Underrated moves of the NBA offseason News Portland Trail Blazers

As the NBA offseason continues to evaporate, fans are beginning to rub their idle hands together in anticipation of finding out which personnel maneuvers may catapult certain teams into more advantageous predicaments.

We're all heroically aware of the big moves.

But while it's obvious that Shaq to Cleveland, Ron Artest to L.A., Vince Carter to Orlando, Rasheed Wallace to Boston and Richard Jefferson to San Antonio will inspire the most chatter, we're interested in identifying which deals or hires may have greater impacts than many observers may expect.

Although most of our interst is aimed at potentially crucial acquisitions, there could be a memorable subtraction or two slipping onto the following list:

Boston Celtics sign Marquis Daniels

After the low-budget signing of Wallace (a move that very well could generate the greatest, title-related boost in the league), bringing in the former Indiana Pacer to spell veterans Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the wings could extend Danny Ainge's membership in the sharpies club.

With injuries permitting Daniels to receive 11 additional minutes per game last season, the defensive-minded, 28-year-old increased his per-game scoring average from 8.2 to 13.6. What he represents in Boston is a year-late answer to the departure of James Posey, who worked in the role of super sub during the Celtics' 2008 championship run.

Unlike Posey, however, Daniels is a bricklayer from behind the 3-point line.

Cleveland Cavaliers acquire Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon

The deal that brought Shaquille O'Neal to Ohio from Phoenix certainly will yield plenty of hype (much of it from Shaq) during the coming season. But landing a couple of athletic wing players will enable Cavs coach Mike Brown to continue directing high-level defense when his subs are on the floor.

Parker, who averaged 10 points per game for the Toronto Raptors last season, is quite a defensive upgrade from Wally Szczerbiak and is a decent (40 percent) long-range shooter. Moon may not spend much time hovering over nearby Parma, but he's athletic enough to defend near the rim and pick off quite a few offensive rebounds when LeBron James squeezes off shots from long range.

Although point guard wasn't exactly a need on draft night, first-round pick Darren Collison could give Coach Byron Scott some fairly cool little-guy stereo options against other teams that do the same.

Portland Trail Blazers sign Andre Miller

The Blazers already had a leader (remember Brandon Roy?), so don't expect the soft-spoken Miller to waltz in and take over. But he does possess the ability to initiate an offense, which frees up Roy to score.

Adding Miller does figure to subtract from Portland's ability to prevent opposing point guards from penetrating at will.

Toronto Raptors acquire Jarrett Jack

The signing of Turkoglu and drafting of DeMar DeRozan provided the big news in Toronto, but adding Jack to share time with Jose Calderon means the Raptors won't have to put Marcus Banks on the floor. That's a fine argument for any talk about making a playoff run.

Los Angeles Lakers re-sign Shannon Brown

Yeah, I am serious. Sure, bringing in Ron Artest and keeping Lamar Odom are the important maneuvers, but having Brown around to help Jordan Farmar spell Derek Fisher and rest Kobe Bryant could be really wise. Brown is a premium athlete and has enough wisdom to find shots within the context of the triangle offense.