Shaq approves trade to Heat
 
Mike Branom  

7:15 PM EST    

Expect to see Shaquille O'Neal in a Miami Heat uniform next season.

His agent does.

Perry Rogers, said Sunday a blockbuster deal between the Heat and Los Angeles Lakers is imminent and could be official Wednesday when the NBA's two-week player movement moratorium expires.

"It still can't officially be done, of course, but I can tell you we're confident that this will move forward," Rogers told The Associated Press in a phone interview Sunday. "We're excited about the prospects. We're confident that Shaquille will be moving to Miami soon."

Miami is expected to send a package that includes Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, one other player - perhaps Caron Butler - and a first-round draft choice to Los Angeles in exchange for the 7-foot-1, 340-pound O'Neal, who demanded a trade shortly after the Lakers lost the NBA Finals to Detroit.

Rogers said he did not know which players the Lakers and Heat have agreed to swap.

"What's been agreed to by (Heat president) Pat Riley and (Lakers GM) Mitch Kupchak, I have not been privy to," Rogers said.

Both teams, through spokesmen, declined comment Sunday. Calls placed to agents for Odom and Grant were not returned, nor was one seeking comment from O'Neal, whose contract runs for two more seasons at a combined total of almost $59 million.

O'Neal met with Riley on Saturday and agreed to a trade. Rogers insisted that the 11-time All-Star is not demanding that Riley - who resigned as Miami's coach days before last season began and promoted his longtime assistant, Stan Van Gundy - return to the sidelines as part of the deal.

"Stan is a great coach," Rogers said. "He had a great year. It's not even a consideration that Stan wouldn't be the coach."

"Shaquille's excited about this and we hope that it's something that gets announced as soon as it can become official," Rogers said.