Economic Crisis

For many teams in the NBA, the recession our country is experiencing at the moment has had a major impact on their daily operations. Owners are losing money on a daily basis (some in the billions of dollars range) and it has caused them to face the possibility of future tough decisions regarding their rosters. Take the Phoenix Suns, for instance, there has been much talk about a possible trade involving Amare Stoudemire, a player who is without doubt one of the best young power forwards in the league and one of the most explosive offensive players in the league. To think that Phoenix may have to trade Amare simply to make salary cap space is ludicrous but it is a decision Phoenix Suns’ owner Robert Sarver has been faced with. Before the All-Star break, teams having been trying to offer as much as they can for Stoudemire but Sarver and General Manager Steve Kerr have been reluctant to pull the trigger on a trade. As of today, according to undisclosed sources close to the team, Phoenix has decided to stay with the personnel they have and give newly promoted head coach, Alvin Gentry the opportunity to turn this team into a contender. Other notable players in trade talks include: Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets and Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby, both play for the Los Angeles Clippers. With the trade dealine this Thursday, expect to hear many teams looking to clear up salary cap space.

To help owners around the league, the NBA has been forced to borrow $175 million dollars from JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America. A total of 15 teams have expressed interest in borrowing from loan, causing NBA representatives to create a maximum amount of $11.66 million per team. The league will suffer from the new 8.27 percent interest rate; however, according to Orlando Magic chief operating officer, Alex Martins, the loan was much needed. "We’ve been operating at a $15 [million] to $20 million [annual] loss over the past half-dozen years, so it helps us.” The deal is expected to be finalized by Feb. 26 so expect more coverage as more information is released.

Back to the Phoenix Suns, today General Manager Steve Kerr announced the firing of Head Coach Terry Porter, who has gone 28-23 in his first season with the Suns. Porter was brought in to replace Mike D'Antoni after he left to coach the Knicks, but his struggle to create a defensive identity for the Suns has caused many to question his effectiveness. In reality, Phoenix has been without an identity on both ends of the court this season, losing games due to their lack of offensive production and also due to the lack of defensive intensity. Gentry, the only remaining coaching staff member from D'Antoni's days, has been a long time assistant coach in the NBA and is well deserving of the promotion. I wish Porter the best, as he was simply placed in the wrong situation; working for an owner who has admitted to being impatient when it comes to the success of the Phoenix Suns franchise. Also wish Gentry the best in his quest for a NBA championship this season.

While many players were enjoying the All-Star weekend festivities in Phoenix, A.Z., Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, Jamario Moon, and Jermaine O'Neal were making plans for their departure from their previous teams. In a trade, one week before the trade deadline, the Miami Heat sent Marion and Banks to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon. On paper, the trade looks about even but when you take into consideration the impact each player had on their team, one has to question why Miami felt the need for such a drastic change. Consider this, Miami traded for Marion and Banks last season, giving the Phoenix Suns Shaquille O'Neal. After Wade missed most of the season due to injuries, Miami was then able to acquire Michael Beasley, a sensational scoring machine and a player with tremendous upside, in the 2008 NBA Draft. Beasley has been limited to the role of supporting bench player as he has been in the doghouse with Head Coach Erik Spoelstra, due to his lack of defensive intensity. Dwyane Wade has returned to his old form, averaging 28.3 points per game and 7.0 assists per game, easily carrying this team on his shoulders. Banks has played little to no minutes so he was packaged in the deal as a way to match the salaries of Moon and O'Neal. Marion on the other hand, has been a solid contributor for the Heat even though his numbers are down from previous years, in most part due to nagging injuries. With Marion, the Heat were able to count on a near double-double every night and a defensive nightmare for the other team's best player. Moon is a young talent for the Heat and should fit in nicely because of his quickness, leaping ability, and outside shot. O'Neal on the other hand may be a different story. In recent years, O'Neal's numbers have drastically fallen, in most part due to injuries. O'Neal can still put the ball in the hole but do not expect him to be nearly the defensive stopper that Marion was for the Heat. Also, expect to see the ball out of Wade's hands more as O'Neal will need to have plays run for him, something Miami did not have to worry about with Marion. Overall, I expect this trade to help the Raptors more because if they can get healthy, they should make a solid playoff push. In my opinion, Miami was looking to free up salary cap space with this trade (cleared $5 million) and also get some more young talent in Jamario Moon. If Beasley is able to get some more minutes, expect to see O'Neal on the trading block once again.

That's it for this installment of Heather's Sports World. Make sure to check back soon, as I will be addressing possible upcoming trades before Thursday's deadline and also more on the impact of the recession on owners of NBA teams. Enjoy your day!