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Would it put the Cavaliers over the top?

The Suns–looking to shed salary–would receive Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, which would be close enough for the salaries to match up. The Suns could then possibly buy out Ben Wallace’s contract, saving them even more money than the $10 million that they would with the trade straight up.

If Shaq was willing to accept that he was the clear-cut bonafide #2 to LeBron, then I think that the trade can do what the Cavs envision–with the constant caveat that O’Neal would have to be at full-strength for the playoffs. While Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a decent low-post option, he isn’t what a 37 year old Shaq is in the low block.

That said, the move would do absolutely nothing for the Cavaliers’ ability to match up with the Magic, who if they retain Hedo Turkoglu, will be the Cavaliers’ primary threat for the Eastern Conference. (yes, Boston fans, the Celtics are the preseason #3 if Turkoglu stays) The problems that the Cavs had with the Magic–Varejao on Lewis, for example–are still there, and dare I say it, Shaq may be a downgrade on Dwight Howard.

Ultimately, it’s a risk that the Cavaliers should take because Shaq only has one year left on his deal, and could especially pay off if Turkoglu leaves. But if he stays, the Cavaliers are staring down the barrel of what happened in this year’s playoffs.