On Thursday morning, the Cavaliers consummated a trade with the Suns that sends Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a second round draft pick in 2010 and cash considerations to Phoenix in exchange for future Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal.

It was a deal that began fermenting in February, when Danny Ferry almost pulled off his second straight deadline day blockbuster. Instead, the Cavaliers GM decided against rocking the boat. The decision looked solid, with the Wine and Gold going 26-5 after the All-Star break and finishing with a franchise-record 66 wins.

But after coasting through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Orlando’s Dwight Howard ran roughshod over the Cavaliers front line in the Eastern Conference Finals. And now, less than a month after that painful elimination, the Cavaliers have made a move to assure that it doesn’t happen again – acquiring an icon whose resume is as huge as the man himself.

“It is a really unique and rare opportunity to bring in a player of Shaq's caliber," said Ferry. "We are excited to see how his presence, experience and play positively impacts our team. We truly appreciate all that Ben and Sasha gave to this team and community in their time here. They were good teammates and we wish them nothing but success.”

The addition of O’Neal – even at this stage of his career – gives LeBron James a dominant low-post scorer to work with for the first time in his career. But the move doesn’t just help LeBron – who’s been friends with the Diesel since his St. Vincent-St. Mary’s days. The attention Shaq commands will be a huge boon for shooters like Mo Williams, Delonte West and Daniel Gibson.

In the 37-year-old O’Neal, the Cavaliers get a 15-time All-Star and four-time World Champion. Since becoming the first overall pick in 1992, Shaq has averaged 24.7 points and 11.2 rebounds in 1117 career games. In his 17 years, he’s only missed the postseason twice – including last year with the Suns.

Some critics will point to the Suns’ decline after acquiring O’Neal, but it can be said that the Big Aristotle was never suited to the Suns’ up-tempo style. Still, he had one of his best seasons in years, earning All-NBA Third Team honors and averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 boards per contest in 2008-09 – not to mention being named co-MVP of the All-Star Game. (Shaq even shot .595 from the stripe last season.)

But, as we all know, Shaq doesn’t just bring scoring, rebounding and blocked shots to the mix. He’s larger than life both on and off the court – frequently dabbling into the worlds of entertainment and, yes, law enforcement. He’s a one-man show who will immediately re-energize an organization still suffering from the hangover of a major playoff disappointment.

And with O’Neal entering the final year of his contract, the offseason acquisition still gives the Cavaliers salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2010.

For the most part, the deal gives Steve Kerr’s Suns some much-needed salary relief. Ben Wallace has had some health issues over the past two seasons and hinted at retirement after the Cavaliers were knocked out in the East Finals.

Wallace did solid work in his year-and-a-half with Cleveland. Acquired in the massive 11-player trade in February, Big Ben was no longer the four-time Defensive Player of the Year that patrolled Detroit’s paint, but was still a strong presence on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, Wallace became a non-entity – passing up open shots and missing dunks. His struggles from the stripe are well-documented.

In five erratic seasons on the North Coast, Sasha Pavlovic’s run fluctuated from starter in the NBA Finals to the back of Mike Brown’s bench. As fate might have it, Pavlovic’s style – if he has one – might fit perfectly in Phoenix. The enigmatic Serbian swingman, who was drafted 18 picks behind LeBron James in 2003, was as frustrating as he was fascinating. If any Cavalier was in need of the proverbial change of scenery, it was Sasha Pavlovic.

As far as a change of scenery, Shaq makes his first foray into the colder climes of the country after tours of duty in the Magic Kingdom, Tinseltown, South Beach and the Valley of the Sun.

The erstwhile Big Cactus comes to Cleveland completely motivated, as well. Not only does he resent Dwight Howard’s claims on Superman status, but Kobe capturing his fourth ring with the Lakers has surely put a burr under the big man’s saddle. On a team that has a lot to prove next year, the Cavaliers just acquired a 7-1, 325-pound giant who’s as hungry as they are.

Shaq has already won Championships with arguably two of the three greatest wing players of this generation – Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. And as of Thursday afternoon, the Diesel will begin his quest for the trifecta in what could be his last stop before Springfield, Mass.

It’s doubtful that Danny Ferry and his staff are done this offseason. But you’d have to agree: the summer is off to a pretty interesting start.

And, oh yeah. Thursday night is the 2009 NBA Draft and, for now, the Cavaliers have the 30th and 46th pick.

Stay tuned.