O'Neal to Suns, Marion to Heat

Shaq heads back to the West, and Marion gets his wish to leave Phoenix. How does this trade look for both teams?
Phoenix should still have no trouble making the playoffs and getting a top four seed. Given the multitude of scorers and the passing ability of Steve Nash, losing Marion will unlikely affect point totals or offensive effectiveness very much during the year. The Suns have performed exceptionally in the past few regular seasons, yet have fallen short of making the NBA Finals in all three years. They typically lose in the playoffs because of their lack of ability to control the frontcourt against a team like Dallas or San Antonio. Paired with Amare Stoudamire, Shaq brings that dominant low post presence to Phoenix that they did not previously have with Marion. If healthy, Shaq will provide an offensive presence that allows the Suns to run set offense as well as they run the fast break, and a defensive presence that will allow the Suns to effectively cover two opposing post players. This looks like a move that will prove most beneficial in May and June, when Phoenix will have to play solid defense and slow down their offense. The obvious potential problems with the trade are that Shaq moves slowly in transition and is prone to injury. This move will most likely be highly scrutinized for a long time because it will appear Shaq is lagging behind the rest of the team, but the real effect of the trade will be evident during the playoffs. How good a move it is will depend on if Shaq can stay healthy and contribute in the aforementioned areas.
Miami does not look anything like the NBA Champion of two years past, and it is about time they made a change. Their success that season was the result of a dominant guard in Dwayne Wade, a dominant post player in Shaq, and steady play from others such as Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, and Alonzo Mourning. Since that season, injuries have limited playing time for the stars, and the rest of the team has been much less productive. The Heat suffered a first round sweep at the hands of Chicago last season, and have started an atrocious 9-38 this season, the worst record in the league. It was time for a change, and because of Shaq's lack of contribution this season, Miami utilized his iconic status to shop around for a talented player like Marion. With Marion and Wade, the Heat now have a dynamic offensive duo as they did two years ago, and with an upcoming draft pick likely in the top five, Miami may soon return to contention as one of the best teams in the league.
This trade looks as if it may be monumentally beneficial for both Phoenix and Miami in the long run.