Stack: Marion deal shady?

Does a franchise have a moral obligation to player before a trade, especially one who’s played a major role in the team’s success? Jerry Stackhouse seems to think so.

Stack was discussing the Gasol and Shaq trades that may have altered the balance of power in the Western Conference, and whether the Mavs should make their own counter move.

“It’s always a possibility,” he said.

Avery Johnson confirmed what many of us already know. The team, as always, is aware of what’s going on out there and talking to the other 29 teams every day. If there’s a deal that they think will put them over the top, the Mavs will pull the trigger.

Sending the disgruntled Marion to Miami, which is in the midst of a horrific season, would seem unfair, but Stack pointed out: “There are no bad places to play in the NBA. There are bad teams. No bad places.”

In other words, being a pro basketball player is a pretty good gig. Anywhere. But Stack added this caveat about Marion’s plight.

“For all that Shawn Marion did for Phoenix, he was there pretty much his whole career, to send him to Miami, I think that’s kind of shady,” he said. “But I think if you’re doing it like maybe New Jersey and Jason Kidd, they’re trying to fulfill his wishes, trying to get him to a place he wants to go.

“And I think when you go about it the right way and continue to be professional day-to-day, relationships mean more than just basketball. Here, with the brass that we have, they take that into account.”