Please do this

- So you remove a guy who was tailored to play with Steve Nash and in that system (mainly because he can't shoot and running and dunking is his game on offense). You also take away the best rebounder and defender on your team. A versatile guy who can guard Dirk one night and Kobe the next. A glue-type guy who does all the little things on a team that lacks those players.

And you replace him with an out of shape, plodding 350 lb'er, who's 35, who will be so out of his element in that offense, and is still on the books for 2 years at $40 million. Wow. Do this please. Dirk's job against Phoenix just got easier.

Sources: Suns a 'yes' away from acquiring Shaq for Marion

The seemingly improbable pairing of an aging Shaquille O'Neal and the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns is just a final "yes" from the Suns away from happening, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday night that the Miami Heat have already agreed to send O'Neal to the Suns in exchange for All-Star forward Shawn Marion and out-of-favor guard Marcus Banks. Miami is simply waiting for Phoenix management to complete a medical examination of O'Neal and formally accept what would rank as one of the most unexpected trades in league history.

"It looks like it's going to happen," said one source close to the situation. "We should know for sure by tomorrow."

ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported Tuesday night on "SportsCenter" that O'Neal is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix on Wednesday to undergo a physical. A source close to Marion told ESPN.com early Wednesday that the Suns have informed the 29-year-old that the deal will go through, with the forward eager now to move on after playing with the Suns for his whole career.

The Arizona Republic also reported that a deal could be imminent and that O'Neal had contacted some Suns players Tuesday night. The Suns pushed back their shootaround, originally scheduled for 9:45 a.m. MT to 4:45 p.m., shortly before Phoenix plays New Orleans.

The Miami Herald first reported on its Web site Tuesday night that the Heat have informed O'Neal that they are shopping him and that talks with the Suns were serious.

That apparently surprised O'Neal ... but also pleased him. Sources told ESPN.com that the 35-year-old -- in the midst of his least productive season and with the Heat cratering from a championship in 2006 to a 9-37 record less than two years later -- is eager to leave Miami and his deteriorating relationship with Heat coach Pat Riley.

Making a move for O'Neal appears on the surface to make little basketball or financial sense for the Suns. O'Neal's arrival in Phoenix would undoubtedly prompt widespread skepticism about his ability to keep up in the Suns' high-octane system. The two years and $40 million remaining on O'Neal's contract after this season also clashes with the Suns' recent pattern of trading away players (such as Kurt Thomas) and draft picks in attempt to reduce payroll and eventually drag themselves away from the NBA luxury-tax line of $67.875 million.

The Suns, though, have been plagued by well-chronicled concerns about their chemistry for nearly two years, generally focusing on the occasional dissatisfaction voiced behind the scenes by either Marion or Amare Stoudemire. In the locker room as well as the front office, sources say, there are factions that have believed for some time that one of them would eventually have to be traded for the Suns to reach their full potential.


Those in-house doubts about this group's ability to break through and win the first championship in team history have only grown this season, sources say, even though Phoenix currently holds the best record in the West at 34-14.

But owner Robert Sarver and team president Steve Kerr, according to sources with knowledge of the Suns' thinking, have ruled out trading Stoudemire, despite season-long speculation suggesting that his defensive deficiencies would ultimately lead to his exit before Marion's. Sarver and Kerr have deemed Stoudemire too valuable to part with, given that he's only 25 and continues to play at an All-Star level after three surgeries, ranking as perhaps the NBA's most successful comeback patient from the dreaded microfracture knee procedure.

Marion asked to be traded before the season but has rarely mentioned that declaration since, with many Suns insiders believing that he went public with that request mostly as a protest response to being mentioned in trade rumors for years. If he leaves now, it's likely more because Phoenix believes (a) that Boris Diaw can assume some of Marion's old duties, (b) that Stoudemire will relish playing alongside Shaq as a power forward as opposed to masquerading as a center and (c) that team chemistry will improve immediately with this change.

Acquiring O'Neal would also address the size issues Phoenix has faced since two-time MVP Steve Nash was reacquired as a free agent in the summer of 2004 to orchestrate coach Mike D'Antoni's free-wheeling system.

The Suns are said to be confident that Nash can find a way to get Shaq involved offensively. And it's undeniably true that the West is still filled with plenty of big men for Shaq to match up with. Just to name five: San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Houston's Yao Ming, New Orleans' Tyson Chandler, Portland's Greg Oden (next season) and Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Of course, O'Neal turns 36 in March and has been plagued by a persistent hip problem that has cost him 14 games this season. He refused to speak with Miami reporters after Tuesday's practice, while Riley insisted that O'Neal would soon undergo an MRI after missing the Heat's past six games.

And when he has been healthy, O'Neal is averaging a career-worst 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, while the Heat's demise has deepened after they followed their historic comeback from 2-0 down against Dallas in the 2006 NBA Finals by absorbing a first-round sweep by Chicago last season.

So if the deal does go through as widely expected now, Phoenix would be banking on the idea that O'Neal will be rejuvenated health-wise and reinvigorated mentally by the prospect of fresh start, after a half-season in which his remaining effectiveness and durability have been doubted louder than ever.

