It looks like Superman will team up with LeBron James next season.
The Suns have agreed in principle to send center Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, cash and a second-round pick in Thursday's draft, according to multiple reports.The deal could be finalized Thursday.
O'Neal, a 15-time All-Star who averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games last season, would provide championship experience and a proven post player for the Cavs — two areas that hurt them this season.
O'Neal, 37 and a four-time NBA champion, is entering the last year of his contract, giving the Cavs cap flexibility after next season. He will make $20 million next season.
The Suns' motivation seems to be a straight salary dump. The Suns save $10 million on the deal, half of it by lowering their payroll below the luxury tax limit. They plan to buy out Pavlovic, who has $1.5 million of his $4.95 million contract guaranteed.
Pavlovic, a wing player who averaged 4.6 points last season, and Wallace — a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year whose best days are behind him — aren't part of what is obviously a rebuilding plan for the Suns.
Wallace, a center who's in the final year of a $14 million deal, has even publicly talked about retirement this summer.
The Cavs finished with the NBA's best regular season record at 66-16. However, their season ended in the Eastern Conferences finals, losing to the Orlando Magic.
With the possibility of James hitting free agency after the 2009-10 season, the Cavs likely felt like they had to act now for any chance to retain him.
Last offseason, the team added point guard Mo Williams to help lighten James' duties and that move paid off in the regular season. However, Williams was ineffective against the Magic during these playoffs, as were the Cavs' big men.
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The Cavs couldn't stop Orlando center Dwight Howard, and O'Neal can still bang inside, which is why Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry tried to acquire him before the trading deadline in February.
The Suns were a West-leading 34-14 when they acquired O'Neal in February 2008. He averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds last season and appeared in his 15th All-Star game, stealing the show with a goofy dance during pregame introductions at U.S. Airways Center.
O'Neal answered to "the Big Cactus" in the desert, but the plodding 7-foot-1, 325-pounder seemed a strange fit with the up-tempo Suns.
Popular coach Mike D'Antoni, who reportedly pushed management to acquire Shaq, left at the end of O'Neal's first season. D'Antoni was replaced by Terry Porter, who was fired in midseason after a failed attempt to get the team to play better defense.
The Suns won one playoff game in O'Neal's 1 1/2 seasons — and last spring they failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2004.
Soon after the season ended, speculation began to grow that the club was looking to deal O'Neal while his trade value was still high.
The Suns might not be finished with big trades. All-Star Amare Stoudemire, who can opt out of his contract, also is being mentioned prominently in potential deals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
