Phoenix Should Trade Shawn Marion

Is Shawn Marion the biggest paradox in sports?

On the court, he appears to be the consummate team player, subjugating his star status to be a third wheel, playing defense on the opponent's top player and rebounding. Of course, this also means he is the highest paid role player in the league at $16+ million dollars per year for a player without a defined position.

Off the court, he appears to be the NBA's biggest prima dona, caring more about his place in the pecking order than the team's success. He plays in a system which maximizes his skills better than any other; does anyone believe he would perform better or have better statistics in any other system? And, if not, what is he complaining about?

Phoenix should deal Shawn Marion because they do not need distractions and as long as he remains a Sun, there will be distractions. Andrei Kirilenko, after a poor NBA season, appears to have found himself while playing for Russia this summer, as he was named the MVP of the European Championships. If the proposed Marion for Kirilenko deal is on the table, both teams are wise to make he deal.

Kirilenko is best as a power forward, which happens to be Carlos Boozer's position in Utah. Shawn Marion believes he is a small forward, which appears to be Grant Hill's position in Phoenix. Otherwise, they offer similar skills, as both are very good defenders who score mostly in transition or off offensive rebounds. They are highly paid, very good role players. Neither is a number one option.

While Marion shoots the three better than Kirilenko, which makes him a better fit in Phoenix's style of play, Kirilenko is a European player who cuts instinctively, the type of player who can generate offense with a point guard like Steve Nash handling the rock. In Utah, which runs a very structured system, Kirilenko's cuts sometimes get in the way.