Miami's motivation, meanwhile, is clear. The Heat's need to revamp their entire roster around Dwyane Wade grows more apparent by the day in what ranks as an unprecedented collapse for a championship team that didn't lose its star players. Marion has the ability to opt out of his contract at season's end if he's willing to forfeit next season's $17.2 million salary, potentially giving the Heat substantial salary-cap space as early as this summer.

It remains to be seen if the Heat want Marion more for the financial flexibility or because they see him as a long-term complement to Wade. It also remains to be seen how much Phoenix will miss Marion's athleticism and versatility, since his ability to guard all five positions and tireless running made him a one-of-a-kind fit alongside Nash in D'Antoni's system.

Sarver said earlier this month that Marion was one of the Suns' cornerstone players who "flat-out was not getting traded," but that changed once Miami started shopping O'Neal. Although Riley later denied it, Bucher reported on ESPN2's "NBA Coast to Coast" last week that Miami had been begun to gauge trade interest in the hulking center with four championship rings from his time with the Lakers and Heat.

Although attempts to reach officials from both teams proved unsuccessful, D'Antoni did acknowledge the possibility of O'Neal's arrival on his weekly radio show Tuesday night, saying: "It would mean a lot. [But] that's a big question that's got to be thought over and pondered."



- 4 in a row. Shootouts rock.



Captain caps Dallas Stars' fourth straight win

09:34 AM CST on Wednesday, February 6, 2008
By MIKE HEIKA / The Dallas Morning News
mheika@dallasnews.com

The Stars have been finding a way to win games and collect points, and as boring as that sounds sometimes, it paid off again Tuesday night.

Facing a crippled Vancouver Canucks team, the Stars had to go to their sixth shooter in the shootout but came out with a 3-2 victory that pushed their winning streak to four games and their record to 32-20-5.

"It's true what Tip [coach Dave Tippett] says about wanting to do more, but for us, it's recognizing what kind of game we were in," said goalie Marty Turco, who stopped 22 shots and improved to 19-7 in shootouts.

"You have to keep pushing ahead, and never feel that you want to do more. It is human nature, but it's good experience for this team. You've got to continue to learn and gain confidence in these typesgames."

The Canucks were without five of their regular defensemen – Willie Mitchell (back), Kevin Bieksa (calf), Luka Krajicek (shoulder), Mattias Ohlund (personal) and Aaron Miller (foot) all missed the game. Vancouver filled the lineup with a mostly minor league defense, but the group played well and the Stars failed to put enough pressure on to see if it would crack.

Dallas waded into the game – neither team was able to put a shot on goal in the first seven minutes – then watched as Vancouver took the lead on a power-play goal at the 12:50 mark of the first period.

Dallas saw an early end to its run of 22 consecutive penalty kills as Markus Naslund scored. The top-ranked penalty kill in the league was foiled when Mason Raymond made a nice touch pass to Naslund in the slot, and he one-timed a shot over Turco.

But the Stars bounced back and scored a gritty goal at 16:40 of the first period to tie the score. Mike Ribeiro made a nice play along the boards to get the puck to Brenden Morrow, and Morrow uncorked a one-timer from the left circle. The puck went sailing toward a scrum at the net, and deflected in off the skate of Vancouver's Alexandre Burrows. Jeff Halpern had created the scrum by driving hard to the net and pulling Burrows in front of Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.

Dallas then capitalized on its power play in the second period, as Morrow made a slick backhand pass into the slot and Jere Lehtinen deflected the puck between Luongo's legs for a 2-1 lead at the 7:11 mark.

"Same old Lehts, he does it all," Morrow said of Lehtinen's first goal since returning from a sports hernia that kept him out for 33 games. "He looks like he hasn't missed a step."

The Canucks made a spirited stand to earn a point in the standings. Naslund added his second goal of the game and Luongo then stopped 13 shots in the third period – 32 for the game. That forced the shootout, where the Stars improved their shootout record, the NHL's best, to 26-7.

Jussi Jokinen scored first for Dallas, and Naslund scored for Vancouver. Morrow then put in a wrister as the sixth shooter and Turco came up with a stop to give Dallas two points in the standings.

"Right now, everybody in the Western Conference is so tight that it's important to play a full 60 minutes and get whatever points we can," Ribeiro said.

The Stars have won seven consecutive regular season games against the Canucks at American Airlines Center. It is the second longest active home winning streak against one opponent in the NHL.

"We'll take the points and run," Stars coach Dave Tippett said.




- Baseball America's look at the future of the Rangers.



As it became apparent the Rangers were going to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season in 2007, second-year general manager Jon Daniels faced some tough decisions, and he ultimately embraced a true commitment to rebuilding the organization from the ground up.

Texas limped out of the gates under first-year manager Ron Washington, finding itself in last place and 51⁄2 games back of the first-place Angels by the end of April. By the end of May, the Rangers trailed by 131⁄2 games, and when the deficit had stretched to 161⁄2 games by the end of June, Daniels had little choice but to look toward the future.

