Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry had his work cut out for him this summer. The Cavs took a close look at their roster after being ousted by the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. They didn't like what they saw.
Moves had to be made. Ferry and his staff rose to the challenge.
His only trade of the summer was one that had been discussed for almost four months. Its genesis can be traced back to the trade deadline in February.
The Phoenix Suns wanted to dump center Shaquille O'Neal's $20 million salary and began shopping the future Hall of Famer. The Suns wanted expiring contracts. A deal hit a snag in February and was placed on the back burner by Ferry and Suns general manager Steve Kerr. Right before the draft, however, it heated up again.
It finally went down on June 26, as the Cavs sent Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, cash and a future second-round pick to the Suns for the 7-foot-1, 325-pound O'Neal.
The Cavs felt they needed to upgrade the center position and find a way to neutralize Magic center Dwight Howard. Veteran Zydrunas Ilgauskas has one year remaining on his contract and could be reaching the end of his career.
O'Neal, 37, is three years older than Ilgauskas, but envisions playing until he's 40.
The Cavs' perimeter defense was also exploited in the East finals. They shored up that weakness by signing veteran free agents Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon.
Basically, the Cavs split their mid-level exception between the two players.
The moves also enhanced their bench in a major way. The bench needed an infusion of talent after Magic reserve Mickael Pietrus outscored the entire Cavs bench by a large margin in the East finals. Their second unit is now much improved with Moon, Parker, Ilgauskas, guard Daniel Gibson and forward J.J. Hickson.
But Ferry wasn't done just yet. He signed forward Leon Powe to a minimum contract. It allowed him to hang onto the $2 million bi-annual exception.
Powe will be sidelined for at least half the regular season recovering from knee surgeries. It's a move that could pay off in a big way down the stretch.
The Cavs have been in search of a "stretch 4," and invited forward Rob Kurz to training camp. He'll be added to the Cavs' stable of three-point shooters in Mo Williams, Gibson, Delonte West and Parker.
The Cavs might have improved themselves more than any team in the East. They've added talent and athleticism, plugged some holes and surrounded forward LeBron James with complementary pieces.
The Cavs probably won't win 66 games again this year. The East is stronger and more balanced than it's been in several years.
But a case could be made for them being the No. 1 seed in the conference.
