If the Western Conference wasn’t interesting enough, the Big Diesel is coming back. The Suns have acquired Shaquille O’Neal from the Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

Great move Phoenix! Hurry up and get back on those phones - you still have time before the trade deadline. Maybe you can trade Steve Nash for Brian Scalabrine. Or maybe you can cut Amare Stoudemire to clear a roster spot for Sam Bowie.

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Phoenix is improved by this trade. Let’s face it - Shaq is no longer Shaq, and even though Shawn Marion had asked for a trade, at least he had two functioning hips.

• NBA.com: The Diesel Heads West
• NBA.com : Shaquille O’Neal Info Page
• NBA.com : Shawn Marion Info Page
• NBA.com : Marcus Banks Info Page

A final decision hasn’t been reached yet, but Lions cornerback Fernando Bryant will likely retire, ending his nine-year career. Bryant, who ended his previous three seasons on the injured reserve list, refused to go on IR this year although he was certainly a candidate.

Bryant, who is just 170 pounds, has been one of the toughest players on the Lions roster recently. He suffered a severe ankle injury against the Cardinals, but was back in the lineup the following week. Bryant was so banged up that he couldn’t play an entire game the rest of the season and had to be rotated in and out of the lineup often.

Poor Fernando. Three seasons pouring your heart and soul and effort into one of the worst teams in NFL history. It’s a wonder the whole team doesn’t retire and eat antidepressants for breakfast.

• Lions’ Bryant is contemplating retirement - Detroit Lions Insider - MLive.com

“Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died early Tuesday, a day after he was shot at home by what police say was an intruder. He was 24.

Family friend Richard Sharpstein said Taylor’s father told him the news around 5:30 a.m.

Sean Taylor was tied for the NFC lead for interceptions with five and was known as one of the league’s hardest-hitting defensive backs.

“His father called and said he was with Christ and he cried and thanked me,” said Sharpstein, Taylor’s former lawyer. “It’s a tremendously sad and unnecessary event. He was a wonderful, humble, talented young man, and had a huge life in front of him. Obviously God had other plans.”

• ESPN - Redskins’ Taylor dies from injury in shooting - NFL

“Washington Redskins star safety Sean Taylor was in critical condition Monday after emergency surgery for a gunshot wound to the leg during what police are investigating as a possible armed robbery at his home.

Taylor, 24, was in surgery for several hours and was being treated in the intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital, said his former lawyer and family friend Richard Sharpstein. Taylor lost a “significant” amount of blood because the bullet damaged his femoral artery, Sharpstein said.

Doctors are “worried about the loss of blood, as to how it might affect the flow of blood to the brain,” said Sharpstein, who was at the hospital with Taylor’s family and friends.

Officers were sent to Taylor’s home at about 1:45 a.m. ET after his girlfriend called 911 and said he was shot in his lower body, Lt. Nancy Perez said…”

• Redskins’ Sean Taylor shot, in critical condition - USATODAY.com

Ron Mexico might be even more evil than we thought. It all started with giving girls VD. Then the whole weed-in-the-soda-bottle incident. Then it was the federal indictment on dog-fighting charges. Now, it appears Mike is in cahoots with none other than Osama bin Laden.

An inmate in South Carolina is suing Vick for “$63,000,000,000 billion” (what is that - 63 billion-billion? 63 gajillion?) claiming Vick stole his dogs, sold them on eBay (this despite a strict no-live-animal-sales rule by eBay), then used the money to buy missiles form Iran, which would presumably be used to help Osama bin Laden, since Vick pledged allegiance to al Qaeda in February.

It’s Iran-Contra all over again. Except, you know, with puppies instead of HAWK missiles.

• South Carolina Inmate Hits Michael Vick With ‘$63,000,000,000 Billion Dollar’ Lawsuit Alleging Al Qaeda Ties (FOX News)

Former Lions and current Falcons QB Joey Harrington is letting it all out about his former team. Days after claiming he was “handcuffed” by the Lions West Coast offense, leaving him scared to throw the ball downfield, Harrington claims he received death threats left on his voice mail and that Ford Field fans tried to start fights with his mother.

To hear that fans would actually consider physical violence against the young quarterbacks mother is deplorable, to say the least. Fans should have been going after Lions president Matt Millen’s mother.

• Joey Harrington says he was handcuffed by Lions (Detroit Free Press)
• Joey Harrington: Detroit fans tried to start fights with mom (Detroit Free Press)

Police now believe that the same robbers who struck Antoine Walker are also responsible for last week’s hit on Eddy Curry.

Someone with an inside knowledge of the NBA player lifestyle and who has nothing to lose by going after large NBA players in their own homes. Maybe it’s someone who is a little down on their luck; someone who has next to nothing going for them, who needs to prey on wealthy NBA stars to get by.

Has anyone seen Darko around lately?

• RealGM: Wiretap Archives: Same Crew Robbed Curry And Walker

Celtics GM Danny Ainge has admitted that he has contacted retired Pacers guard Reggie Miller to get him back on the floor as a Celtics reserve.

Somebody stop Danny Ainge. First he pulls off what seems to be a pretty good trade in getting Ray Allen. Then he makes the trade of the century (for Celtics fans, anyway) and brings in the NBA equivalent of the Messiah in Kevin Garnett. And now he wants to add one of the better shooters in NBA history…to come in off the bench, no less.

The way Ainge’s offseason is going, pretty soon he’s going to start raising the dead. Don’t be surprised if you hear reports of a zombie Pete Maravich headed for Beantown.

• Miller mulls joining Celtics: Ainge targets retired guard - Boston Celtics - BostonHerald.com

Miami Heat forward Antoine Walker was tied up and robbed at gunpoint at his home Monday. Fortunately no one was hurt, just shaken up, but the thieves walked out with a vehicle, jewelry, and cash.

It was the second time he had been robbed - the first occurring in 2000. In this age of posses and entourages, one has to wonder how an NBA player gets robbed in his own home. This would never happen to Allen Iverson.

Walker tried to stop the thief, but his punch was off the mark and the rebound was scooped up by Ben Wallace.

• Chicago home of Heat’s Antoine Walker robbed at gunpoint - 07/10/2007 - MiamiHerald.com

Police are looking to question Pacman Jones in another strip club-related shooting in Atlanta. He’s already on probation for his role in a strip club-related shooting in Las Vegas.

Plenty of guys like strip clubs. Plenty of guys like guns. Pacman Jones likes to bring guns to strip clubs and shoot them there. And then he gets people to start fights with other people who like to do the same.

How Vanessa Minnillo gets a TV show and not a gun-toting thug who picks fights with other gun-toting thugs in strip clubs is beyond us.

• Police seek Pacman Jones’ help (Orlando Sentinel)
• Vanessa Minnillo to get a reality show? (The Superficial)