Just an hour ago, the Cavaliers pulled out of the trade offers and instead, pulled what experts are calling a coup by landing Washington F Antawn Jamison in a three-team deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers.

The deal as first reported by the Washington Post has Ilgauskas and a Cavaliers’ first round pick going to the nations capital and Jamison coming to Cleveland.

To sweeten the deal, Los Angeles also sent F Al Thornton to Washington and G Sebastian Telfair to Cleveland as F Drew Gooden heads west to Los Angeles.

The trade was reported just hours after cleveland.com’s Brian Windhorst reported that Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry had given Phoenix GM Steve Kerr an ultimatum to make a decision on the Stoudemire trade.

The Cavaliers have the league’s best record at 43-11, but were in this position last season when another Stoudemire trade was close, along with a shot at Shaquille O’Neal last February.

Cleveland got neither player last year, but finished the season with a 66-16 record.

Ultimately, the difference between this season and last was that the Cavaliers are beating the elite teams this season as opposed to a year ago.

But many blame the collapse in the conference finals to a lack of a post presence to match up with Dwight Howard and Orlando.

They have that this year in Shaq, but felt that they needed one more piece, a scoring 4 that could stretch defenses as Shaq compacts them in the paint.

This wasn’t the first time that Ferry has managed to pull off big deals by giving very little.

It started in 2006 when Mike Wilks was traded for Flip Murray who became a huge contributor for Cleveland in LeBron James’ first playoff appearance.

2008 witnessed the big three-team deal sending Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Joe Smith to Cleveland, while giving up Larry Hughes’ overpriced deal along with Drew Gooden and other unnecessary parts.

They were able to trade Damon Jones to get Mo Williams the following summer, and Wallace along with Sasha Pavlovic to get Shaq in June 2009.

As history as shown, Ferry has been one of the best in this era at getting the most for the least in the trading department, although his draft picks and free agent signings haven’t always been the best.

Cleveland might still not be done, as they still have the opportunity to use the Bird rights of Szczerbiak to possibly swing another deal if they so choose.

Ferry has been shrewd, and thus, the Cavaliers have quickly become an NBA power along with the development of James into probably the best player in the league.

By getting Jamison, Cleveland has another piece which could help them on the way to their first championship in franchise history.

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ESPN’s Chris Broussard and the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Brian Windhorst have both reported that the Cavs and Suns are in serious talks for STAT, even to the point where the proposed deal has been released: Stoudemire for Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson.

At this point, reports are that a deal is highly likely, even if the target is not the Cavaliers in the end.

Other teams rumored to be a part of the negotiations are Philadelphia and Miami.

Philly is reportedly using a package including Andre Iguodala, another one-time Cavaliers trading target, to bring Stoudemire to the 76ers.

In Miami, the Heat would look to offer Jermaine O’Neal and Michael Beasley in exchange for the All-Star.

The trade deadline in the NBA is this Thursday afternoon at 3:00 PM, but it is expected that Phoenix GM Steve Kerr will have made his decision before then whether or not Stoudemire will go.

But at this point, the Cavaliers seem to have the best package on the table for what the Suns want: salary cap relief and some young talent in return.

No doubt if STAT finds his way to Cleveland, the impact would be seismic, almost at the level as it was when the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis for role players and draft picks in return.

The trade would give LeBron James arguably his best teammate since the start of his NBA career, a multiple All-Star in the prime of his physical career, and a PF that would make guarding pick-and-roll situations a nightmare for many opposing teams.

The most difficult part of the deal is trying to figure out how to distribute touches offensively.

STAT and Shaquille O’Neal would most likely start together, with the former playing potentially as many minutes as LeBron or Mo Williams.

Although most people would believe that the Stoudemire-Shaq relationship would not work on the court, the stats debunk this myth, at least according to ESPN”s J.A. Adande.

The other notch to a potential trade is whether or not Stoudemire would sign a long-term extension after he arrived in Cleveland.

And it’s safe to say that if this trade and STAT’s extension both go down, the chances of LeBron James staying in Cleveland, which has been the biggest fear for the rest of Cavaliers Nation, should skyrocket.

We won’t know for sure about the trade for some time, but when we do, we will make the post on the Craze about the trade.

