Inside the NBA

Moving Man?  

After another first-round flameout, Jermaine O'Neal may leave Indiana

By Ian Thomsen

Because Jermaine O'Neal has blossomed into an All-Star power forward since coming to Indiana from Portland in August 2000, many G.M.'s assume that he'll re-sign with the Pacers as a free agent this summer. But last Thursday, an hour after his third-seeded team lost to the No. 6 Celtics in the first round, O'Neal sounded intrigued by the prospect of playing elsewhere. "I want to be in the best winning situation," the 24-year-old O'Neal said. "I don't want to be around anybody who's just interested in playing out the season and then going home for the summer."

Looking for a winner with a lot of cap room, O'Neal will have the Spurs on his short list. Manny Millan

It has also long been assumed that the Spurs will use their salary-cap space to make a run at Nets point guard Jason Kidd, but O'Neal may be a better fit. San Antonio already has a promising playmaker in 20-year-old Tony Parker, who recovered from a horrid playoff start to average 18.0 points in the last four games of the Spurs' six-game, first-round victory over the Suns. O'Neal is not only six years younger than Kidd but would also fill the role of the retiring David Robinson and discourage the double teams that have hindered 7-foot Tim Duncan in the postseason.

A more immediate attraction for O'Neal is that the Spurs already have a championship-caliber team. The young and promising Pacers had the East's best record (34-15) at the All-Star break, but they lost 23 of their last 36 games, including four of six in the playoffs. Despite averaging 22.8 points and 17.5 rebounds against the Celtics, O'Neal failed to advance past the first round for his third straight year in Indiana.

O'Neal made it clear that there are plenty of reasons for him to remain with the Pacers. He doesn't want to uproot his mother, his brother, his three-year-old daughter and her mother, all of whom live in Indianapolis. He would also have to swap a leading role for a complementary one if he signed with the Spurs. While both teams could pay him an estimated $11 million next season -- barring a sign-and-trade, the only other potential suitors with that much cap room aren't nearly as competitive as San Antonio -- Indiana could increase his salary by 12.5% annually over the next six years, while the Spurs could offer raises of only 10%. That difference would be mitigated by the absence of a state income tax in Texas.

Pacers president Donnie Walsh has vowed to re-sign O'Neal, center Brad Miller and 37-year-old Reggie Miller while avoiding the luxury tax -- a clear sign that Walsh is planning one or more trades to clear cap room. That would help streamline the rotation for coach Isiah Thomas, who has been asked to develop a half-dozen young players while turning the team into a contender. O'Neal has made it clear that he wants Indiana to retain Thomas, who is entering the final season of his four-year contract.

Reggie Miller endured his worst postseason, averaging 9.2 points on 28.3% shooting. He took responsibility for the Pacers' flameout, but O'Neal wasn't buying that. "If my team isn't motivated, it's my fault," he said. "I can't consider myself the best of the best until my team is able to get out of the first round."

Issue date: May 12, 2003

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