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Shaquille O'Neal is still one of the NBA's most unstoppable forces. He's also the highest paid player in the league right now at $29,464,288.

Stories have surfaced that O'Neal will be asking the Miami Heat to extend his contract to pay him $90 million over 3 years.

O'Neal will cite his obvious domination of his position and the fact that he will be appearing in the Heat's training camp in his healthiest form in years. He has reportedly dropped 26 pounds from last season and was extremely committed this off-season to working out in preparation for his best year yet, against the sub-par centers in the Eastern Conference.

Is Shaq worth the money?

The Miami Heat will have to consider this demand carefully. Having one player take up more than half of the salary cap can cripple a team. Of course, spending over the cap doesn't automatically mean nightmares, but it can burn a team if the luxury tax is triggered.

Remember that although the Lakers did have success with O'Neal and Kobe Bryant driving the engine, the weakness on that team eventually became the bench rotation and supporting cast. That team spent so much money on the two major stars, it became difficult to invest in a "team" concept. The Detroit Pistons showed the Lakers what smart spending can bring to the court.

Now the Pistons may have shown the whole league an alternate way to go. Other teams may begin to follow their model and be very weary of paying huge amounts for just one or two stars and sacrificing a solid team concept in the process.

I'm sure the Miami Heat will take the "wait and see" attitude on this and base their decision on how this season turns out. What if O'Neal brings his team deep into the playoff? what if he gets them the championship? What is that worth to the Miami Heat?

Nuno Cardoso resides in Toronto, Canada.