DB.com Buzz: Amare For Aldridge?

   This comes from having an ear to the ground. Some reading of tea leaves. Some 2+2 = stuff.

    I've watched with curiosity and interest as the Phoenix Suns have unraveled. It's clearly a team of contrasting styles and ill-fitting parts. I and others have said I think they should return to their up-tempo roots, and that Shaq fits better in Dallas, but multiple reports say owner Robert Sarver is dead-set on avoiding a return to SmallBall. If they keep Shaq, what's their alternative? Their only realistic alternative, it seems, might be to trade Amare Stoudemire for a PF who might fit better alongside Shaq – but I haven't really believed they'd trade Amare given his age (26) and explosiveness.
   But the situation is rapidly deteriorating farther and faster in the desert than anyone could have imagined, and it may now be past the point of no return.
   While I don't claim to have moles inside the Suns HQ, little snippets here and there from people I listen to (should we call them "our sources" in order to make this a true Vesceyesque rumor-generator?) have me thinking that a big trade is brewing. ... or certainly, serious talks that could lead to this big trade.

  A blockbuster.

  One that involves two playoff teams and rivals in the Western Conference.
  One that could create a deadline domino effect in the West, just like last year.

  Don't be surprised if Amare gets traded by the deadline to Portland for LaMarcus Aldridge (with Raef Lafrentz included as trade filler for rules purposes).
   The front offices in Portland and Phoenix have been regular trade partners in recent years, and much of the young talent now residing in Portland has come via picks they have scored in those deals with the Suns. These franchises have an open dialogue that they are comfortable with, and I think they are talking again. Seriously talking.
   Both sides may still be angling for a little more of this or that to be included while they're dealing. For example, Phoenix would also love to score a backup and heir to Nash and Portland has amassed a rich cache of youngsters at PG.
   Why for Portland? Amare would provide a more experienced and explosive interior scorer in the middle of the Portland youth corps. While Dallas-are-native Aldridge is young and talented, the track record of Amare is much more enticing - and he's still only 26.

    Why for Phoenix? Aldridge is a bit more perimeter-oriented by nature (which better complements Shaq). He's also much more of a contributor on defense which the Suns badly need. And there's no question that Amare, for all his gifts, is unhappy, doesn't fit alongside Shaq, and presents a big problem to the Suns.

    Both are young with a long future ahead of them in the NBA. It's a huge gamble for both teams however, in trading away a star performer from the center of a playoff contender and shaking up the mix, but I think the rewards on both sides are too great to pass up, and after much hand-wringing -- this deal really could happen.

   After writing the above, but before we could get to print, other reports have emerged. Yahoo Sports says today that sources say Kerr has told teams that he’s willing to trade anyone on his roster except for Steve Nash, and goes on to speculate that Stoudemire is going somewhere and that the Suns are fielding offers for him. That jibes with my perception, and furthermore, I say we should look for more articles from others in the coming days as the Suns now go under the microscope, with mentions of young PFs like Bosh and Beasley and potential trade partners like New York (where Amare's former coach D'Antoni now runs the wide-open offensive system STAT loves). Anything can happen - but we have reason to think that when the dust settles the Suns' partner will be Portland, and the acquisition will be Aldridge.

   (UPDATE: For the record: Marc Stein of ESPN is now saying he's basing his Portland trade notions on the "assumption'' that Aldridge won't be dealt. And Blazer's Edge doesn't like the whole idea at all.)

   And what might this have to do with Dallas?

   If it happens, this appreciably alters the playoff chase in the West as well as the fortunes of the two teams themselves. Adding Stoudemire's explosive interior play to Portland takes them from a nice up-and-coming talent-laden team of the future to a scary threat right now, and adding an enthusiastic talented PF who is willing to work on defense alongside Shaq brings Phoenix right back into the mix of contenders. If it happens (and I really think it will), expect this deal to motivate other teams – San Antonio? Houston? And yes, Dallas? -- to scurry to the trade table to discuss upgrades of their own in a quest to keep up with the moving and shaking.

411pm feb 5 2009