After Shawn Marion decided to walk away from the Dallas Mavericks, who opted to sign Chandler Parsons this offseason, it’s likely he didn’t expect to receive such heavy interest in the free agent market.
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It’s not that a multitude of teams are attempting to woo the veteran forward but rather two teams who are seemingly pulling out the stops in effort to chase The Matrix.
Both the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers have talked to Shawn Marion about playing for their respective franchises and Pacers team president Larry Bird even had a face-to-face meeting with Marion. Will it be enough to sign him, though? That seems to be a question mark as it’s alleged that he prefers signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Indiana Pacers according to Sam Amico.
"I’m leaning Cavs. He’ll get more money elsewhere, but the idea of playing with LeBron and Kyrie (and Kevin Love) tough for anyone to turn away."
If the Indiana Pacers had Paul George this season, they’d likely be competing for the Eastern Conference crown and that would be intriguing to Shawn Marion, who wants to play for a title contender. However, without George they may be struggling to achieve a playoff birth and aren’t likely to compete for a ring.
Yes, they can provide Marion with more money (potentially) and playing time in comparison to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who can only offer a bench role and a minimum NBA contract. But what the Cavaliers present is a chance to win another NBA title and that seems to be the most important factor for the forward.