Ahh, what is better than an NBA offseason trade?
To be honest, not much.
I turned on ESPN this morning to see that the Phoenix Suns have traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers in return for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, the 46th draft pick in tonight's NBA draft, and $500,000.
My first reaction was kind of a mixed feeling. Shaq was really headed to Cleveland to play alongside Mr. LeBron James and company, but was this the right deal for the Cavaliers?
That question my friends, will be answered during the season to come.
But for now, let's breakdown the facts and see where that takes us.
O'Neal is owed $20 million during the 2009-10 season and comes off the books right in time for the big 2010 NBA offseason free-agent signing.
At the age of 37, O'Neal enjoyed a breakout 2008-09 year, posting just under 18 PPG, along with 8.4 RPG, and 1.4 BPG.
Shaq proved that, regardless of his age, he could still play basketball and produce at a high level.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, ...
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NBA Debates: Shaq to the Cavs..
sports2debate.com 6/25/2009 — NBA Debates: Shaq to the Cavs.. Will Shaq help the Cavs? How will Lebron deal with another superstar on the team? Did the Cavs give up to much for Shaq? Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, the 46 pick, and $500,000. Will Shaq be there more than one year? How far do you think the Cavs will get in the pla
Breaking News: Shaq dealt to Cavs
downswinging.com 6/25/2009 — Shaquille O’Neal has reportedly been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a 2nd round pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft, and cash considerations. Shaq is in the last year of his contract, so this will be a “go for it all” type season for the ...
Cleveland P.D. Is Getting A New Officer
gofor2.net 6/25/2009 — The Phoenix Suns have agreed in principle today to a trade which sends Shaquille O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The two teams have flirted with the move for months now, so today’s move really shouldn’t surprise anyone, although it will likely have some ramifications. The ...
Can Cleveland Host Two Kings? —
Bleacher Report - NBA 6/25/2009
The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled the trigger yesterday on a trade that vaults them right back atop the Eastern Conference. The Cavs bring in Shaquille O'Neal from Phoenix and ship out the corpse of Ben Wallace and a man named Sasha, as well as the 46th ...
Cavaliers acquire C O'Neal from Suns (AP) —
Yahoo! Sports - NBA News 6/25/2009
LeBron and Shaq: Two of the NBA's biggest stars are now teammates. The Cleveland Cavaliers completed a blockbuster trade Thursday, bringing superstar center Shaquille O'Neal from the Phoenix Suns to play with current MVP LeBron James, two people with ...