Mid Season Trade, helping Cleveland....

[hds428]

Atlanta trades: SF Toni Kukoc (9.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.6 apg in 25.3 minutes)

SF Dion Glover (8.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.5 apg in 21.0 minutes)

PG Emanual Davis (6.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg in 26.7 minutes)

Atlanta receives: PF Tyrone Hill (8.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 0.9 apg in 31.1 minutes)

SF Darius Miles (9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.2 apg in 27.2 minutes)

Change in team outlook: -7.7 ppg, +6.7 rpg, and -4.3 apg.

Cleveland trades: PF Tyrone Hill (8.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 0.9 apg in 31.1 minutes)

SF Darius Miles (9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.2 apg in 27.2 minutes)

Cleveland receives: SF Toni Kukoc (9.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.6 apg in 59 games)

SF Dion Glover (8.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.5 apg in 55 games)

PG Emanual Davis (6.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg in 29 games)

Change in team outlook: +7.7 ppg, -6.7 rpg, and +4.3 apg.

TRADE ACCEPTED color=green>

This trade is good for both teams, it gives us an expiring contract (unless I'm mixed up on Hill's contract), and a young SF. It gives CLE a soon-to-be expiring contract (TK) who's an okay player...when healthy...and on....It also gives them a bigger combo guard to help Wagner along and Dion who can score from the bench or even start at the 3 some. Best of all it gives CLE what they really want, just enough injury and incosistency to put them seriously in the hunt in the LeBron James sweepstakes next year. Miles does'nt help our outside game much but he's a good slasher and rebounder and okay defender, I think his jumper will come around eventually.

[Teeareess]

Cleveland paid alot to get Miles. They won't dump him this quickly. Trading Miller, Stith, & Hill and coming away with Jamison, Glover, Davis, & Kukoc would be a huge downgrade without any real upside.

[Guest]

Dude, that trade will never happen. your reasoning isn't that far off, but I think that you ahve to look at things from Cleveland's point of view. They traded Miller because they couldn't give him his due. Ironically, he's now with Sterling, who has never given anyone their due and may soon be watching Elton Brand leave (why else do you draft two pf's in the lottery!). For Cleveland, they get out of the Miller ordeal. They get in return a player who has unlimited athletic ability and can create a fan-friendly run and gun type of offense alongside the equal aged DaJuan Wagner. They cleared some cap space and now have at least a year to figure out what they have in Miles. But fans will come to the arena, as the team is exciting, even if it may not win that many.

On a sidenote, they'd be less popular but a better ball club with the original version of that trade: i.e. Miller to LAC for Odom and the #8 (Wilcox). They'd then have a point-forward, or at least someone who can run the offense....instead they've got...um, who's their pg?

Secondly, Miles is over-rated. Dont' get me wrong, he's incredible to watch. His athleticism is unbelievable. He's like KG in a lot of way - the enigmatic smile, love for the game, components that make his marketability undeniable; something that the owners in Cleveland needed, a face for the team. It might not be the best team, but the youth movement will be exciting...but probably a lot like JT's fundraiser this weekend...

I take this from ESPN's fantasy spin:

Playing time was always an issue behind Odom and others in Los Angeles, but it's not like Miles spent last season stuck on the bench. He averaged 27.2 minutes last season, after averaging 26.3 minutes his rookie season. In all that time, 28 games of 30-plus minutes last season, he managed just one 20-point effort. In other words, playing time isn't the only thing wrong with Miles' offensive game. Expect him to shoot more often now that he's in Cleveland, and expect his field-goal percentage to drop as a result.

Offense would be nice, but it's not Miles' calling card, at least not right now. He averaged 1.26 blocks per game and has a chance to make a significant fantasy impact in that category. To solidify his value, Miles must improve his rebounding numbers. He averaged just 9.8 rebounds per 48 minutes, 70th in the league (just in front of Hanno Mottola). Miles will be a chic sleeper pick on draft day, but aside from blocks, there's little reason to expect a breakout season.

His fg% is a result of put-backs and tip ins. He has no jumper to speak of....though some have pointed out the development of a jumper in other people, most notably Scottie Pippen and MJ (MJ really didn't have that great a shot when he came into the league...but he developed one), the jury is definitely still out on Miles...I'd rather take my risks on Odom.

[hds428]

This is all just prognosticating and supposition anyway, but IMO, CLE did'nt pay alot to get Miles. CLE paid alot to get to James and this trade puts em even closer to the #1 overall plus it gives them the bigger combo guard to play beside and help develop Wagner. They don't have much of anything right now to start at the point besides squirrelly little old Bimbo Coles, so even junkmail would be an upgrade there. Dion gets them upside for what they're giving in Miles and Toni is a patch player who'll give them cap room soon and a few good games in the meantime. This season, from all accounts I've heard the Cavs are wanting to tank and implode anyway to insure that high lotto pick, and there's already grumblings from the Miles camp about wanting to play and stay in CLE, this would also avoid the problem of convincing Miles to stay before its an issue by trading him. Toni and Dion are basically locks to miss games due to injuries so they need not worry about those two turning the Cavs into a 50 win team, but Dion has good upside and could blossom just as their high picks in Wagner and James(?) come to fruition, by that time Toni will be gone to FA'cy and likely so will Davis.

[Guest]

Toni to a team like that concerns me: I worry that going to a team that far back in rebuilding to get a player who's used to winning perhaps might be the final straw that sends him back to Europe. Other teams have to know this. Perhaps I'm being optimistic, but I think that Toni sees potential in this team and still wants to play...we have a possible future. Possible because it depends largely on health, but the elements could be in place...

[Traceman]

they can get a hell of a lot more for him than Kukoc and Glover. There is no way in hell they would ever consider doing that. Besides, they have at least 2 more seasons of Miles before he can leave and even then, they will be able to offer him a LOT more money than anyone else. By then, he could change his mind and want to stay in CLE, particularly if they are winning and he's playing on an exciting, athletic young team. CLE could trade Miles RIGHT NOW for ANY player taken in this year's draft (MAYBE excluding Ming) and they would have that player locked up for 4 years. Why would they want Kukoc/Glover when they could have Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy, Drew Gooden, Tskitishvili, Hilario, Wilcox, Stoudemire, Butler, etc. for 4 years at a bargain price?

As far as James goes, they could go 0-82 and they still would be less likely to get James than another team. The worst team gets more lottery balls than the others but they still only have about a 33% chance (I think) of landing the overall number one pick. That means that there is a 67% chance that they WON'T get James. No way in hell they throw away a talent like Miles (who may end up being as good or better than James anyway) for a 33% CHANCE that they might land James. That will NEVER happen.