Shaquille O'Neal

ESPN writers have voted, and of a possible 53 votes, LeBron received 35 that he will win the MVP this season

LeBron James:
LBJ was finally crowned king of the regular season, winning the MVP vote after finishing ninth, sixth, second, fifth and fourth in his first five years. Cleveland broke through with 66 wins, and might need an encore to get LBJ his second Podoloff Trophy. And overall the stakes are higher than ever, given last May's disappointment, the Cavs' Shaquisition and LeBron's looming free agency. Still, more than half of our experts consider King James likely to continue his MVP reign.

ESPN has also paneled its writers and asked them to vote on the best and worst off-season acquisitions, Shaq showed up on both lists.

Best:
O'Neal (2nd, 8 votes)
Witness this: Seven of our voters -- and Cleveland's front office -- are banking on a motivated Shaq to take the Cavs to new heights. Although some wonder whether Shaq can take a backseat to LeBron or handle Dwight Howard come playoff time, there's no question there's still some Diesel left in the tank. Adding his post presence to a team that won 66 games last season without one makes Shaq's mission -- "Win a ring for the King" -- look highly possible.

Worst:
O'Neal (4th, 4 votes)
Although eight members of our panel think Shaq could help the King win a ring, four feel Cleveland's big Shaquisition will be a big flop. He may be the most talented running mate LeBron has had, but with 1,100-plus games on his knees and without access to the Suns' miracle training staff, the Big Daddy may revert back to the injury-prone ways that haunted him in Miami.

Time will tell what the season brings. Personally I think that Shaq will help the Cavs this season. He won't need to do much but clog up the paint, grab a few boards and take feeds while LeBron draws all the attention of the defense. But since he is winding down his career and is in the last season of his contract, might help LeBron make the decision to leave Cleveland in 2010.

So even if Shaq is great for the Cavs this season, ultimately he could also spell the beginning of the end for the Cavs and LeBron.

In his first time commenting about the Cavs trade for Shaq, LeBron had some good things to say about the move:

"Wow," said James about center Shaquille O’Neal. "Anytime you can get a guy like that. . . . I was asked by [management], ‘Would you like him to be a part of this team?’ and I said, ‘Of course.’ I’ve never had a low-post presence since I’ve been in the league. I love it."

“I can use some of my athleticism when a double-team comes and slash to the rim,” James said. “Shaq’s a very good passer, so he’ll just throw it at the rim and I’ll go get it.”

James, who said the Cavaliers are still one of the top teams in the league, expects to be even more of an offensive threat this fall.

“Instead of dribbling the ball up where guys can pressure me, I can catch the ball out of a double-team from Shaq, become a shooter or drive,” James said.

Some good quotes there- I mean this is what you have to say once the deal is made, but I think LeBron is genuinely excited. Although I still say Shaq is a moving coach for him in the final year of his contract, I think he could be a strong addition for this season to come and help LeBron earn a ring for the city he grew up in.

Is it just me, or do others agree that this Shaq trade has a real potential to backfire on Cleveland. I think the Cavs adding Shaq reeks of desperation. If I am Cleveland, I want to build a younger, stronger foundation around LeBron. Not plugs holes and hope for the best.

Shaq is a band-aid on gaping wound. You don’t build a dynasty by think short-term. Shaq is pushing 38 years of age – is there any way he stays healthy? Moreover, what happens when he clogs the lane and LeBron can’t get to the hole as often as he’d like. Steve Nash was a former MVP and he hated playing alongside The Diesel, as it seriously slowed down the Suns high-octane offense.

I don't think an aging, twittering Shaq is the final piece that puts the Cavs over the top.
And if the move backfires – the ramifications could be disastrous. If the Cavs don't win the title, LeBron enters the much-anticipated "offseason of his (in)decision" - and in the middle - the Cavs have Shaq and Zydrunas Ilgauskas' skeletons... Yikes. Not necessarily what King James would prefer to commit to long-term, eh?? A big gamble by Danny Ferry and company…

Shaq and Kobe
Shaq and Wade
Shaq and Nash

And now… the Big Diesel and arguably his best teammate ever, LeBron.

Shaq is 37- and really approaching the end of his historic career. But the big guy does have something left, and is a proven champion, coupled with LeBron I could see a ring in Clevelands future.

With that being said- what effect does this have on 2010 and the Knicks? I think it helps NY…Shaq is in the final year of his contract, and you have to think that it will be hard for them to resign him in 2010 (that is assuming all goes well and they actually want to, and Shaq doesn’t want to call it quits). This is one of the best things that could have happened for the Knicks. Cleveland puts together a team that is built to make a 1 year run, and LeBron can say “Hey Cleveland, thanks, I got you a ring, this teams breaking up and so am I, I’m out.”

Not to mention where has Shaq played in his career…Orlando, LA, Miami, Phoenix… has any superstar ever moved around this much? If anyone is going to be able to explain to LeBron what it is like to make a change, Shaq can. I can see the conversation now: "Hey LeBron, I know it’s tough, but look at what I did, I was in Orlando, rolling- looked like we could get a title, left for the big market of LA and won three…had "some issues" with my teammate – ("Kobe tell me how my a$$ tastes") and left for Miami, won another ring- then I went to Pheonix, the team fell apart kind and now I’m here, ready to win a ring again."

If anyone knows about being a star, moving around, and finding success- its Shaq.

Cleveland might have just paid for LeBrons ticket to NYC, or at least got him a moving coach.

ESPN reports that the Cavaliers and Suns are reportedly discussing a trade involving Shaquille O'Neal once again.
The rumor involves O'Neal, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, but another source close to the situation said that "there's nothing going on" between the two clubs.

Multiple sources confirmed back in February that Cleveland and Phoenix had discussed a deal involving O'Neal.

What does this do to LeBron's chances of leaving Cleveland in 381 days? Not much.

Shaq's contract is up in 2010 and he's shown his age these past few years. Even if the Cavs were to make a championship run with the Big Aristotle, it would not be the beginning of a dynasty, but rather a 38 year old legend's last hurrah before he walks away into the sunset (only to then be heard from daily via nonsensical twitter posts).

The one positive that would come out of it for the Cavs is they'd yet again prove that they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep King James happy. Despite reports of their "feud" over pregame intros last season, the King and Shaq are friends and having Shaq around would no doubt keep LeBron in better spirits than Sasha Pavlovic would.

However, there is a risk for Cleveland if they bring O'Neal aboard. Shaq has experience with leaving franchises and cities where he was revered and its served him pretty well. The Diesel is still well liked in Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami and now Phoenix. If LeBron is worried about the repercussions of leaving Cleveland, I can't think of a better Superstar for him to speak with as July 1, 2010 gets closer.