Shaq Traded To Cavs, Will Play With LeBron James

Kazaam! The Cavs contend again

On the day of the 2009 NBA Draft, big news has come down of a blockbuster trade. The contract details are still being worked out – including whether unlimited fast cash and personal loans are among the clauses – but what is clear is that Shaq was traded to Cavs. Now the Cleveland Cavaliers, who haven’t had a true center in their franchise’s history (Brad Daugherty is the closest), will have a big man in the middle to clean the boards for LeBron James.

Bob Bensch reports for ESPN that the Phoenix Suns have indeed agreed to trade Shaquille O’Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals this past season before losing to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. A 15-time All-Star,  the 7-foot-1 Shaq should prove to be a dominating presence on the interior, even though at 37 years of age he has lost more than half a step. Considering what LeBron was able to do with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and others filling that spot on the floor, another Most Valuable Player award should be on its way next season.

Coincidentally, this trade brings together two of the National Basketball Association’s top-earning athletes. James earned a cool $40.1 million, while O’Neal dunked home $35 million. Last season, Shaq averaged. 17.8 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game.

But will they win the title?

That remains to be seen, but this trade certainly doesn’t hurt. In order to dominate in the NBA, teams must be able to excel in both the half court offense and the running game. Since LeBron is one of the most versatile players in the league, they can do both. Now with Shaq in the middle, their half court offense should be even more powerful. As it stood, the Cavaliers had the NBA’s best record in 2008-09, but that wasn’t enough to get them past Howard’s 25.8 points per game, 13 rebounds per game and active interior defense.

“If Shaq can play regularly, he is exactly what the Cavs need,” tweeted Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Here’s what Phoenix will get in return: still bruising yet diminished power forward Ben Wallace, sharpshooting swingman with no clue how to spell defense Aleksandar Pavlovic, a second-round draft pick in tonight’s NBA Draft and $500,000. Cleveland will reap the benefits of O’Neal’s presence both on and off the court.

Shaq, the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history, has averaged 24.7 points and 11.2 rebounds over his 17-year career. He won three NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. In 2000, he was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. He should prove to be a better fit with the Cavs than with Phoenix, which is traditionally a running team.

Will LeBron stay?

There were numerous rumors circling that LeBron felt it was time to move on to a team that could bring him a championship and a city that could bring him the exposure a superstar of his wattage deserves. Why in the name of the holy Swiss cheese he would think of the New York Knicks as that team is beyond me. But now, the game has changed thanks to the Rappin’ Genie, the Big Aristotle… Shaq.

For Phoenix, the trade is partly a cost-cutting move. They will save as much as $10 million next season, ESPN reports. While the Cavs will be taking on more contract dollars, their chances of going all the way increase greatly with Shaquille O’Neal in the middle.

This isn’t the first trade of late for Shaq. He was traded to Phoenix from Miami in February of 2008, and Phoenix went on to the postseason. In 2008-09,  and the Suns reached the postseason, losing in the first round to San Antonio in five games. Last season, the Suns won 46 and lost 36 en route to just missing the NBA Playoffs by two games.

Now they’ll have more financial flexibility – which is exactly what fast cash and personal loans can do for you.

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