Shaq’s Agent Denies Existence Of Deal To Seal O’Neal

The agent for Orlando Magic center Shaquille O’Neal on Friday night adamantly denied a report that O’Neal already has agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

O’Neal is waiting only for the NBA to lift a moratorium on Tuesday prohibiting teams from negotiating with and signing free agents, according to New York’s Daily News (see story below).

“That’s an absolute baldfaced lie,” said Leonard Armato, O’Neal’s Los Angeles-based agent, when asked about the story. “That’s 100 percent inaccurate with no basis for any fact. It’s no secret the Lakers are interested in Shaq, but we haven’t even talked to them.”

If the report is accurate, the Lakers could be guilty of tampering, which could result in a fine of up to $5 million. Russ Granik, NBA deputy commissioner, said the league could prohibit a team from signing a player if it is found guilty of tampering.

Lakers executive Jerry West was unavailable for comment.

“That’s just a made-up story,” Armato said. “Shaq has said all along that Orlando is his first option, but come Tuesday, we’ll see what else is out there. That’s when we’ll listen to other teams.”