Around the NBA trade deadline, there was talk about Shaquille O’Neal being traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now it appears, depending on who you believe, that these talks may be heating back up.

For both sides, this deal would make a lot of sense. For the Cavs, they desperately need to give LeBron James a running mate. Considering that Shaq is coming off of a very good season, he could still get the job done in the middle. At the worst, he’ll give the opponent another player to think about outside of LeBron.

For the Suns, Shaq doesn’t have much use to them. They need to rebuild and trading away Shaq can save money and open up playing time. The Suns owners don’t have endless pockets so if they can save millions of dollars, don’t look for them to pass up the opportunity.

In terms of fantasy basketball, Shaq probably would see his stats go down. He’ll be a year older and he will likely be getting fewer touches. Plus, like usual, his low free throw percentage and high turnover rate limit his fantasy value.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten good play out of Ben Wallace this season. When he has been healthy, at least. Shortly after returning from a broken leg, Wallace is now suffering from a strain in his left knee that may sideline him for the entire 2009 postseason.

This would be a big blow to the Cavs. Wallace isn’t the dominant defensive force he used to be but he’s still a very good defender who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. With LeBron James doing most of the offensive work, Wallace has been free to concentrate on defense and rebounding — a role he does very well.

Obviously, take Wallace out of your lineup for the rest of the regular season. If you are participating in playoffs fantasy basketball, even a healthy Wallace only holds a little bit amount of value. His inability to score and his low free throw shooting percentage negates a lot of his positives.

If Wallace is out for an extended amount of time, expect Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao to eat up most of the bigman minutes. Joe Smith will also see a healthy uptick in minutes.

Here is a Ben Wallace highlight reel video:

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
Everything is looking good right now for the Cavs. They have the best player in the league in LeBron James. They have a great defensive team and a very efficient offensive unit. Cleveland is also undefeated at home and they have playoff experience.

2. Boston Celtics
The reigning NBA champions haven’t looked as dominant as usual as of late. Their lack of depth has been apparent and their Big Three doesn’t always have the needed juice on a game by game basis. That said, they are still the team to beat until someone ends their back-to-back dreams.

3. Orlando Magic
If it wasn’t for their lack of experience, the Magic could very well have the top spot in these 2009 NBA power rankings. The Magic have Dwight Howard in the middle and a bunch of great shooters surrounding him. They will be a tough out in the playoffs.

4. Los Angeles Lakers
Not too long ago, the Lakers looked like they might be the best team in the NBA. But a recent two-game losing streak has exposed a few weaknesses. However, they are dealing with injuries right now and once healthy, expect them to move back into the top three.

5. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs always seem to hang around near the top. They aren’t going to be the favorite this season but they are another team that no one wants to face in the postseason. If they stay healthy, they’ll have a shot to win it all.

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Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers
Since Cuttino Mobley has been traded, Eric Gordon has definitely become a fantasy viable player. He’s starting, getting good minutes and producing at a good clip. Since he’s a rookie it’s hard to tell what his ceiling is but he is looking like a player that can average between 13 and 15 points in his rookie campaign.

Kris Humphries, Toronto Raptors
With new coach Jay Triano now in charge of the Raptors after Sam Mitchell got fired, there’s some rumblings that Kris Humphries could see his minutes rise. Andre Bargnani isn’t defending well and Humphries could be the next in line for bigman minutes. His high PER suggests that he could do a good job if asked to take on a bigger load.

Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs
Matt Bonner has a good PER and is now starting at center for the Spurs. If he continues to get enough minutes, Bonner is helpful mostly due to his ability to make three-pointers from the center position. He’s also not a bad rebounder and he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes with the ball.

JJ Hickson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Although JJ Hickson is still a raw player, he has produced when the Cavs have put him on the floor. He’s a very good athlete at the power forward position who can score, rebound and block shots. If minutes open up due to injury or poor play, Hickson could step through the door and explode onto the scene.

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Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons
While Chauncey Billups could have another solid season, there are some red flags. First of all, he has Rodney Stuckey behind him and Stuckey is viewed as the future of the franchise in Detroit. Second of all, Joe Dumars seems ready and willing to trade Billups if the right trade becomes available. If Billups ends up in a bad situation, his value could plummet.

Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Common sense says that if you play next to a very good passer like LeBron James, your fantasy value will rise. However, that hasn’t really been the case. A lot of players have gone to Cleveland as good fantasy players and then fall off the map. Williams should be okay but don’t over value him.

Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves
Ever since he’s come into the league, Randy Foye has gotten fantasy love around the draft time. But each of his first two seasons, he underachieved. He’s once again ranked highly but that is based mostly on hope instead of reality. Don’t draft him expecting a huge jump in numbers.

Beno Udrih, Sacramento Kings
While in San Antonio, Beno Udrih had problems with dedication and staying healthy. He played very well in a short stint on the Kings but don’t let that fool you into thinking he’s a safe player. Now that he has financial security, he could fall back into being an undermotivated injury risk.

