The rumors had been fluttering for the past 24 hours, and it's apparently a done deal. Jermaine O'Neal is headed to Toronto, in exchange for TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, and the #17 pick.
For O'Neal, this is the fresh start he's been waiting years for. He's still a capable big man, and working in tandem with Chris Bosh means he doesn't have to shoulder the load under a body riddled with injuries.
For Ford, this settles the question of whether the Raptors wanted him or Jose Calderon. Ford has still proven he can be capable, and he goes to a team rebuilding, again, but with a lot of talent, again. The Pacers are very quietly building a considerably deep backcourt. Now they just have to do something with it. There's a lot of talk about how this is a win-win situation, but that's only if O'Neal stays healthy. If he does, though, the Raptors will have a frontcourt that could destroy small worlds. Likewise, TJ Ford has to prove his neck is up to go full speed. So many questions, and we're not even to draft night yet. Hang on to your hats, folks. This one's about to get rocky.





Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-26-2008 @ 3:13AM
§ said...
The cap space the Pacers just cleared up as well as a pair of 1st round picks will go further than TJ Ford can take them, which should at least be the playoffs for a year or two.
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6-26-2008 @ 4:38PM
frank said...
All of the sudden Jermaine is 100 % healthy?
Maybe he wanted out of Indiana ?
Go figure.
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