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"We took some risks, but I think they're good risks if we can make ourselves better and we can grow as team," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said. "We brought four guys to our team that bring a high-level of experience and talent to give us a boost down the stretch, and who can make a difference as we go forward."

   In the complicated swap - the third-largest in league history - the reigning Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers acquired muscular centre and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace from the Bulls and sharpshooter Wally Szczerbiak from the Sonics.

 In addition, the Cavaliers received Seattle guard Delonte West, Chicago's Joe Smith and a second-round draft pick from the Bulls.

 The trade addressed the Cavaliers' need to strengthen themselves on both ends of the court.

 "We wanted to get better with our core philosophy," Ferry explained. "Part of it is being a better defensive team, and today's move helps with that.

 "Also, we've learned that shooting is invaluable to us, because it opens the court up and gives us more spacing. Having a Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Joe Smith - guys who can shoot the ball like that - really frees it up for the rest of our guys to make drive-and-kick type plays that (coach) Mike Brown is trying to do offensively."

   In return, the Central Division foe Bulls get Cleveland power forward Drew Gooden and swingman Larry Hughes, packaged with reserves Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown.

 The Sonics, meanwhile, pick up backup forwards Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall from the Cavs along with swingman Adrian Griffin of the Bulls.

 "Obviously, you don't want to make a division rival better," Ferry said referring to Chicago. "But I think our focus was to make ourselves better. Hopefully, this trade works for the Bulls and the Sonics. I think it can.

 "If it works out for us, it will work out at a level that we can be very competitive, not just in our division but throughout the NBA."

   The deal was the granddaddy of a busy day in which several other players changed addresses.

 In another three-team trade, the Western Conference-leading New Orleans Hornets, bolstered their bench by acquiring swingman Bonzi Wells and guard Mike James from the Houston Rockets in exchange for veteran guard Bobby Jackson.

 "We wanted to add a little bit of presence on our bench in the form of players who could give us some scoring punch," Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said. "This trade dramatically improves our team by giving us proven veteran scorers at the backup guard and swing positions."

   The Hornets also shipped rookie guard Adam Haluska and Brazilian second-year forward Marcus Vinicius to the Rockets. Houston immediately sent Vinicius, the rights to Senegalese Malick Badiane and cash to the Memphis Grizzlies for the rights to Ukrainian Sergei Lishouk.

 Jackson, used mainly as a backup to all-star point guard Chris Paul, averaged 7.1 points per game this season. Wells, who is expected to play behind Rafer Alston, is averaging 9.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for Houston.

 James, who will be joining his eighth team in just seven NBA seasons, is averaging 6.5 points.

 Besides making that swap, the Rockets picked up 2007 slam dunk champion Gerald Green from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for reserve swingman Kirk Snyder, a 2010 second-round pick and cash.

 Green, an explosive forward, was averaging 5.1 points on just 33.3 per cent shooting in only 29 games with Minnesota.

 The Toronto Raptors beefed up their inside game by acquiring backup centre Primoz Brezec from the Detroit Pistons for reserve guard Juan Dixon and cash.

 Brezec will be headed for his third team after stints with Charlotte and Detroit. The seldom-used, 7-foot-1 Slovenian is averaging 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 37 games this season. Dixon was averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 assists in 36 games with Toronto.

 The Portland Trail Blazers picked up Von Wafer from the Denver Nuggets for Taurean Green in a swap of young backup guards.

 In his third year, Wafer averaged 1.3 points, 0.5 rebounds, 0.2 assists in 21 games with the Nuggets. In his rookie season, Green was averaging 2.1 points in eight games for the Blazers.

By Paul Levine, dpa