Although training camp hasn’t started yet, it is never too early to take a look at the MVP favorites. For the 2008-2009 season, five players have a really great shot at winning the MVP award. Here are the top five 2009 NBA MVP candidates:

5. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets
If the Rockets can live up to their lofty expectation and Tracy McGrady can stay healthy all year, T-Mac has a chance to be in the MVP running. He’s an immensely talented player who could impress a lot of voters this season. Staying healthy will be a challenge, however.

4. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
In the Olympics, no player looked as surprisingly good as Dwyane Wade. Wade looked like it was the 2006 NBA Finals all over again. If he can remain healthy and lead the Miami Heat back into the playoffs, he should get a few MVP votes.

3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers should once again be very good. Kobe Bryant should once again be very good. The only thing that is a negative for Bryant in the MVP chase is the fact that he won the award last year. The MVP voters could be wanting to give it to someone new.

2. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Many NBA experts thought that Chris Paul deserved the MVP last season. If he can have another great season and help the Hornets achieve their lofty goals, there is no reason to not expect CP3 to be near the top of the voting again.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
The time has come for LeBron James to win the MVP award. He’s arguably the best player in the league who hasn’t won the MVP and after a strong Olympics showing, he should be primed and ready to take home that trophy this year.

How good can LeBron James be in the 2008-09 season? MVP good?

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Delonte West, who was one of the best players for the Cleveland Cavaliers last year in the NBA playoffs, has re-signed with the Cavs. The Cavs acquired West from the Seattle Supersonics in the three-team mega deal that also brought Ben Wallace to Cleveland.

Last year in the playoffs, West started at point guard. This year, things will be different. The Cavs traded for Mo Williams and he will be the team’s starting point guard. However, that doesn’t mean West won’t play. He should see many minutes behind Williams and even next to Williams.

As far as fantasy basketball is concerned, West is still an intriguing fantasy prospect. He can score a bit, pass adequately, get some steals and he’s a pretty good rebounder for his size. If he gets enough minutes, he could be a player that helps you out in a lot of statistical categories. The main question will be how much he’s going to play.

Look for Williams, West and Daniel Gibson to vie for minutes next to LeBron James in the 2008-09 NBA season for the Cavs.

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With the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games a thing of the past and training camp approximately one month away, let’s take a look at 2008 NBA power rankings:

1. Boston Celtics - The defending champs are the team to beat.
2. Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers with Andrew Bynum will be tough.
3. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs always seem to lurk near the top.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers - With the addition of Mo Williams, watch out.
5. New Orleans Hornets - James Posey will add a mean streak in NO.
6. Detroit Pistons - The Pistons should once again win a lot of games.
7. Houston Rockets - Ron Artest could make the Rockets great.
8. Utah Jazz - The Jazz might be a tad overrated heading into 2008.
9. Phoenix Suns - The window is closing fast for the Suns.
10. Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard will make sure the Magic win.

Here is a Dwight Howard highlight reel video:

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Mo Williams was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade between the Cavs, Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Supersonics. Williams is the biggest name involved in the trade, but he’s far from the only player to switch teams. Here is a list of the players who are switching teams and the fantasy football impact of each aspect of this trade:

Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
Williams should be a very good next to LeBron James on the Cavs. He can pass, shoot and score the ball effectively. While he’s not the purest point guard, his scoring ability should fit very well next to LeBron. LeBron will be able to take some of the point guard slack, while Williams can concentrate on putting the ball in the basket. In terms of his fantasy value, expect Williams assists to go down but the rest of his stats to remain the same.

Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee Bucks
Ridnour used to be a solid fantasy basketball player, then he fell off the map. He split time the last few years at point guard and that hurt his value. On the Bucks, his fantasy value will be determined by how many minutes he plays. If he can win a starting spot, he could see his fantasy value bounce back. However, the Bucks have a lot of point guards and it will be difficult for Ridnour to win the starting gig.

Desmond Mason, Oklahoma City’s NBA team
Mason is going back to his roots. Mason played in Oklahoma during his college days. His addition to the Oklahoma City team should be good both for him and the fans. While he’ll likely be backing up Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, he could see a solid amount of minutes off the bench as a sixth man.

Joe Smith, Oklahoma City Barons
Like Mason, Smith will bring a solid veteran presence to the Oklahoma City team. He’s be deceptively solid in the last few years. If he can win a starting spot, he could be decent as a backup big in fantasy basketball. The more likely outcome, however, is that Smith is traded to a contender around the trade deadline.

Damon Jones and Adrian Griffin, Milwaukee Bucks
Neither Jones nor Griffin will have much fantasy value this upcoming season. Jones is strictly a spot-up shooter at this point of his career, while Griffin is strictly a defensive specialist. Neither skill translates will to fantasy basketball.

Photo: Newscom

Here is our current HoopsFantasy NBA power rankings of the best team in the NBA:

1. Boston Celtics - The Celtics are the best until proven otherwise.
2. Los Angeles Lakers - Adding Andrew Bynum to the mix will be big.
3. San Antonio Spurs - Can never count out the Spurs.
4. New Orleans Hornets - James Posey gives the Hornets heart.
5. Houston Rockets - Ron Artest gives the Rockets fire.
6. Detroit Pistons - The Pistons will still be in the mix.
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