Let's get one thing straight - Steve Kerr sure seems like a good guy. Great player, good commentator, apparently horrid GM. According to ESPN, Kerr is on the verge of trading Shawn Marion for Shaq.

I use the metrics devised by Dave Berri (the Wages of Wins) to judge players on this site, but I don't care what you choose to use - there is no way to justify this trade statistically. Shaq is no longer the player he once was by any measure, while Marion is an absolute freak.

WP48 for each (through 41 games):

Shaq: .102 (.100 is an average player)
Marion .314

Steve Kerr was given one of the top 5 franchises in the league, easy, and within one year he is going to turn them into a top 15 team.

Mark my words - if this trade goes through Phoenix is officially out of the race. They're done. Stoudamire is the third banana to Nash and Marion, but once again the NBA's scoring bias has resulted in a terrible, terrible decision. Sorry Phoenix.