Heat Land Shaquille O'Neal in Blockbuster Trade With the Lakers

The Miami Heat acquired Shaquille O'Neal from the Los Angeles Lakers Wednesday in a four-player trade that immediately reshapes the NBA's Eastern Conference and gives South Florida the most decorated big man in the league. Miami sent forward Lamar Odom, forward Caron Butler, center Brian Grant and a future first-round draft pick to Los Angeles for O'Neal, finalizing a deal that had been the subject of trade speculation for most of the past month.

O'Neal, a 32-year-old seven-foot-one center, joins a Heat roster built around emerging guard Dwyane Wade, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting last season after Miami reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The pairing gives head coach Stan Van Gundy a high-low duo capable of competing with Detroit, Indiana and the rest of the conference's top tier, and gives team president Pat Riley the kind of franchise centerpiece he has spent more than three years rebuilding the roster around.

The trade closes one of the most successful runs in modern NBA history. O'Neal won three consecutive championships with the Lakers from 2000 through 2002 alongside Kobe Bryant, was named Finals MVP each year, and helped lead Los Angeles to the Finals again in 2004 before falling to Detroit in five games last month. Public friction between O'Neal and Bryant, contract disagreements with Lakers ownership, and the team's decision to commit to Bryant long-term all factored into the move.

Miami's salary structure absorbs O'Neal's contract, which still carries multiple years and a maximum-level annual salary. Riley restructured the cap sheet around Wade, O'Neal and a supporting cast that includes Eddie Jones, Damon Jones and Rasual Butler, with rookie Dorell Wright also on the roster. The Heat's training-camp opening shifts from a question about whether the team can take the next step to a question about how high a healthy O'Neal-Wade pairing can finish in the East.

For South Florida, the trade arrives at a moment when the regional sports calendar already has the Marlins coming off a 2003 World Series title, the Dolphins rebuilding under Dave Wannstedt, and the Florida Panthers preparing for another Sunrise season. The Heat's home opener at AmericanAirlines Arena downtown is six weeks away. Season-ticket sales activity Wednesday afternoon, the team said, was the highest the franchise has ever recorded on a single day.