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With this season possibly (small percentage according to most) being LeBron James’ last season in Cleveland, it could also be their best shot in franchise history.

Shaquille O’Neal, though not as athletic and talented as in years past is still very talented and an intimidator on both ends of the court, something James and the Cavaliers have never had in franchise history.

But they still have some talented pieces to help swing one final deal before the trading deadline.

Here is a look at the top names that could find themselves in Wine and Gold by Thursday:

*Note: Troy Murphy not on for reasons of price tag Cavaliers might not be willing to pay

1.) Antawn Jamison – Washington

It’s no secret that the Cavaliers are trying to secure a stretch 4 to give them a matchup edge with the Orlando Magic.

And a guy like Jamison who can shoot from the perimeter and post up on the low block would be an excellent get for the Cavaliers, especially if Washington is going into a firesale mode.

But the concern over Jamison is that his defense is not up to par with what the Cavaliers would want, in Mike Brown’s system.

Fans believe that Brown’s defensive mentality has been able to make players incapable of being good defenders either become much stronger or mask their weaknesses defensively (see J.J. Hickson).

Potential Trade: Jamison for Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

2.) Amare Stoudemire – Phoenix

STAT has been a fixture in Phoenix’s run-and-gun offense, and he has the athleticism at the 5 that few teams in the league have.

But some feel that his time in Phoenix is up and owner Robert Sarver is not ready to pay Stoudemire the type of money a player of his caliber deserves.

Enter Cleveland, who has already made a trade for a Suns’ big man in Shaq this past summer.

Stoudemire and James would be a pick-and-roll nightmare for opposing defenses for years to come with their speed and leaping abilities.

Amare’s defense is under criticism also, but some will say that in Phoenix’s system, defense is not as much an emphasis as it is in Cleveland.

But the major selling point in this deal is whether or not Cleveland will sign STAT to an extension right after the deal is made.

Potential Trade – Stoudemire for Hickson, Z, and Daniel Gibson/1st rounder

3.) Andre Iguodala – Philadelphia

While the 4 or 5 for the future is of concern, getting a stud 2 to go with LeBron might not be a bad idea as well.

And AI2 has had his name thrown around many trading circles, with tremendous athletic ability and great defense on the wing.

Iguodala can take pressure off of LeBron by dishing the ball off and getting to the free-throw line.

But if Philadelphia starts to win as the deadline approaches on Thursday, this deal becomes less and less likely.

Potential Trade: AI2 for Hickson, Anthony Parker

4.) Rip Hamilton – Detroit

This is a new name that has popped on the wire, as reported by cleveland.com’s Brian Windhorst.

At 32, Hamilton still has alot of gas in the tank, and the type of height and athleticism that can bother opposing 2s, which will be important in the playoffs against guys like Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Vince Carter, and even Kobe Bryant.

Hamilton has been one of the best off-ball offensive players in the NBA, running off screens and knocking down the midrange jumper like few in the NBA can do.

One concern about Rip is that his shooting percentage is the lowest that it’s ever been, at only39% from the field. And with LeBron, Mo, and Shaq, he might not get that many shots.

The other question is whether or not the Pistons would be willing to trade one of their mainstays to their rivals from the Central Division.

If he can be had, that’s one more champion to go along with Shaq, guys that have been there and done that.

And a return to a championship could be the spark that gets Hamilton going for the final months of the season.

Potential Trade: Hamilton for Parker, and Hickson or Gibson and 1st round pick

The biggest obstacle to a trade is that in most of my proposed deals, Hickson is involved. Hickson has been tremendous in recent weeks since his introduction into the starting lineup.

Hickson dropped 20 points against Orlando, his 3rd 20-point game of the season.

And although it seems that Hickson is getting all his points off of James’ and O’Neal’s passing abilities, he has shown he is valuable as a finisher around the hoop and athleticism.

His blocks on Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard might make it tough on Danny Ferry to trade away the young man who has shown so much promise.

So if there is a way for Ferry to land a big fish while keeping his budding young big man in Hickson, that would be ideal for the Cavaliers.

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But while I was gone, it turns out the Cavaliers have played very well, landing their longest winning streak of the season, and they have done it without Mo Williams and Delonte West.

The reason for the turnaround: Shaquille O’Neal has delivered with the added touches.