That meant trading franchise cornerstone Mark Teixeira to maximize the return for a player who faces free agency after the 2008 season. He did just that by shipping Teixeira to the Braves along with lefthander Ron Mahay for a bounty of five highly regarded prospects: catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus, righthander Neftali Feliz and lefties Matt Harrison and Beau Jones.

Texas went even further by moving Eric Gagne and Kenny Lofton to the Red Sox and Indians, bringing back more prospects in outfielders Engel Beltre and David Murphy and catcher Max Ramirez, plus a young big league lefty in Kason Gabbard.

Those three deals highlighted the dramatic overhaul of the farm system, and what had been one of baseball's thinnest organization's is now one of its most talented.

The system's transformation was augmented by strong work in the draft by scouting director Ron Hopkins and his staff. The Rangers had five picks before the second round, which they used on a trio of high-upside prep righthanders (Blake Beavan, Michael Main and Neil Ramirez), a safe college righty (Tommy Hunter) and a college center fielder who could be the team's leadoff man of the future (Julio Borbon). And as usual, the Rangers were active in the Latin American market under international scouting director A.J. Preller, landing a solid crop led by Venezuelan lefthander Martin Perez.

The net result is greatly improved minor league depth, particularly on the mound. Developing impact pitchers long has been a challenge for the Rangers, whose 4.75 major league team ERA ranked 24th in baseball in 2007. Now a majority of their top prospects are pitchers, giving some reason for optimism. However, much of the high-ceiling talent remains in the lower levels of the minors, so it will take another couple of years before the Rangers will start seeing dividends in Arlington.

The Rangers expect to continue their rebuilding process in 2008, field a competitive team by 2009 and make a serious playoff run in 2010. In addition to the foundation in the farm system, Texas has whom it regards as a few core players to build around at the big league level, including outfielder Josh Hamilton (brought over in an offseason trade with the Reds for righthander Edinson Volquez), second baseman Ian Kinsler, righthander Brandon McCarthy, Saltalamacchia and shortstop Michael Young. The most significant major league bright spot from a gloomy 2007, Young recorded his fifth straight 200-hit season. Since 1940, only Young, Wade Boggs and Ichiro Suzuki have accomplished that feat.


TOP TEN
PROSPECTS
1. Elvis Andruz, ss
2. Chris Davis, 3b
3. Eric Hurley, rhp
4. Taylor Teagarden, c
5. Neftali Feliz, rhp
6. Michael Main, rhp
7. Kasey Kiker, lhp
8. Blake Beavan, rhp
9. Julio Borbon, of
10. Engel Beltre, of

BEST
TOOLS
Best Hitter for Average German Duran
Best Power Hitter Chris Davis
Best Strike-Zone Discipline Johnny Whittleman
Fastest Baserunner Jose Vallejo
Best Athlete Michael Main
Best Fastball Neftali Feliz
Best Curveball Neil Ramirez
Best Slider Eric Hurley
Best Changeup Kasey Kiker
Best Control Matt Harrison
Best Defensive Catcher Taylor Teagarden
Best Defensive Infielder Elvis Andrus
Best Infield Arm Elvis Andrus
Best Defensive Outfielder Julio Borbon
Best Outfield Arm Engel Beltre

PROJECTED 2011
LINEUP
Catcher Taylor Teagarden
First Base Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Second Base Michael Young
Third Base Chris Davis
Shortstop Elvis Andrus
Left Field Engel Beltre
Center Field Julio Borbon
Right Field Josh Hamilton
Designated Hitter Ian Kinsler
No. 1 Starter Eric Hurley
No. 2 Starter Neftali Feliz
No. 3 Starter Michael Main
No. 4 Starter Blake Beavan
No. 5 Starter Brandon McCarthy
Closer Kasey Kiker

TOP PROSPECTS
OF THE DECADE
Year Player, Position 2007
1998 Ruben Mateo, of Brewers
1999 Ruben Mateo, of Brewers
2000 Ruben Mateo, of Brewers
2001 Carlos Pena, 1b Rays
2002 Hank Blalock, 3b Rangers
2003 Mark Teixeira, 3b Braves
2004 Adrian Gonzalez, 1b Padres
2005 Thomas Diamond, rhp Rangers
2006 Edinson Volquez, rhp Rangers
2007 John Danks, lhp White Sox

TOP DRAFT PICKS
OF THE DECADE
Year Player, Position 2007
1998 Carlos Pena, 1b Rays
1999 Colby Lewis, rhp Athletics
2000 Scott Heard, c Out of baseball
2001 Mark Teixeira, 3b Braves
2002 Drew Meyer, ss Rangers
2003 John Danks, lhp White Sox
2004 Thomas Diamond, rhp Rangers
2005 John Mayberry Jr., of Rangers
2006 Kasey Kiker, lhp Rangers
2007 Blake Beavan, rhp Rangers

LARGEST BONUSES
IN CLUB HISTORY
Mark Teixeira, 2001 $4,500,000
John Danks, 2003 $2,100,000
Vicent Sinsi, 2003 $2,070,000
Thomas Diamond, 2004 $2,025,000
Drew Meyer, 2002 $1,875,000



- Bobby Knight resigns.


- Super Bowl recap.