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I know he's 37, but I'm baffled that his value is so low after averaging 17.8 points, making the all-star team and being named third-team All-NBA last season. I know that Phoenix is looking to dump salary, but they couldn't get one serviceable player out of the deal? Then again, it might make sense.
That the Suns simply shed salary is a firm admission that Kerr's trade for O'Neal in February 2008 was a huge blunder. Phoenix regressed in every season it had O'Neal, going from a controversial second round loss to San Antonio the season before O'Neal arrived to a first round exit in his first season with the team, to not even making the playoffs last season. The absence of Amare Stoudemire after the all-star break contributed to the Suns' struggles, but they were in trouble even with him.
You also have to be worried when you see how the Miami Heat regressed in its last two years with O'Neal. After winning the championship in 2006, the Heat lost in the first round and then traded O'Neal in the midst of a 15-win season. Anybody else noticing a trend here?
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This move is definitely a gesture from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager Danny Ferry to prove to James that they are going to do whatever it takes to keep the team in contention in hopes that James doesn't bolt in 2010.
While the move adds a really, really big piece to the mix, how much better does it make the Cavaliers? Yes, O'Neal can provide a big body to defend Howard but Cleveland still needs to add some bigger, athletic players to complement James on the perimeter. Will O'Neal really be able to defer to James for a full season and be happy about it? And, more importantly, will O'Neal stay healthy? He's going to have to for this deal to work.
Otherwise, the rampant speculation over LeBron's free agency will only get worse.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2009/06/shaq_to_cavaliers.html#more
Before anyone crowns the Cavs "champs" before the season starts, try to be realistic....Shaq alone isn't going to bolster the Cavs to thepinnacle of the NBA. They still have glaring weaknesses, and the East is more wide-open than people think.