The Final Piece In Cleveland?: Shaq Looks To Provide Key Ingredient

A match made in heaven, or just the final piece of the puzzle?

The Cleveland Cavaliers were  searching for a quality big man. The names being thrown around; Tyson Chandler, Rasheed Wallace, and Shaquille O'Neal.

Well, Lebron the post presence he was looking for. This is not Wally Szczerbiak or Joe Smith.

The Cavaliers have agreed to a trade with the Phoenix Suns that brings Shaquille O'Neal to the Cavaliers. A big name, a blockbuster deal, but for how long?

Shaq's contract is up after this upcoming season. So, the time to win in Cleveland is next season. The pieces are apparent in Cleveland.

The Cavs pushed the Magic to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but lacked an inside presence to advance.

Now with Shaq, there is another big man in the Eastern Conference to contend with the "Superman"  Dwight Howard.

This seems to be a great fit for the Cavs and Lebron James.

Shaq arrives in Cleveland with the core of the Cavs coming back.

Delonte West was a bright spot in the playoffs for the Cavs, posting a career-high 22 points in the Cleveland's Game Six loss and averaging 13.8 points in the playoffs. General Manger Danny Ferry stated that West was an " indispensable component of the team's push towards a championship". 

Another gem that showed some promise was Mo Williams, who added 17 points per game in the playoffs. Many brought up the poor outside shooting of the Cavs' guards in clutch situations, but with Shaq in the mix down low and Lebron on the perimeter, the team looks to have a quality inside-out duo to make a run at a championship.

O'Neal, who will turn 38 in March, will be a huge improvement on Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, both of whom will be free agents this summer.

O'Neal averaged nearly 18 points and eight rebounds a game with the Suns last season. His defensive prowess does not always translate into blocked shots, but altered shots.

Lebron James will surely welcome the "Diesel" with open arms when they make the trade official in the coming days.

The Orlando Magic are the reigning Eastern Conference Champions, and will be until another team takes that title from them. The Cavaliers have to be the preseason favorite to come out of the east next season with the addition of Shaq.