Cavaliers and Suns Talking Shaq Again

Brian Windhorst set the late night Cavalier crowd ablaze with tweets and a midnight article. The first message via Twitter–

Two sources say Shaq very close to being traded to Cavs. They have two other deals they are working on 2. Perhaps trying 2 pressure PHX.

Another came later that hour-

Cavs have some massive decisions to make in the next few days. Big stakes and pressure, they have been considering these moments for a year.

Unlike a few months ago when he hinted near the trade deadline about a potential ‘big name’ being bought out of his contract, Brian followed through and produced some background info to go with his teases.

According to multiple league sources, the Cavs and Phoenix Suns began intense talks Wednesday about finishing a deal that will bring the four-time champion and future Hall of Famer to Cleveland. One league executive said the talks were “warm” and thought it could be completed Thursday ahead of the NBA Draft.

But what I was most interested in were the potential other trade partners. The Clippers we know, but the second was somewhat surprising- the Hornets.

The Cavs, according to a source, also have been in discussions with the New Orleans Hornets, who look to move around their roster before the draft.

There is only one player that I can think of the Cavs would be interested in, and the Hornets tried to get rid of last season- Tyson Chandler.

Chandler has two years left on his contract, the final year being a player option. He is due $11.85 million next season and $12.75 million the following year. His numbers took a slight downturn this year, but he is still quite young (26) and is a defensive minded 7’1″ big man. Here is the scouting report from ESPN-

Chandler makes his living with defense and rebounding. He’s 7-1 and agile for his size, so his length is a huge factor at the defensive end. While he doesn’t have the muscle to bang with strong post players, he dominates the boards and plays with great intensity. However, he’s not a dominating shot-blocker.

Offensively, Chandler will post up on the right block for a fadeaway over his right shoulder once in a blue moon and earn a couple buckets a game on tip-dunks; otherwise he lets Paul get his points for him. It helps that few players can get as high for those lobs as Chandler does.

So what do you think? A deal could be struck at anytime. So keep checking back as we try to bring you the latest.