Will Shaq Have Success in Cleveland?
Shaquille O’ Neal seems to be the talk of the town these days, even before the Los Angeles Lakers officially won their 15th NBA title. But now trade talks are going like crazy, the most vocal being that of Shaquille going to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Given that Shaq could be a great addition, the fact remains that he is not as dominant as before. Second, can he co-exist with LeBron James? Enumerate his past partners, Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade, and you know he can support and give you a title. However, at 37, does O’ Neal still have it?
While Cleveland really loves the idea, the detailed factors that include ego, chemistry and playing time have to be considered. Will it work?
UPDATE: It looks like the Phoenix Suns are not letting go of Shaq so easily. Initially, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic were mentioned in the trade but apparently the Suns want more than just clearing salary cap space.
Delonte West has been mentioned as an ideal trade player but the Cavaliers are not inclined to part with him. So if that is the case, who would they offer for Shaq?
Well, the NBA Finals just concluded and we have a long way to go before the next season ends. Remember that the coming NBA season promises a lot of players on new teams and Shaq is sure to be on a new team whether it may be Cleveland or not.
While O’Neal hopes to end up in Cleveland, the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer also hopes to get a two-year contract extension, according to the league source. That being the case, he would like to get assurances that James, who can become a free agent after next season, will remain in Cleveland for at least the next three years. O’Neal is hardly in position to make such demands, and neither James nor the Cavs are likely to make him any promises. The Cavaliers could be in position to have a significant amount of cap space to pursue free agents such as Chris Bosh in 2010 and they are not going to give that up for O’Neal.
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