Brian Grant dishes on role in franchise changing Shaquille O’Neal Heat, Lakers trade

Pat Riley and the Miami Heat are currently at a crossroads point as it pertains to the future direction of their franchise after their first round playoffs loss to the Boston Celtics, albeit without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier in the lineup. Still, the pressure is on for Riley to make a win-now move this offseason, with many fans clamoring for “The Godfather” to swing a trade for another talented guard like Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young to help provide Butler with some help when he is healthy and back in the Heat lineup.

In frustrating times like these, many fans might not be able to help but think back to the glory days (no, not the LeBron James ones, the other ones) when Dwyane Wade was the mayor of “Wade County” and the team won the 2006 NBA championship vs the Dallas Mavericks.

Of course, a large part of that championship run was the slightly past his prime Shaquille O’Neal, who had arrived in Miami due to a trade with his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he had one three championships.

Now, more light is being shed on just how exactly that trade went down, with former Heat player Brian Grant stating that he played a huge role in the proceedings.

“I was in my, I was in Ohio visiting my parents,” said Grant, per Legends Lounge with Trill Withers. “Should I take the kids and we go out there and stay for two weeks, get a bunch of fireworks, usually on the fourth. But, I remember watching TV and Shaq saying, there’s only two places I’d go to Miami or Dallas, and I was like, oh, we got to pack the bags when we’re home because it wasn’t going to work, it was only going to work if they absorbed Eddie’s (Eddie Jones) contract or my contract.”

A huge trade