From mlive:

Tracy McGrady may not have been the only big-name veteran the Detroit Pistons pursued this summer.

Shaquille O’Neal said during a recent interview with the New Orleans Times Picayune that he had an opportunity to sign with the Pistons before settling for a contract for the veteran’s minimum with the Boston Celtics.

“I could have gotten $8 million from Atlanta and Detroit, but it wasn’t about that,” O’Neal told the newspaper. “It was about being somewhere and being seen and winning.”

O’Neal said the two-year contract he signed with the Celtics — worth about $3 million — will be his last.

He was not clear about whether the $8 million figure he cited was for a single season or multiple seasons, but the Pistons did not have $8 million available to sign a player for one year this offseason.

“A lot of people said I only got the league minimum salary, but that’s all right,” O’Neal said. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

O’Neal averaged 12.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 53 games with Cleveland last season. He has averaged 24.1 points and 11.0 rebounds for five teams during his 18-year NBA career.

Pretty good deal, if you ask me (you are asking me, right?).

There’s been a lot of negative chatter on the efficiency of this move, but from one Dumars critic to another, I’m just not buying much of it. Offer McGrady anything above the veteran’s minimum, and my tone might be a bit different. The truth is, the Pistons are gambling pocket change for a guy who just might stay healthy/keep a positive attitude this time. If he turns into a drama queen in December, dump him. If he’s having back spasms by January, then he’ll probably retire. But the Pistons lost next to nothing in the process.

I’m thinking of it as a low-risk, low-to-mid-reward scenario, if that makes sense. If Rip doesn’t get traded, then he’ll make an efficient backup at the two or three. Keep him healthy, and he’ll probably upstage Tayshaun on a regular basis. But the “but” lies therein – McGrady comes with the dubious health. Curse those knees/legs/back!

Enter Arnie Kander . . . result: optimistically unknown.

So far now, I have faith in T-Mac. He comes with a fraction of the baggage that Iverson came with, and we’re not swapping anybody important, or potentially important for him. In fact, we’re not swiping anybody at all. If there’s any has-been superstar that has the lowest amount of team-related risk attached to him, I’d say it’s Tracy McGrady.

Now let’s get a damn big man already.