Normally this move wouldn't be posted at OPP, but given that a player (Antawn Jamison) was traded to a conference rival (Cleveland Cavaliers), it bears relevance to the Orlando Magic. 

• Rashard Lewis on Cleveland trading for Antawn Jamison: "It doesn't scare me"
  Rashard Lewis chimes in on Jamison joining the Cavaliers.

  The Magic player that will most feel the impact of Antawn Jamison’s addition to the Cleveland Cavaliers will be power forward Rashard Lewis.
  
  Jamison has caused Lewis problems on occasion. So what does Lewis think about the trade?
  
  "It doesn’t scare me," Lewis said. "I’ve been on all star teams as well as him. I think it’s going to come down to who executes better on the defensive end. Most definitely a great player. … At the same time one guy doesn’t win ballgames. They do have another guy called LeBron James which is going to be our focus."

More after the jump.

• Antawn Jamison makes Cleveland Cavaliers title favorites
  Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated states that Cleveland is the team to beat after making the trade.

  The Cleveland Cavaliers have become title favorites Wednesday after acquiring two-time All-Star Antawn Jamison for -- potentially -- very little. [...]
  
  Two things stand out about this trade. First was that Cleveland was in the driver's seat -- the Cavs and the Mavericks being the only contenders willing to take on longterm contracts -- and that general manager Danny Ferry executed the turns perfectly. He was able to leverage interest in Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire in order to drive down the price on Jamison, who was viewed by many rivals as the best possible fit for Cleveland.

• Jamison-to-Cleveland becomes official
  Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don't Lie, in my eyes, nails it with his assessment of the acquisition.

  To start, though I've been begging for this deal for a while, the idea that the Cavaliers could have picked up Amar'e Stoudemire for close to the same package is a little unnerving. Antawn Jamison is a fine player, he stretches the defense, can rebound, can stay out of the way, and he rarely turns the ball over. But Stoudemire is an offensive powerhouse, the leading scorer on the league's best offense, and someone who could run a devastating pick and roll combination with LeBron James for years. [...]
  
  In all, a sound deal for all parties at the moment. I worry about Antawn Jamison making over $15 million two years from now, and I worry (as always) about going the safe route. Jamison could mean a championship this year, but Stoudemire could have meant a dynasty.

• Transaction Analysis: Jamison to Cleveland
  Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus analyzes the deal.  

  Count me among those who think Jamison is a better fit for Cleveland than Stoudemire, based on the reasons I went into in scouting the two players earlier this week. Jamison is a much better partner for Cavaliers sixth man Anderson Varejao, and while I don't think Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal are incapable of playing together, neither do I think they are as potent as a duo as Jamison and O'Neal because of Jamison's superior range.
  
  In terms of winning a championship this year, I think Jamison was Cleveland's best bet. If and when Ilgauskas returns (he'd have to sit out at least 30 days if he decides to re-sign), the Cavaliers will be incredibly deep in the frontcourt, where it's tough to imagine quality players like J.J. Hickson or Leon Powe seeing any playing time at this point. The big thing Cleveland has now done is given Mike Brown the ability to match up with almost any kind of lineup. The Cavaliers already were built to combat the size of the Celtics in the frontcourt, and O'Neal has been effective against Dwight Howard and the Magic. Even if you're dubious of using him strictly on the perimeter on offense, Jamison's versatility will be a major help in matching up with other stretch fours like Orlando's Rashard Lewis and the Lakers' Lamar Odom.

• Cavs' Ferry Hits a Home Run With Jamison Trade
  Matt Moore of NBA FanHouse thinks general manager Danny Ferry made the right move.

  There are plenty of reasons to try and manage expectations on this trade. Statistically, as HoopData.com extrapolated on, Amar'e Stoudemire was the logical choice. And with Jamison's age and contract, if this deal does not do what it's built to do, it will be considered one of the biggest failed gambits of all time. But all of that is over-thinking it. 20.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and that doesn't begin to consider the overall ability of Jamison. Jamison's strength extends from knowing how to work in an offense to what could be a high proficiency in Mike Brown's man-help defensive system. Jamison's defense has never been the stuff of legend, but the Cavs' system is such that it can cover a player's man-up deficiencies.
  
  Jamison is also a locker-room leader, a true professional, and a player the Cavs notoriously stagnant offense desperately needs. Jamison can shoulder the load for James and work with him in the pick and roll. The pick and roll possibilities with Jamison-James with Shaq for cleanup is positively devastating. The news only gets better if the Cavs are able to re-sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas following a buyout, which is expected to happen.

• Amare or Antawn? It's an easy choice.
  Tom Haberstroh of Hoopdata believes Amar'e Stoudemire would have been the better option.

  Stoudemire's clearly the superior offensive option from an efficiency standpoint, besting Jamison in every area inside the 3-point line. Even for a power forward, Jamison has a really poor mid-range game. He easily has the worst conversion rate on long twos among the the power forwards that feature that weapon consistently, tarnishing his reputation as an asset shooter. Although, he still can show that delicate touch around the basket that made him a dream to watch in his early years. From an efficiency standpoint, I prefer Stoudemire hands down. But of course, things aren't always that simple. [...]
  
  In the end, I don't see any reason for the Cavs to gamble on Antawn Jamison but I see a lot of promise in swinging a deal for Stoudemire. Contracts and financials aside, I would much rather have Stoudemire working the pick and roll and terrorizing the basket rather than hoping Jamison suddenly turns into a sharpshooter. The Cavs cannot afford to risk allowing Jamison to take a handful of low-percentage shots per game just because he looks like a shooter. As much as the Cavs might believe they're a big piece or two away from winning the title, I think it's more accurate to believe they were always just a bounce or two away. I can see how Stoudemire makes sense if they do want to add that piece, send a message to the fans, and give LeBron a serious low-post threat, but I cannot stamp my approval on a trade for Jamison. There's too much at stake for the franchise to bank on a player like Jamison to help bring home that elusive title to Cleveland.

• NBA trade deadline: Grading the deals
  John Hollinger of ESPN Insider states his opinion.

  I like Jamison for Cleveland better than the primary alternative, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, for a few reasons. First, he makes less money, and there isn't the issue with his potentially leaving after the season. Second, he's a more natural "stretch 4" than Stoudemire, and that's the one area in which the Cavs were most lacking.
  
  I've had a couple of people tell me Jamison is a low-efficiency offensive player, but that's just not true. His shooting percentages are only average, but what these folks miss is his minuscule turnover rate -- his mark is half that of Stoudemire's, for instance.
  
  Jamison gets most of his points without dribbling or isolating one-on-one -- most of his points come in the flow. On a team for which LeBron James, a gifted passer, is doing most of the work with the ball, Jamison's ability to make a quick cut that generates a shot should prove valuable. The last time he was in a similar situation, playing with Steve Nash in Dallas, he shot 53.5 percent from the field, posted his career high in PER and won the Sixth Man of the Year award.

• Magic Must Adapt to New-Look Cavs
  Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse thinks the Cavaliers acquired Jamison with the Magic in mind.

  Veteran forward Antawn Jamison going to Cleveland was done with an eye on the Magic, who beat the Cavaliers last spring in the Eastern Conference final. They still present the biggest obstacle standing in front of a Lakers/Cavs NBA Finals.
  
  The Magic, who are likely again to see the Cavs at playoff time, now must prepare for a team with more versatility and a power forward much like the Magic have in Rashard Lewis. [...]
  
  "This takes them to another level. They already have the best player in the world, but now they have another go-to guy,'' said Magic forward Matt Barnes. "It allows them to stretch the floor. They got better, but we'll see. It takes time to work a new guy into the lineup.''