The Miami Heat trade Shawn Marion to the New York Knicks for Zach Randolph, Nate Robinson or a 2nd round draft pick.

Whoa Nellie you say?

Here's why the deal makes sense.

The Heat are not going to give Shawn Marion an extension but with D'Antoni in New York, the Knicks might.

Although the Heat just drafted Michael Beasley as a PF he's probably a better SF in the NBA and they do have Udonis Haslem on the roster.

Concerning Haslem, he has two seasons left on his current contract and is scheduled to make $7 million in the 2009/10 season, which is an expiring contract the Heat can use in a trade when the huge free agent crop comes up that summer.

Randolph's contract will expire the following season but until then the Heat would now have a solid 20/10 guy to play alongside Beasley, Chalmers and depending upon what D Wade decides to do in two seasons Wade or some player to be named at a later date (Nash...Gordon...Hinrich?).

As for Marion, he fits more into what D'Antoni wants to do on the court and it's funny how both of them managed to exit Phoenix in essentially the same season. The Knicks don't want Randloph in their new system and the Heat don't want to commit to Marion.

The last time Marbury and Marion played on the same roster, with D'Antoni coaching no less, the Suns made the playoffs and both Marion and Marbury were Western Conference All-Stars. In fact, the last time Knicks SF Quentin Richardson was relevant was when he was playing for D'Antoni in Phoenix when he led the NBA in 3 pointers made.

By landing Marion the Kinicks end up with three players that had their most superlative seasons under D'Antoni in Marbury, Richardson and Marion. The Knicks have to throw Robinson or a draft pick into the mix to give the Heat something for picking up the remaining three years on Randloph's contract.

Miami can use a consistent low post scorer with the departure of Shaq and the impending retirement of Mourning. Chalmers is the PG of the future for the Heat and it's way too early to know what Wade will decide to do when his contract expires after next season, but having Randolph's contract when that happens will be good leverage if Wade decides to bolt for Chitown.

Both teams have made it clear that they are entertaining offers for the two principles in this trade scenario, they just need to call each other.

Of course the Heat could just sit on Marion's contract until next summer and hope to land a big name free agent like LeBron James or Kobe at that time, but having a disgruntled Marion on the roster for an entire season would not bode well especially because Marion wants more touches (which he'll get in New York) and Wade is certainly going to miss an extended part of the season with his yearly injury. Plus it's hard to see Kobe leaving L.A. now and I think it's a forgone conclusion that LeBron has his eyes on Brooklyn's new arena.

If the Heat endure another bottom feeder season that only increases the liklihood of Wade leaving.

Now that Artest, Brand, Maggette and B Diddy are off the radar, teams like the Heat and Knicks have to roll the dice and get creative in finding ways to tweak their teams and make themselves contenders.

The Celtics and Pistons are still the teams to beat in the East and currently, neither the Knicks' nor the Heat's players and coaches compliment each other's styles.

Something has to give.