
SHAQ HEADED TO THE CAVALIERS!
The Cleveland Cavaliers, in a bold stroke aimed at winning the championship, acquired O’Neal from the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, in a stunning trade that will have ramifications across the league.
The deal sparked a swift reaction from the Orlando Magic, which acquired guard Vince Carter from the Nets hours after the O’Neal trade became official.
O’Neal, a 15-time All-Star, will join LeBron James, the league’s reigning most valuable player, to form one of the most powerful tandems in the league. The Cavaliers were already an elite team — winning an N.B.A.-best 66 games last season — but one that was missing star power, or reliable scoring, beyond James. That will no longer be a problem. Even at 37, O’Neal remains a threat in the low post. He averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds for the Suns last season, played in 75 games (his highest total in four years) and was named to the all-N.B.A. third team.
“Our goals are aligned with what our players want, including LeBron, and that’s to win a championship and win it next year,” Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry told reporters in Cleveland. “We don’t want to be patient.”
With O’Neal, Cleveland has an answer to Orlando’s Dwight Howard, who bulldozed through the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. Continue






