Report: Shaq headed to Cavs

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Jun 24, 2009 | by Anonymous

The Phoenix Suns have traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a second-round draft pick and cash, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

The deal, one day before today's NBA draft, had been rumored for months. O'Neal, 37, had one year left on his contract with the Suns.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported the teams reached an agreement in principle on the deal, which would unite O'Neal with LeBron James, the NBA's MVP. The league still must approve the trade, a source said.

The Suns acquired O'Neal from Miami in February 2008. He averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season, appearing in his 15th All-Star Game.

In other trade news:

-- In just over a month, David Kahn positioned himself as the major player heading into today's NBA draft. Minnesota's president completed a deal with Washington that brought the No. 5 overall pick to the Timberwolves.

Minnesota sent guards Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards and also received forwards Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov.

The Wolves now have the fifth, sixth, 18th and 28th selections in the first round.

"I felt very strongly that it would be good for the team, for our organization, if we had another high pick," Kahn said.

Miller and Foye will give the Wizards two starting-caliber players with expiring contracts to add to a team that is trying to win right now.

Getting that fifth pick could give the Wolves enough assets to trade up even higher in the draft. Multiple scenarios were being discussed, and the Wolves could end up sticking with the fifth and sixth picks, Kahn said. But one thing was certain.

"We will not trade 5 and 6 for 2," Kahn said. "We will not do that, under no circumstances."

Kahn is trying to reshape a team that has not made the playoffs since 2004.

Last week he decided not to bring back coach Kevin McHale, who held Kahn's job for 15 years before taking over on the bench in December.

-- Portland acquired the No. 22 overall draft pick from Dallas in exchange for No. 24 and two second-rounders (No. 56 today and the worse of the Trail Blazers' two second-rounders in 2010).

Rockets: Yao Ming's broken foot is not healed and Houston say the All-Star center is out indefinitely. Yao suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot in a Rockets' playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on May 8. The team initially said Yao was expected to miss eight to 12 weeks. But team doctor Tom Clanton said the hairline fracture has not responded to treatment. No timeline is set for Yao's return to basketball activities.

Lakers: General manager Mitch Kupchak said there was a "better than even likelihood" the team would get rid of its first-round draft pick, No. 29. Los Angeles also has two second-round choices (42nd and 59th). "You don't want to draft players that can't make your team because your roster's full," Kupchak said.

Cavaliers: Guard Tarence Kinsey Jr. was charged with drunken driving in Tampa, Fla.