King for a lifetime, fool for a... lifetime...

As summer rolls on the Laker empire tries to avoid crumbling, tapping Rudy Tomjanovich as new coach. I like the decision a lot. As good a fit for this team as you will find. Rudy T's got the championship experience (2 rings in Houston) and can handle drama between star players.

We'll see if this affects Shaq's trade demands at all. Miami's thrown their name in the hat as a possible destination for the most dominant player in the league. Dallas and Indiana seem to be the only other teams mentioned, but that's only assuming a three-team deal occurs. Miami's an interesting option. They've got a solid, young nucleus of players that could make that team into a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, if they deal for Shaq (who will only decline as the years go on), they'll certainly have to break that group up. The problem is that no team can feasibly afford Shaq O'Neal without shipping half their team. That's why a three team trade seems more plausible. The upside, however, if you're a Laker fan is that Shaq is still under contract. So even though they are acquiescing to his demands and shopping him around the league, he might very likely stay a Laker because no one else can take him on.