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Updated: June 25, 2009, 12:38 AM ET
[h2]Deal awaiting final owner approval[/h2]
Comment Email Print By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine
Archive
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns are nearing agreement on a blockbuster trade that would send Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to team with LeBron James, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions.
The deal is more than "90 percent" complete, according to the sources, and is merely awaiting final approval from the team's owners.
Cleveland will send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix for the future Hall of Famer.
The trade gives the Cavs a player they've coveted since February. With center Zydrunas Ilgauskas starting to break down, adding Shaq to the roster gives them a dominantforce in the middle. The Cavs were obviously unhappy with their ability to defend DwightHoward in the playoffs and bringing Shaq into the fold should help.
For the Suns, the move is a straight salary dump. Pavlovic's $5 million dollar contract next season is only partially guaranteed for the amount of $1.5million. Factor in the disparities in the contracts between Wallace, Pavlovic and Shaq and the team will save $4.5 milliion next season. However, when youfactor in the savings they'll reap on the luxury tax, it will be closer to $10 million in savings. That savings can be amplified if Wallace decides toretire and the Suns buy him out of his contract for less than the $14 million he's owed next season.
The trade is a pretty strong admission by the Suns that they screwed up when they traded Shawn Marion for Shaq in February of 2007. Marion was a free agent this summer and, had theylet him walk, their savings would've been $21 million not the $5.5 million they're saving in this deal.
When the Suns made the trade they had the best record in the Western Conference. This year they finished in the lottery. With Shaq gone, the question is ...are the Suns finally rebuilding?
Sources say that the team would still like to compete. They still have veterans SteveNash, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson and Leandro Barbosa. They also have the 14th pick in the draft this year and second year playerRobin Lopez.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. NBA reporter Chad Ford contributed to this report.
http://www.cleveland.com/...eveland_cavaliers_d.html
[h2]Deal awaiting final owner approval[/h2]
Comment Email Print By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magazine
Archive
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns are nearing agreement on a blockbuster trade that would send Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to team with LeBron James, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions.
The deal is more than "90 percent" complete, according to the sources, and is merely awaiting final approval from the team's owners.
Cleveland will send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix for the future Hall of Famer.
The trade gives the Cavs a player they've coveted since February. With center Zydrunas Ilgauskas starting to break down, adding Shaq to the roster gives them a dominantforce in the middle. The Cavs were obviously unhappy with their ability to defend DwightHoward in the playoffs and bringing Shaq into the fold should help.
For the Suns, the move is a straight salary dump. Pavlovic's $5 million dollar contract next season is only partially guaranteed for the amount of $1.5million. Factor in the disparities in the contracts between Wallace, Pavlovic and Shaq and the team will save $4.5 milliion next season. However, when youfactor in the savings they'll reap on the luxury tax, it will be closer to $10 million in savings. That savings can be amplified if Wallace decides toretire and the Suns buy him out of his contract for less than the $14 million he's owed next season.
The trade is a pretty strong admission by the Suns that they screwed up when they traded Shawn Marion for Shaq in February of 2007. Marion was a free agent this summer and, had theylet him walk, their savings would've been $21 million not the $5.5 million they're saving in this deal.
When the Suns made the trade they had the best record in the Western Conference. This year they finished in the lottery. With Shaq gone, the question is ...are the Suns finally rebuilding?
Sources say that the team would still like to compete. They still have veterans SteveNash, Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson and Leandro Barbosa. They also have the 14th pick in the draft this year and second year playerRobin Lopez.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. NBA reporter Chad Ford contributed to this report.
http://www.cleveland.com/...eveland_cavaliers_d.html
