Want to fix the Suns? Trade Amare for Marion

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It’s outlandish, it’s preposterous, it’s unthinkable and it’s just crazy enough that it might work.

Trade Amare Stoudemire straight up for Shawn Marion. The salaries work out according to ESPN.com’s trade machine.

Let that marinate for a second.

Marion is what the Suns need in the short term and cap space is what they can use in the long term.

The Heat are ready to pull the trigger because Marion has fallen short of expectations. They are desperate to get rid of him before the deadline in hopes of being able to find a piece to go along with Dwayne Wade and Michael Beasley.

The Suns may be willing to do it because Stoudemire has not been “the man” like everyone expected him to be in Phoenix this year. His rebounding and points are down and the they are beginning to think about life without him.

The argument would be made that Marion wouldn’t want to return to the desert. While his divorce from the Suns was an acrimonious one, Shawn’s stint in Miami probably has made him long for better days in Phoenix.

It makes sense for the Suns because they are lacking a rebounding and defensive presence outside of Shaq, and need a guy who can score off of those rebounds (Marion is averaging over a rebound more than Stoudemire this season).

It also benefits the Suns after the season. Instead of spending another offseason in salary cap hell with no ability to re-tool the formula, they will have the money freed up by Marion’s expiring contract to pursue 2009 free agents and to set themselves up for an even bigger play in 2010.

With Amare in Miami, the Suns would only have to face him twice a year and won’t have to deal with the “will he or won’t he” drama that is on the horizon. It would free up more touches for Jason Richardson and would make this Shaq’s team for the remainder of the year. Not to mention that the fans who own Shawn Marion jerseys can dust them off and wear them again.

While I’m sure it’s not even a call that general manager Steve Kerr has thought about making it could be a gutsy move that helps to define and reshape the future of this organization. More likely though it’s just the crazy thoughts of a writer with too much time on his hands.

(What’s your trade idea? Leave it in the comment section.)

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Tags: Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Shawn Marion Trade

January 27th, 2009 3:47 PM PST