It has been a day full with rumors and speculations but ultimately the Cavaliers stuck with their plan to stand pat at the NBA trading deadline.Wally Sczcerbiak was mentioned in most of the rumors but the biggest one that captured the media attention for most of the day was the Cavaliers interest in acquiring Shaquille O’Neal from the Phoenix Suns.
According to Cavaliers beat writer Brian Windhorst, the Cavaliers offered Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic for Shaquille O’Neal, but the Suns were asking for Szczerbiak. The Cavs then tried to find another team to get involved, but couldn’t make anything work.
If the Suns were willing to accept Wallace and Pavlovic, they would slice $5.5 million from next season’s books, as Wallace’s salary decreases from $14.5 million this season to $14 million in 2009-10 and because only $1.5 million of Pavlovic’s $5 million salary next season is guaranteed.
If the Cavaliers substituted Wallace with Szczerbiak and Pavlovic then Phoenix would erase $19.5 million from next season’s payroll.
“Szczerbiak said he had been a little bit nervous the last couple days and was reading newspaper and Internet reports. His reaction matched that of the rest of his teammates, who were lighthearted and joking around once the deadline finally came and went.”