TORONTO — The Raptors have agreed in principle to acquire forward Jermaine O’Neal from the Pacers for point guard T.J. Ford, center Rasho Nesterovic, the 17th pick in the draft and a player to be named, The Canadian Press reported.
While The Canadian Press reported the deal Wednesday, citing an unidentified person close to the negotiations, Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said he was in the midst of “four or five” conversations with teams involving Ford and a combination of Toronto’s No. 17 pick and/or other Raptors players.
A deal can’t be finalized until July 1, when Ford’s base-year compensation tag comes off the books.
O’Neal is a six-time all-star. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in 42 games last season.
Shaq loses another badge
BEDFORD, Va. — Shaquille O’Neal’s raunchy rap in which he mocked former teammate Kobe Bryant is costing him another of his lawman badges.
Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said he has asked the Suns center to return a badge he was given for his work with the southwest Virginia county’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Brown said O’Neal’s likeness also will no longer be used to promote Operation Blue Ridge Thunder, a unit of the department O’Neal worked with in investigating Internet predators. O’Neal served as a reserve deputy for the sheriff’s department from 2004 through the end of 2007.
The decision comes one day after a sheriff in Arizona asked O’Neal to return a special deputy’s badge because of language he used in the rap.
The Associated Press
