Coming off a tough Eastern Conference Finals loss versus the Magic, the general consensus was that the Cavaliers needed to get something done in the off-season to improve and possibly convince LeBron James to stay in Cleveland beyond 2009-10. Shortly before the 2009 NBA Draft, General Manager Danny Ferry announced that the Cavaliers and Suns had agreed on a trade that would bring Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland in exchange for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a 2010 second round pick and some cash.

While the Phoenix Suns are hoping to cut their payroll and start rebuilding, the Cavaliers are hoping to finally win that NBA championship which they have been chasing for so long. By adding Shaq they obtain another All-Star and future Hall of Famer, although it should be mentioned that O'Neal is already 37 years of age and approaching the end of his career. In his 17 years in the league Shaquille O'Neal had 15 All-Star game appearances, won 4 championship rings, was named MVP in 1999-2000 and won an Olympic gold medal in 1996. Since his rookie season in 1992 he has been averaging 24.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. Even though he is not as dominant anymore as he used to be, he still managed to perform significantly better in 2008-09 than in recent years with a season average of 17.8 points and 8.4 boards per contest.

Nonetheless, it still remains to be seen to what extent Shaq will be able to help the Cavaliers to improve. It appears to be a safe bet that he will provide a much needed low-post presence on both ends of the floor but also comes with a few downsides. On one hand, he is a far worse pick-and-roll defender than Ben Wallace which might cause occasional defensive breakdowns when he is on the floor. On the other hand, he will change the way Cleveland's offense operates as he needs the ball in his hands and clogs up the lane. Especially in combination with Anderson Varejão Shaq might take up too much space close to the hoop which could force LeBron James to attempt more jumpshots than he wants to.

In contrast, Phoenix will receive the expiring contract of veteran Center Ben Wallace and forward Sasha Pavlovic. Pavlovic was able to put up 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in just under 16 minutes per game in 2008-09 while 'Big Ben' averaged 3.3 points and 6.6 boards in 24.2 minutes per contest. Given the Suns' economic struggles they will most likely keep Wallace to keep their payroll down but might decide to trade Pavlovic if an opportunity for the right deal presents itself.

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