Jermaine O'Neal to Cleveland? No, Say Pacers

A rumor that has Jermaine O'Neal headed to Cleveland (with the #11 pick) for expiring-in-2009 contracts has picked up plenty of heat over the past week, as happens with most J.O. rumors these days. But Pacers general manager David Morway squashed the idea in a conversation with RealGM's Andrew Perna Friday, saying the teams haven't discussed the center.

"It's tough to answer questions on trades, but in this particular case, I will say that the rumor is completely false," Morway added.

Morway's going to have to squash a lot of J.O. rumors this summer, it seems. Last year, the Lakers rumor strung from May to October and beyond, and almost became one of those inevitabilities, like Ron Artest-for-Peja Stojakovic circa 2005.

Indiana's decision (or inability, who knows) to begin the rebuilding process over the past 12 months has been a bit astonishing. The team has one solid youngster (Danny Granger) and two interesting roleplayer prospects (Shawne Williams and Ike Diogu). The team's best player (Mike Dunleavy Jr.) turns 28 this fall and might have just completed a huge fluke year. The highest paid player (J.O.) played only 1,200 minutes this season and has hit the 30-year-old wall of (potential) doom. The #11 pick could add a great piece ... but the Pacers need many great pieces to begin the healing process. Hopefully, they started working on that sometime soon, lest Indiana fans be trapped in the too-good-to-draft-a-franchise-player, too-bad-to-contend purgatory.