Remember that trade everyone was talking about two weeks ago, where the Raptors send Jermaine O’Neal to the Heat for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks? Well, it’s now official. The Raptors are also sending out Jamario Moon.

It will be super-official after the All-Star Break (league offices are probably closed), and I’m at work, but let me break it down quickly:

Heat
Get a much needed interior threat to work the two-man game with Wade. Sure, JO isn’t the best option, but Marion fit poorly and was stunting Beasley’s development to a degree, so the only real cost for this experiment is cap flexibility, which they don’t need until 2010 anyways (when JO’s contract runs out). They also get out from Banks’ bad contract.

Raptors
You mean, other than that they had to do something? Well, this can do one of two things. One, Marion could be a great fit and the Raps turn things around to some degree. This isn’t far-fetched, as the trade opens up bigger minutes for Bargnani and puts Marion in a more familiar situation (albeit a different system) with Colangelo. If Marion doesn’t work out or doesn’t want to stay, it gives the Raptors a lottery pick and a good deal of cap space to build around Bosh immediately. The key word is immediately - they have to convince Bosh to stay, and winning is the only way to do that, it seems. So the extra cap space or extra success gives the team some hope, and all it cost was taking on ‘Straight to the’ Banks’ deal. An additional note is that 2009 cap space is infinitely more valuable than 2010 cap space, because the combination of the bad economy and the 2010 savings spree will make the free agent market a considerably powerful buyer’s market - there will be more than a few bargains for Colangelo to scoop up.

I like it. It’s no risk, and the only chance at retaining Bosh. There you have it. It has my blessing. Boom.

For a pretty succinct summation of my feelings, True Hoop (aka Mecca) mastermind Henry Abbott has an interview up with David Thorpe about the deal. Check it out.