Shaquille O’Neal Recalls How a $3.35 Million ‘Mistake’ Helped Him Win 4th Championship With Dwyane Wade

Landing Shaquille O’Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 offseason proved to be a masterstroke for the Miami Heat, as the former MVP played a critical role in helping the franchise win their maiden and his 4th NBA title in 2006. The three-time Finals MVP was exceptional alongside Dwyane Wade, and the duo guided the Heat to a surprise championship win. But, it wouldn’t have been possible if a rookie ‘mistake’ was not made by an agent.

The Heat got O’Neal on a discount. They gave up Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant, and a future first-round pick to land the veteran center. The Lakers were insistent on Odom, who played a critical role in helping the Lakers win back-to-back NBA titles in 2009 and 2010. However, his arrival in Miami was due to an agent’s mistake.

In 2003, Heat point guard Anthony Carter was entering the final year of his deal with the franchise and had a $4.1 million player option. He had averaged only 4.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.5 rebounds the previous year and wasn’t going to receive any substantial offers. The NBA has a June 30 deadline for players who want to opt-in to the final year of their contracts. However, Carter’s agent missed the deadline, and his client became a free agent.

The gaffe gave the Heat breathing room on their cap space and they offered a six-year, $65 million deal to Odom, who was a restricted free agent. The Heats then traded Odom to the Lakers for Shaquille O’Neal, who helped Miami win their first championship.

After Anthony Carter lost out on a massive payday due to an unforgivable error from his agent, he was forced to sign a $750,000 deal with the San Antonio Spurs. He played for eight more years in the NBA after his exit from the Heat and earned only $7.2 million. The agent whose error led to Carter losing out on $3.35 million in 2004 paid out the amount to the former Heat player in 18 installments from 2003 to 2020.

Carter’s agent forgetting to call the Heat and informing them that their player wanted to opt into the final year of his deal altered the course of NBA history. O’Neal shared the video of the timeline of these events on his Instagram page to remind his followers how a minute error proceeded to help add another title to his resume.

Anthony Carter and Lamar Odom’s career paths after the 2003 mishap

Carter retired from the NBA in 2012 and took up coaching. He was on the Sacramento Kings’ coaching staff during the 2015-16 season before returning to the Heat in 2018 in a player development role. He spent five years with the franchise before joining the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant coach.

Lamar Odom spent one year with the Heat before being shipped off to LA as the main asset in the O’Neal trade. The big man spent seven seasons as a Lakers and became a fan favourite. He helped the franchise win two NBA titles and is remembered fondly by the team’s fans. In the end, Carter’s agent’s mistake worked out well for Odom and O’Neal, while he lost $3.35 million and presumably some potential clients.

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• Lamar Odom
• Shaquille O'Neal