Cavaliers, Suns agree to deal that sends Shaq to Cleveland

Shaquille O'Neal is going to be a Cavalier. According to a number of team executives, the Cavs have agreed in principle to a trade with the Phoenix Suns to bring the four-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer to Cleveland.

[Great]

This is great for the Cavs look forward to 2010!

[Tom]

Maybe.

[awesome]

What a great team.

[Bewitched]

Shaq is 37????
Sasha and Ben, a 2nd round pick and $ for a 37 year old player?
Gotta say, I was hoping for a younger dynamo.
On the other hand, it's a weak draft this year. So good luck to the Suns.
Curious what LeBron thinks about this, anybody hear?

[micheal]

he is not good for the caves

[george]

The Cavs need help on the front line. Shaq certainly is better than any current big man. Not sure if he can survive the long demanding season, but this is a risk worth taking. They certainly didn't have to give up much. Sounds like a good deal. too bad they didn't pull this off last year.
At least they are trying to find that missing piece to go all the way. Hope for another great season.

[claw71]

Sasah and Ben were dead weight and a second round pick is worthless in a good draft let alone this year's. So it's a good trade. Shaq might not get them over the hump but he'll bring more to the mix than Wallce did. The best part is that his contract is up next year, provided the Cavs don't extend it.

[Bewitched]

Ben was contimplating retirement, so the Suns could end up with more spending $.
Yeah, I got to hand it to Dan Gilbert for putting forth the extra efforts. Like you said george, too bad it didn't happen back in February.
On the plus side, Shaq is more physically fit than he has been for awhile. Could it be that LeBron can keep him motivated or rejuvenated?
This is going to be a very interesting summer if any more moves come about..........

[Balls Deep]

AWESOME!! JUST AWESOME. Wasn't able to make it to any, last season, so I'll definately be attending a few Cavs games in Cleveland this year to be certain. If Shaq can give the Cavs 20 quality minutes a game during the regular season then 25-30 minutes during the playoffs the Cavs are a (knocking on wood) lock to get Cleveland over hump. Go CAVS!!!

[Benny]

Shaq needed Dawyane, Kobe, and now maybe Lachoke!!!!!!!! Bad move Chokevalers. And maybe he'll go to played with CP3. Shaq, I use to like you but less now. He is a bum. Overrated Fatty who likes to flops.

LAKERS 09!!!!!!!!!!

[Bewitched]

Balls Deep wrote:

AWESOME!! JUST AWESOME. Wasn't able to make it to any, last season, so I'll definately be attending a few Cavs games in Cleveland this year to be certain. If Shaq can give the Cavs 20 quality minutes a game during the regular season then 25-30 minutes during the playoffs the Cavs are a (knocking on wood) lock to get Cleveland over hump. Go CAVS!!!

Get your tickets early then, cuz the Q sells out alot.
I'm hoping he stays healthy, since that's been a problem for him.
340 pounds..........that's just wrong in all kinds of ways.

[Laughing]

It will be fun to watch the battle of the egos between "king" James and Shaquille. I don't see a championship coming out of this though. Maybe if they would've been paired up 2 or 3 years ago, maybe.

[Brew In]

And who said the Kobe-Shaq rivalry is over?

You Kobe was secretly digging catching up to Shaq by them now having 4 titles each.

But I'll bet the same day Shaq was twittering Kobe and congratulating him on the victory, he was already thinking "How do I get a 5th ring to Kobe's 4"?

Now I'm not saying he wasn't sincere in wanting Kobe and the Laker's to win, but I think it probably had more to do with the Lakers squashing the attempt of a new "Superman" marketing onslaught of Dewight Howard were to win the title.

Shaq wants to hang onto that Moniker for a few more years anyway...

[Tadricks]

No brainer good trade for the Cavs.

[Tadricks]

In other words, those who think it wasn't a good trade for the Cavs have no brain.