The big man has accepted his spot as a role player all season long, which has been excellent when it comes to team chemistry.  But now with the injuries taking hold, he has been phenomenal, averaging 18.4 ppg in the last five games.

The replacement for both Mo and Delonte, Boobie Gibson, who has had trouble staying in the rotation for most of the season for different reasons, is averaging 13 ppg and shooting 14-30 in the last five games, all Cavalier wins.

So in essence, there could not have been a better time for the team to get the injury bug out of the way, although every team wishes it would never happen.

But in reality, this streak shows the type of depth that the Cavaliers have at their disposal. Gibson was never an  unreliable asset to start because he had started some games for the team in the past, as had Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao.

Luckily for the Wine & Gold, they are in the middle of a seven-game homestand where they host teams such as Memphis, Miami, Orlando, and Denver. It’s not the easiest stretch out there, but they are at home, where they are 19-3 on the season.

For having the fewest road games left on the schedule, the last two months of the season bodes well for the Cavaliers down the stretch. At 38-11, Cleveland has alot to be proud of down the stretch.

All the while, Cleveland awaits the arrival of F Leon Powe, who is very close to his Cavaliers debut, which should be any game within the next few weeks. So in essence, the Cavaliers have never been fully healthy all season.

But one thing that has happened in a positive manner is the return of Jamario Moon back to the rotation after the abdominal strain. He has averaged 9.3 ppg in his last three games in 21.3 minutes per game.

Slowly, the Cavaliers are starting to get healthy at the right time. Better yet, it feels like they are starting to distance themselves from Orlando and Boston despite all the injuries.

With all this in place plus a big sweep of the Lakers, it’s not inconceivable to think Cleveland will not have homecourt throughout the playoffs for the second straight season.

It’s good to be back. More coming later on this week.

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Case in point the last week of the season, in which the Cavaliers lost to Memphis in overtime, and only beat the New Jersey Nets by10 Tuesday night in Cleveland. The Nets who have only won two games kept the game close despite the Cavaliers shooting 58% from the field in the game.

Is this something Cavaliers fans should be concerned with? Possibly, although these are not teams Cleveland will be seeing in the playoffs.

But it seems at times that the Cavs are sleepwalking on the court and not playing at their full capabilties consistently. But when they play that way, they are very, very good.

Part of it is Mike Brown figuring out what is the best rotation for the team in certain situations.

While he does not have a constant rotation, he has set up a basic framework for when certain players come in and allowing for flexibility when certain players are in foul trouble.

And the other part has to be the uncertainty of what the Cavaliers are getting out of Delonte West.

West was a DNP-Coach’s Decision Tuesday night and it seems to be a day-to-day matter as to whether or not he will step on the court.

The one thing that is no longer a distraction is that LeBron James has refused to talk about his free agency dilemma in 2010, turning all his focus to the task at hand of trying to win the title this season.

But this seems like deja vu to Cavaliers’ fans who saw how big homecourt was for the Boston Celtics two years ago in a similar situation where they just could not beat weaker teams and at times made those games look too close.

There is still no reason to panic though because Cleveland is still in command of the Central Division and in position to gain on Boston for the top spot as the calendar flips to 2010 in a few weeks.

But to gain ground necessary to take the top spot again they have to get back to winning the games they are supposed to win, or they could be on the outside looking in for the NBA Finals once again.

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The Cavaliers have not been able to blow out teams like they did a year ago, and the defense isn’t totally locked down as it was a year ago, but this team appears to be much more balanced than in years’ past. The reason? Jamario Moon and Daniel Gibson have been huge off of the bench, combining to average under 13 points a game.

With a team that last year had their bench depth exposed majorly after losing to the Orlando Magic, improving bench production has been a priority. The main methods were to put last year’s starting frontcourt, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao, on the bench to start games and to start Anthony Parker over Delonte West.

The end result in a big 111-95 win over the talented Dallas Mavericks was 40 of the 111 Cavaliers’ points coming off of the bench, 38 from Moon, West, and Varejao. This season, it’s been no secret that when the bench doesn’t perform well, the team doesn’t perform well as a result.

