Where will the Matrix go?

Marion will be traded sometime his year. Maybe not before the season starts or even before 2007 is over but sometime during the 2007-08 NBA season he will be exiting Phoenix as Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, and Stephon Marbury did before him. The question isn't will he be traded it is where will he be traded. The list is pretty long right now but there are only a few real players he could be swapped for. The Lakers, and Jazz are the two most rumored to be seeking a trade. The Lakers have Lamar Odom to offer; well whoopity-doo Odom is injury prone and only a slightly above average player. Marion is one of the top 5-10 players in the NBA; he has to be with a nickname like the Matrix. Utah obviously has Kirilenko to offer. Now while Kirilenko is a very good player he is still not Marion level, and more importantly he would not fit the Suns run like the wind offense. There is one team looking to deal a superstar close to Marion's level, and it's very close to home. The Pacers have Jermaine O'Neal and are actively trying to get rid of him. I know not from the rumors but because I interned with the Pacers this summer and one of the guys who works with Larry Bird everyday said he called everyone the day of the draft trying to get a deal worked out that would get the Pacers a decent player, and a first round pick. So here it is O'Neal for Marion. Makes sense when you think about it. Their salaries are close (JO $19 mil, Marion 16 mil) and Marion would be on a team that has average talent but he would be the instant go to guy. O'Neal goes to a contender that would use his athletic ability. Plus what the Suns are missing is a post blocker, and O'Neal was third in the league last year in blocks. Add in that because O'Neal is paid three mil more the Pacers should have the cap room to give Marion the extension he wants that would pay him around 19-20 million a year. O'Neal is by far the best player of the three and his salary matches up. However, judging by no one has talked about this yet I'm guessing one of the sides involved have already turned down the idea. Don't know why both teams would be better. The Suns have plenty of scorers who could pick up the slack and O'Neal would give them the defensive presence they need if they ever want to make a run in the playoffs. Then again I'm a Rockets fan so maybe it's a good thing this probably won't ever come to fruition.