Pacers and Jermaine O’Neal About to Part Ways?

by Marcel Mutoni

The last few years in J.O’s career with the Pacers have certainly not been memorable. He’s been injured, inconsistent, and the team hasn’t accomplished much of anything. To boot, he’s getting paid a boatload of money.

It might be time to sever the relationship, and Larry Bird sounds about ready to do just that.

“I’m sure he (O’Neal) will look at all his options, and we’ll look at ours,” Bird said. “Throughout the summer, we’ll probably be talking to some teams and seeing what kind of interest they have in him.

He hasn’t told us if he wants to stay here or if he wants to go somewhere else, but there comes a time in any player’s basketball career that you want to try to do what’s best for yourself and for your team.”

“Don’t let the door hit you on your way out, Jermaine,” Bird did not necessarily add.

The Pacers are obviously desperate to get rid of O’Neal and finally start moving the franchise in a new direction. Finding someone willing to take him off their hands will make Bird and his staff’s summer a long and challenging one.