Out of Work?

As the NBA’s summer vacation winds down, three probably Hall of fame free agents find themselves still unemployed: Shaquille O’Neal, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson. My guess is that all three will remain unemployed..

1) Shaq’s ego is coming back to haunt him. The man who was too proud to set picks and defend the pick-and-roll is finding that no one is interested in meeting his demands. Shaq, at 38, is asking for a two-year deal worth $16 million, or $8 million a year. His last team, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not interested, except in a possible sign and trade. All the other teams that were supposedly interested in big men have gone out and found others: Boston signed Jermaine O’Neal, Miami brought in Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Shaq’s teammate last year, Dallas signed Brendan Heywood, and San Antonio is bringing in Tiago Splitter. Atlanta was considering him, but has said that they are no longer interested. Al Harrington soaked up whatever funds Denver had to offer while Al Jefferson went to Utah. Doesn’t anyone need or want a future Hall of Fame back-up center?
Perhaps to add insult to the process, this summer Johan Petro got a $10 million deal from New Jersey while Darko Milicic, once considered one of the biggest busts with the number two pick in the NBA draft ever, got a 4-year $20 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN blasted the Milicic deal as a vast overpayment for a center who “can’t score, rebound or defend at all for his size.”
This doesn’t even mention Shaq’s history of subversive activities. After the Cleveland Cavaliers crashed and burned in this year’s Playoffs, everyone was focused LeBron James’ sub-par play, but there were whispers that Shaq had upset some team chemistry in the locker room complaining that he wasn’t getting enough minutes or enough touches. Now that he is 38, a bit fragile compared to his younger days, and problematic, it appears that no one wants t touch him.
For his part, Shaq’s last N.B.A.-related tweet came on July 1, the day free agency began: “Yup, I got 720 days left.” The latest talk says he sees himself in Boston Celtic green next season.
Yeah. Good luck with that.

2) Tracy McGrady’s desperation is such that he worked out for the Los Angeles Clippers this week. In darker days, the Clips might have been intrigued, but this is a young talent-laden team that just needs to stay healthy in order to show a little of what they can do.
McGrady is supposed to work out for the Bulls next week and has said he feels he is a perfect complement to the Wade-James-Bosh triumverate in Miami. So far, no one is biting. McGrady is a gunner who, like Shaq and Iverson, is having trouble downsizing his ego. The player who forced himself out of Toronto because he wanted to go somewhere and be “The Man,” has never been able to win a Playoff series as “The Man.” Why would anyone take him on now that he has had knee surgery?
There was a brief moment when some observers said he was better than Kobe Bryant And while one can argue even today that McGrady had a better shot than Kobe ever has, McGrady never improved his game over the summer, never worked on his body the way Kobe has. Somewhere, privately, Kobe is getting the last laugh.

3) Allen Iverson is trying to pretend that his flame out last season was only to care for his ailing daughter and to take care of things at home just as his wife filed divorce papers. His agent has said he is ready to go to whichever team wants him and to do whatever they ask of him.
Ha!
Iverson is on the record as saying he would rather retire than come off the bench. This is a man not only used to starting but used to hogging the ball when he is on the floor. Many claim the quick way Memphis jettisoned him last year is what turned the Grizzlies’ season into the success it became. Iverson had come in saying the right things but was already complaining in the locker room. He was ejected before the poison could spread.
Does any team dare take a chance on him now?
No way, Jose.

Although ESPN’s Chad Ford lists Shaq as the top free agent available and McGrady as the third-best (behind Josh Howard), the other eight on the list − Howard, Shannon Brown, Earl Watson, Kwame Brown (!), Will Bynum, Rasual Butler, veteran Jerry Stackhouse and Louis Amundson will be signed ahead of the Big Names.