And when Leon Powe makes his debut in Cleveland, that will only add to what the team hopes will be a strength off the bench. Quietly, the Cavaliers have put together three forwards (Powe, Varejao, J.J. Hickson) who are versatile and athletic on the block on both sides of the ball.

December might not be a kind month to the Wine & Gold, with matchups against Portland, at L.A against the Lakers, two games against Phoenix,  Houston and Atlanta, at Dallas, and a road trip to a surprising Oklahoma City Thunder team. If this team can make it through a tough December with only three  or four losses, the Cavaliers will be in great shape the rest of the way.

It seems as if this team has found a groove and an identity as being a defensive team that is just as capable of putting up points, with a multitude of methods. They can pound the ball with Shaquille O’Neal, let LeBron James create on his own, and run sets for the 2nd ranked three-point shooting team in the NBA, right now at 44% from behind the arc.

All this means that Cleveland is not a one-trick pony, and with all the pieces melding together seems to be finding its stride.

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Cleveland has ridden the hot hand of Mo Williams, who started perfect against Orlando in the first half, to a convincing win over Dwight Howard and the Eastern Conference Champion Magic and a win over Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.

Williams has put up 53 points in the past two games, and shot 75% from three-point range, to go along with the 70 points that James put up in the same span. Shaquille O’Neal also has been able to contribute effectively as well, shooting 50% from the field and scoring in double figures while playing only 41 minutes in the two wins.

Mike Brown has been effective at keeping O’Neal’s minutes down to keep him fresh and all the while still letting his full impact be felt on a nightly basis. He has slowly started to fill into his role and been effective while playing very few minutes, which should keep him fresher for the stretch run and into the playoffs next April.

One surprising factor with the recent winning streak for the Cavaliers is Brown starting second-year PF J.J. Hickson over Anderson Varejao. The young big man from N.C. State has been effective playing with the first unit, and drawing more minutes over a very short time.

The surprising figure was a season-high 18 points against Miami shooting 7-9 from the field. What has worked well for the young man? An improved jumper which opens up his low post offensive game can give the athletic big man with speed and long arms a more profound effect in the paint.

Hickson came into the NBA very raw a year ago, and he took a year of being a sponge and having spot duty a year ago. Now with one of the greatest big men in NBA history mentoring the 21-year old, and a summer of lifting and training with James, Hickson’s improvements are showing on the court, and Brown has shown great confidence in the young man by extending his playing time in great doses.

If he continues to improve defensively and box out more, Hickson could be a big surprise which will give the Cavaliers an added dimension of versatility when Leon Powe returns around the All-Star break to the bench.

The real test for the young man will be to see how long he can play this well and how long it takes for consistency to settle in. And how he deals with adversity could help Hickson become a valuable role player and potentially a star in this league.

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And since he has come back, the Cavaliers look like the same team that they were from a season ago. Granted a win over Charlotte and coming back from down 18 against Washington isn’t completely impressive, but for the first time all year, the Cavaliers were all back in the lineup sans the injured Leon Powe.

West did not have a great offensive game, shooting only 2-7 for 4 points, but his two steals were instrumental in helping lead a defensive resurgance that held Washington to 59 points in the final 3 quarters of the game.

Delonte is best thought of as a glue guy, a guy that is the heart and soul of the Cavaliers on the defensive side of the ball. And his quick hands and athleticism make him a terror on the defensive end.

Offensively, he is hard to defend simply because he is one of few left-handed scorers in the NBA, something most defenders aren’t used to seeing.

West is probably going to be coming off the bench for the foreseeable future as Mike Brown likes what he sees out of G Anthony Parker, who is shooting 44% from three-point range in the first five games of the season. West adds to a plethora of three-point snipers, featuring Parker, and Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson, both of whom have gotten off to blistering starts, each shooting over 50% from behind the arc.

West is a career 38% three-point shooter, yet another weapon the Cavaliers have available when swinging the ball around the arc. And with Shaquille O’Neal drawing the defense deeper in the paint, especially when he makes multiple shots and draws extra help, there could be alot of space around the arc for shots to drop.

With West’s legal status looming, it’s hard to tell how long he will stay in Cleveland. But for the time being, West is back and Cleveland has returned to their winning ways, and just in time against the Central Division rival Chicago Bulls tonight on TNT.

