The Lakers finalized the much-anticipated trade on Wednesday, sending O'Neal to Miami in exchange for up-and-coming forwards Lamar Odom and Caron Butler, veteran Brian Grant and a future first-round draft pick.
The trade puts an end to O'Neal's eight-year reign with the Lakers, who he helped capture three consecutive NBA championships from 2000-02.
"I wanted to go to another contender, and Miami is definitely another contender," O'Neal said. "We're just going to grow together."
Shaquille O'Neal, right, has been traded to the Miami Heat. (AP File Photo)
The blockbuster deal has been near completion since Saturday when the seven-foot-one-inch, 340-pound centre met with Heat president Pat Riley and general manager Randy Pfund at an undisclosed location in Orlando. After the meeting, O'Neal said he expected a deal to occur "soon, real soon."
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O'Neal, an 11-time all-star, had requested a trade following the Lakers' loss to Detroit in the NBA finals.
"I never imagined that we would acquire Shaquille O'Neal," Heat guard Eddie Jones said. "It's once-in-a-lifetime trying to get a player like this guy. It's an unbelievable, unbelievable move.
"Everybody wants to be here now," added Jones, who played with O'Neal in Los Angeles from 1996 to '98.
The trade to the Heat marks a return of sorts for O'Neal, who played the first four years of his career in Florida with the Orlando Magic.
"You can't replace a Shaquille O'Neal, period," Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said. "That's not our intention. This move, as bold as it was, was necessary."
O'Neal helped Orlando to the NBA finals in 1995, then spent one more year with the Magic before signing with the Lakers prior to the 1996-97 season.
The Heat expect O'Neal to make an immediate impact on their squad, considered one of the NBA's surprise teams from last season.
Miami, which has reached the Eastern Conference final only once in its 16-year history, went 42-40 last season and advanced to the East semifinals.
With the departure of starters Odom, Butler and Grant, Riley will build his team around O'Neal, rookie sensation Dwyane Wade and Jones, Miami's leading scorer for the last four seasons. Riley will likely shop the market for two forwards as well as a backup point guard, but given the addition of O'Neal, free agents may be drawn to signing with Miami.
"Everybody wants to be here now," said Jones, who played with O'Neal in Los Angeles from 1996 to '98.
The Lakers, meanwhile, get three promising players to fill the big hole left by O'Neal.
Odom, the fourth overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft, averaged 17.1 points, a career-high 9.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 80 games for the Heat last season. The six-foot-10-inch forward is also a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team for this summer's Athens Games.
Butler, the 10th overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, averaged 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds this year. In the 2004 playoffs, Butler averaged 12.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.15 steals in 13 games.
Grant averaged 8.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in 76 games last season with Miami. The eighth overall selection in the 1994 NBA draft has career averages of 11.4 points and 8.0 rebounds.
with files from Associated Press
