Although the Lakers had won the championship, a lot of drama had unfolded behind the scenes between Rice, head coach Phil Jackson and GM Jerry West since the time between getting swept by the Spurs and the eventual championship. There was a report that Rice was upset when the Lakers exercised a $7-million option for 1999–2000 instead of letting him become a free agent. Shaquille O'Neal, Rice's close friend, believed that Rice was the pure shooter he needed to keep teams from double- and triple-teaming him in the playoffs, and felt partly responsible for bringing Rice to the Lakers (and trading Eddie Jones to do it). In the end, Rice was not able to win the hearts of Los Angeles fans after being traded for fan-favorite Eddie Jones, with many citing suspect defense and Rice's inability to perform in the triangle offense. As a result, the disgruntled Rice was eventually traded to the New York Knicks.