Darius has been traded once again. He was sent to the Trailblazers in
exchange for Jeff McInnis and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje.

My thoughts as a Miles fan is this trade sucks for Darius. Yes he
hasn't met expectations and has been on thin ice recently with the
team but I really don't think Portland is the best place for young
player. The team has a reputation for it's players getting in
trouble. But, I'm still hopeful this'll wake DM up and he starts
playing at a higher level.

-jmoney_

P.S. Here's an article on the trade:

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer
January 21, 2004

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Darius Miles received another wake-up call: He got
traded to Portland.

Miles, who was fined by the Cavaliers for oversleeping and skipping a
practice earlier this week, was dealt Wednesday to the Trail Blazers
for point guard Jeff McInnis and center Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje.

Miles has been a disappointment in his 1 1/2 seasons with Cleveland,
which acquired him before last season in a deal that sent guard Andre
Miller to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 22-year-old Miles, who jumped straight from high school to the
NBA in 2000, was averaging 8.9 points in 24 minutes per game. He has
shown breathtaking flashes of skill, but has been plagued by
inconsistency, and first-year Cleveland coach Paul Silas was
reluctant to play him.

Miles will get a fresh start with the disappointing Blazers, who
might not be done turning over their roster.

Portland general manager John Nash said the trade had been in the
works for about a week, but talks had been on and off between the
teams for the past year.

``We knew that Cleveland was interested in a point guard, and we knew
they'd been interested in Jeff for several months,'' said Nash, who
may still trade Rasheed Wallace.

After playing just eight minutes Saturday in Utah in the final game
of Cleveland's road trip and with trade rumors about him circulating,
Miles missed practice on Monday, saying he had forgotten to set his
alarm clock.

The club was so concerned about Miles' unexplained absence that they
sent the police to his house to make sure he was safe.

Miles was fined by the Cavs, but the lanky 6-foot-9 swingman played
17 minutes in Monday's win over Seattle. Miles, who will be a free
agent after this season, is making $4.1 million in the final year of
his contract.

The Blazers like Miles' versatility and think a change of scenery may
bring out his best.

``We have a few options with him,'' Portland coach Maurice Cheeks
said. ``He's a very athletic player. 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, will give Cleveland some depth at point guard and
another veteran to surround rookie star LeBron James.

McInnis is averaging 11.9 points and 5.0 assists in 32.5 minutes per
game, 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 Cavs general manager Jim Paxson, who doesn't expect
McInnis and Boumtje-Boumtje to be available for Thursday's game
against Sacramento.


Paxson said the main reason to get McInnis was to make things easier
for the 6-foot-8 James, who has had to play point guard during
stretches this season.

McInnis will split time with Kevin Ollie at point, leaving James to
play off-guard and small forward.

``We've asked LeBron to do a heck of a lot,'' Paxson said. ``But for
him to be most effective, we don't need him bringing the ball up,
initiating our offense and having to score points. That's going to
take its toll. We needed to get him back to his more natural
position.''

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 Paxson said the
guard's contract is partially protected for next season and would be
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.

This 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.

Paxson said this deal would likely be the Cavs' last before the Feb.
19 trading deadline.

Miles is joining a Portland team that has been in disarray much of
the season. The Trail Blazers (17-23) have lost nine of 11, but had
one of their biggest wins on Tuesday, a 109-104 victory over the
Kings.

Earlier this season, the club traded guard Bonzi Wells to Memphis,
and Wallace has been rumored to be on his way to Dallas.