right there

LA didn't actually draft Kobe.

The Hornets actually drafted him with the intention of trading him.

Kobe actually gave a list of teams to his agent that he would play for (Lakers and the Knicks are on that list I believe)

The Lakers then traded Vlade Divac for Kobe.

[Andrei89]

LA didn't actually draft Kobe.

The Hornets actually drafted him with the intention of trading him.

Kobe actually gave a list of teams to his agent that he would play for (Lakers and the Knicks are on that list I believe)

The Lakers then traded Vlade Divac for Kobe.

I would bet it isn't the Knicks on that list

but hey good son

[Court Vision]

I would bet it isn't the Knicks on that list

but hey good son

Why would you doubt it?

[Rasheed1]

LA didn't actually draft Kobe.

The Hornets actually drafted him with the intention of trading him.

Kobe actually gave a list of teams to his agent that he would play for (Lakers and the Knicks are on that list I believe)

The Lakers then traded Vlade Divac for Kobe.

knicks werent on the list... In fact there wasnt a list... It was LA or bust for Kobe...

but you are right about the hornets, I meant to say the picked him up in a pre-arranged draft day trade...

[Yung D-Will]

I wonder if Shaq would have ever won a championship if he stayed with Orlando. And also since Orlando had a dominant big man where would Dwight have ended up?