[Brew In]

Heard Shaq on the radio after the trade, He said "First to Five"! Okay anybody, tell me what that off the wall comment means? I know he can't be talking about all time championship rings because there are many Boston Celtics and Robert Horry for that matter that have more than him.

I know the answer. It goes back to the whole (supposedly swept under the rug) rivalry with Kobe Bryant. "First to Five" is his next challenge to Kobe!!!

Bryant will sluff it off publicly of course, but I bet you can hear a ticked off, raised voice coming out of the Bryant residence!

[Bewitched]

Brew In wrote:

Heard Shaq on the radio after the trade, He said "First to Five"! Okay anybody, tell me what that off the wall comment means? I know he can't be talking about all time championship rings because there are many Boston Celtics and Robert Horry for that matter that have more than him.
I know the answer. It goes back to the whole (supposedly swept under the rug) rivalry with Kobe Bryant. "First to Five" is his next challenge to Kobe!!!
Bryant will sluff it off publicly of course, but I bet you can hear a ticked off, raised voice coming out of the Bryant residence!

Yep, I was just going to pipe in with a 'ring race' but I'm glad to hear that he feels energetic about the upcoming situation! Hope he drops the weight a little. How would you like to be those size 22 or 24 (?) feet taken that pounding? Big Z had alot of problems with his feet. Ouch!

[Monty in Cleveland]

Watching the Cavs get gets "dismantled" by Orlando was painful (yet predictable being a Cleveland sports fan).

I hope that the Cavs can find "lightning in a bottle" with Shaq next season. Danny Ferry has proven that he can build a winning club and that he knows how "wheel and deal" in the NBA.

If the 2009-2010 season does not prove fruitful for the Cavs... well then... we can kiss LeBron (and hopes of an NBA title) goodbye.

[Bewitched]

Monty in Cleveland wrote:

Watching the Cavs get gets "dismantled" by Orlando was painful (yet predictable being a Cleveland sports fan).
I hope that the Cavs can find "lightning in a bottle" with Shaq next season. Danny Ferry has proven that he can build a winning club and that he knows how "wheel and deal" in the NBA.
If the 2009-2010 season does not prove fruitful for the Cavs... well then... we can kiss LeBron (and hopes of an NBA title) goodbye.

Monty - Just curious why so sure about LB leaving after this upcoming season. Money will change as Shaq is signed only for 1 year. And players will change as others become free agents. He can still do and get paid for his endorsements from where he's at, which is where his family is, here in Akron. LB wants multiple ships, so why would he go somewhere that is building from square 1?

[TMD]

Bewitched wrote:

<quoted text>
Monty - Just curious why so sure about LB leaving after this upcoming season. Money will change as Shaq is signed only for 1 year. And players will change as others become free agents. He can still do and get paid for his endorsements from where he's at, which is where his family is, here in Akron. LB wants multiple ships, so why would he go somewhere that is building from square 1?

Hey Sam!

I would like to think that Shaq is going to add the needed ingrdients to push Cleveland over the top, but I just don't see it.

Every year Shaq gets a little slower, a little less resilient, and a lot more injury prone. Yes, he can relieve some of the double and triple teams that LBJ has to fight thru, but how much value does he add to the team when he's on the floor and LBJ is not?

Shaq doesn't run or keep up with fast breaks, and he's a detriment at crunch time because of his atrocious free throw shooting.

There's, also, the other factor of desire. He's already won 4 NBA championships, with, and without Kobe. All the rest of this is just fun-and-games. He would have been a great addition to the Cavs the year he went to the Heat. He still wanted to prove to Kobe, and the NBA, that HE was the reason LA won those championships, not Kobe. Now, he just bounces from one team to the next out of boredom.

Don't get me wrong. I would LOVE to see LBJ get a championship. He deserves it. Heck, I would love to see CLEVELAND get a championship of SOME kind. It's been a long, dry spell. However, I just don't think Shaq is the answer.