Cleveland has not played against Chicago since the big trade that landed them John Salmons and Brad Miller from Sacramento. But there is no Ben Gordon anymore, who has been a Cavaliers killer in past years. Tonight should be an exciting matchup quoting Mr. Cavalier Austin Carr, “deep in the Q.”

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With the new pieces added to the team, old regulars like Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson stepped up in the wins. They combined for 34 points and 7 3-pointers against the Timberwolves, including Gibson’s 14 off the bench.

Williams continued his great play against the Bobcats, dropping a game-high 24 points on 9-14 shooting and 5 3-pointers in the win.

A game in which LeBron James doesn’t have to score over 25 points and still winning by double-digits is always a good sign because it means one night of team-wide balance in scoring. A game where LeBron isn’t “the guy” goes a long way in the argument that James has a team that he doesn’t need to carry night in and night out.

Anthony Parker has also proven to be a solid scoring option, averaging 10.3 ppg in the first four games, including shooting 63% from 3-point range this season.

But probably the biggest reason for the two wins of 2009 was the strong performances of backup C Zydrunas Ilgauskas off the bench, shooting a combined 12-19 from the field and averaging 12.5 points in the two victories. Managing Z and Shaquille O’Neal might be the biggest challenge on Mike Brown’s plate, as we have seen less of the pairing on the floor together but limiting each of their minutes by rotating them in-and-out of the game.

This ends a rough early stretch for the Cavaliers, playing four games in five nights to open the season, leaving very little time to hit the practice floor to work out the kinks of team bonding and chemistry.

Cleveland will have time to hit the practice floor over the next few days before playing host to rivals Washington and Chicago before a trip to Madison Square Garden and the endless pursuit of LeBron in 2010 questions being a distraction.

For the first time this year, the Cavaliers are fully healthy at 100% of the roster and looking ahead to a Veteran’s Day showdown against the hated Orlando Magic, a team that averages 13 threes a game so far even without star F Rashard Lewis, suspended for the first 10 games due to violations of substance-abuse policies.

Remember at this point last year, Cleveland was 1-2 before finishing the season 66-16. They may or may not reach that marker once again, but all that matters is that the Wine & Gold are back in the win column.

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In the early games, one of the most noticeable trends are that the ball is just not going into the hoop. In the first two games, the team as a whole is shooting only 38% from the field, unacceptable for a team fighting for a championship. But an even more glaring problem is the lack of defense, giving up 98 ppg in the first two games.

For a team whose mainstay and staple is stifing defense, this is a huge red flag and a major problem.

But some will say still that this team needs some time to gel. With all the injuries and ailments that the team had to deal with in the preseason, a letdown to start the season had to be expected, not to mention the fact that a busy early schedule keeps the Cavaliers off the practice floor for quite some time.

In addition, there are three new players in the main rotation of about nine or 10 players. Most of these guys have never played together, so there is an adjustment period to be expected.

But perhaps the biggest missing piece to this team might be the heart of the team in Delonte West. Regardless of how West has played, he is to the Cavaliers defensively what Kevin Garnett is to the Celtics on the defensive end.

West plays his heart out and takes so much pride in how he plays defense, and his infectious personality keeps the locker room relaxed and loose. But with West being sidelined with his ongoing personal problems, it might be a few days, weeks, or months until we see West again, or quite possibly never.

All things pointed at the start of this season to Shaquille O’Neal being the final piece to the Cavaliers’ championship construction project. But with all the problems Cleveland had in the first two games of 2009, there is still some work to be done.

The onus of finishing the job falls on coach Mike Brown to not make LeBron James do everything, because clearly it is just not working. Every team is now following the Orlando Magic’s strategy of defending everybody except LeBron and having him beat them by himself.

It’s clearly not working, and someone else has to force teams to double regardless of what it takes, whether it be Shaq or Mo Williams or Anthony Parker. One could argue that Shaq deserves more touches than he gets, at least in the start of the games and then let James and Williams pull defenders out of the paint, leading to a game-long tug-of-war.

Regardless of how this team comes together, they will need to before it’s too late to stay with Orlando and Boston in the Eastern Conference. Then again, last year, Cleveland may have peaked too early and didn’t have enough left to beat the Magic. For their sakes, they are hoping they do not peak too late either.

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