With the NBA trade deadline a minute away yesterday afternoon, the Cavs, Bulls and Sonics completed a blockbuster 11 player trade.

In an attempt to give franchise superstar LeBron James an improved supporting cast, Cleveland GM Danny Ferry acquired Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Delonte West and Wally Sczerbiak from both the Bulls and Sonics in a massive overhaul to try to reach a second straight NBA Finals. 

First, Ferry sent guard Larry Hughes, power forward Drew Gooden along with Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown to the Bulls in exchange for Wallace, Smith and Chicago’s second round pick in 2009.

Then, he acquired West and Sczerbiak from Seattle for forwards Donyell Marshall and Ira Newble. The rebuilding Sonics also received veteran guard Adrian Griffin from Chicago as part of the blockbuster trade.

HB Analysis: What the hell did the Cavaliers do here? Unless Big Ben discovers the fountain of youth, he looks to be old and washed up. He was only pulling down 8.8 boards-a-game and netting just over five points a night- his worst output since 1999-00. The 33 year-old former NBA Defensive Player of the Year’s body is breaking down. He’s slower now.

My good buddy John Giagnorio must have been doing backwards cartwheels when this was announced because this was a trade which made the Bulls younger and more athletic. Gooden is a solid four who will put up decent numbers. It also allows Tyrus Thomas and rookie Joakim Noah to get more minutes. A must for Chicago’s rebuild process to start.

The streaky Hughes needed a change of scenery after a dreadful playoff showing last Spring despite playing through pain. He moves into a crowded backcourt which includes Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon and super sub Ben Gordon. Wonder what it means for Gordon, who is seeking a huge raise.

The Sonics basically revamped at the deadline also moving veteran big man Kurt Thomas to the Spurs for shooting guard Brent Barry, Francisco Elson plus a first round pick. With Barry putting their roster over the max, they then waived the three-point specialist saving $8 million in cap space over the next couple of years.  He could wind up back with the defending champion Spurs if no other team signs him over the next 30 days.

As for Cleveland, the big deal hinges on Wallace. Will the former All-Star center who helped lead the Pistons to their third NBA title a few years ago be motivated enough playing with LeBron to bring a championship to Cleveland? We’ll find out.

The Cavs didn’t do badly in terms of improving their bench when they go up against the East’s elite in Boston, Detroit and Orlando. Sczerbiak has comeback healthy from offseason ankle surgery averaging 13.1 PPG with Seattle. The Long Island product can score from the perimeter where he shoots better than 42 percent from beyond the arc.

They also added West, who along with Sczerbiak were part of the Ray Allen trade to Boston in the 2007 NBA Draft. The former St. Joe’s star didn’t play as much as expected in Seattle. With sharp shooter Daniel Gibson expected to miss six weeks due to an ankle sprain, that should change. West is a capable backup PG who can contribute points, rebounds and assists if you play him. He should see an increased role in Cleveland.

The other player Smith is a reliable offensive threat who can step out and knock it down from 17. He was having a nice season with the Bulls averaging 11.2 PPG and 5.3 RPG.

If Gibson comes back healthy in time for the playoffs and energizer Anderson “Sideshow Bob” Varejao also is injury free from an ankle which has sidelined him nearly a month, the Cavs should be a very deep team. They also still have Sasha Pavlovich coming off the bench and big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas starting.

If this new look roster gets healthy, they should be tough to beat. The real test won’t come until the second round.