More from RealGM
|
CLEVELAND (AP) Darius Miles' stay with the Cavaliers is finally over, and so is LeBron James' time as a point guard. Miles, who never seemed to fit in during his 1{ seasons in Cleveland, was traded Wednesday to the Portland Trail Blazers for guard Jeff McInnis and center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje. The Cavs have been looking for a veteran point guard to take some of the strain off James, their talented rookie who is better suited at off-guard. Although James, expected to miss his second straight game Thursday with a sprained right ankle, has been effective playing the point, he commits too many turnovers and struggles defensively against smaller, quicker guards. McInnis, a dependable scorer and tough-nosed defender, will allow James to play shooting guard. ``We've asked LeBron to do a lot in just his first year,'' Cavs general manager Jim Paxson said. ``We felt that for this team to grow he needed to be moved to his natural position, which is out on the wing where he can create.'' The 22-year-old Miles did some creating for the Cavs _ but just not enough. Miles, who jumped straight from high school to the NBA as the No. 3 overall pick in 2000 by the Clippers, showed flashes of skill after coming to the Cavs in a trade with Los Angeles before last season for Andre Miller. But his tenure with the Cavs was plagued by inconsistency, and first-year Cleveland coach Paul Silas had reduced his role after starting him earlier this season. Miles will get a fresh start with the disappointing Blazers, who may make a few more deals before the trading deadline. Forward Rasheed Wallace may be the next to go. ``We knew that Cleveland was interested in a point guard, and we knew they'd been interested in Jeff for several months,'' said Portland GM John Nash, who may still trade Rasheed Wallace. Miles' trade came one day after the Cavs fined him $2,500 for skipping a practice Monday. Miles claims he overslept, but the timing of his absence seemed to indicate he knew a trade might be coming. The lanky 6-foot-9 swingman, a free agent after this season, is making $4.1 million in the final year of his contract. The Blazers like his versatility and think a change of scenery may bring out the best in Miles. ``He's a very athletic player,'' Portland coach Maurice Cheeks said. ``He can get up and down the floor. There's been times this season where we have had a hard time doing that. Coming here, he has a new look, where he can start all over. We all see the potential in him.'' McInnis, 29, gives Cleveland some depth and another veteran to surround James. He averaged 11.9 points and 5.0 assists in 32.5 minutes per game this season, but had his playing time reduced recently when Derek Anderson returned from the injured list. ``Jeff is one of those guys who will step in and do a good job for us,'' said Paxson, who doesn't expect McInnis and Boumtje-Boumtje to be available until Friday. McInnis will split time with Kevin Ollie at point, but may soon be starting. Paxson said the Cavs didn't want to wait until the offseason to try and add a point guard. They were afraid if they had waited, they wouldn't have been able to get a player of McInnis' quality. ``We feel he is as good a point guard as we were going to get,'' said Paxson, who had been interested in signing McInnis two years ago as a free agent. McInnis is making $3.3 million this season, and his $3.6 million contract for next season is guaranteed if he's on Cleveland's roster on July 1. Boumtje-Boumtje, 25, has been playing less than three minutes per game. He was on the injured list most of last season. The Cavaliers placed rookie Jason Kapono on the injured list to make room for Boumtje-Boumtje, who will be a free agent after this season. Wednesday's trade is the second significant deal in the past two months for Paxson, who pulled off a six-player swap with the Boston Celtics on Dec. 15. The Cavs are 8-9 since acquiring Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown in exchange for Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm and Michael Stewart.
|