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Friday, August 3, 2001
Sixers, Cavs complete 5-player trade
Associated Press
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CLEVELAND -- Tyrone Hill had his only All-Star season in
Cleveland and his best years with the Cavaliers, who are hoping he
has at least two more good ones left.
Hill, an 11-year veteran forward who helped get Philadelphia to
the NBA Finals last season, was traded back to Cleveland on Friday
in a five-player deal with the 76ers.
|  | | Tyrone Hill, right, will go to the hoop for the Cavs once again. |
The Cavs sent forwards Matt Harpring and Cedric Henderson and
center Robert Traylor to the 76ers for Hill and second-year forward
Jumaine Jones.
"It's a very good trade for both teams," said Cavs coach John
Lucas. "We got some maturity, some know how and some toughness.
And, we were able to stay young. I'm very excited about it. Tyrone
Hill gives us the kind of veteran we were looking for."
In a separate deal, the Sixers traded forward Roshown McLeod and
a first-round pick to the Boston Celtics for forward Jerome Moiso,
Philadelphia's first-round pick this year.
The 6-foot-9 Hill played for the Cavs from 1993-97 and was an
All-Star in '95, averaging 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds.
Cleveland traded him to Milwaukee in 1997 with guard
Terrell Brandon in a three-way deal that brought Shawn Kemp to the Cavs.
The 33-year-old Hill, who has two years left on his contract at
$6.6 million per season, averaged 9.6 points and 9.0 rebounds for
the 76ers, helping them win the Eastern Conference title.
He'll boost a Cavs team needing help up front while center
Zydrunas Ilgauskas recovers from another foot surgery and
first-round draft pick DeSagana Diop and second-year forward
Chris Mihm develop.
Hill should offset the loss of Clarence Weatherspoon, the Cavs'
leading rebounder last season, who recently signed as a free agent
with the New York Knicks.
"When he was here before he was the type of guy who maybe
grumbled at times," said Cavs general manager Jim Paxson. "But
when he got on the floor he played hard all time. He brings a lot
to this team and can really help us."
Jones, a first-round draft pick in 1999, should give Cleveland
some scoring punch as well.
An excellent jumper who can slash to the basket, the 6-7 Jones
averaged 4.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 65 games last season -- his
second in the league. He also played well in the playoffs, filling
in when George Lynch got hurt.
Paxson said he wouldn't make the trade unless the 76ers added
Jones, who recently averaged 20 points in the Boston Summer League.
"He was a big-time scorer in college," Paxson said. "He's
been inconsistent and he's been on a good team and hasn't had a lot
of playing time. But he has a scorer's mentality. And if you look
at our team, we still have to find guys who can put the ball in the
hole."
In return, the 76ers are getting the hard-nosed Harpring, who
averaged 11.1 points in his first season with the Cavs as well as
Henderson and Traylor -- two underachievers who clashed with former
Cleveland coach Randy Wittman.
Harpring was acquired in a trade with Orlando before last season
and played in just 56 games after being sidelined following ankle
surgery.
"He brings some offensive capability and some toughness," said
Sixers GM Billy King. "He fits in with how we play and he does
give us a shooter that everybody says we needed. He puts the ball
on the floor; he's not just a stand-still shooter."
Henderson was not a factor in Cleveland's offense, averaging 4.3
points and 1.6 rebounds in 55 games. He spent two stints on the
injured list.
Traylor battled weight problems during his first year with
Cleveland after being traded to the Cavs from Milwaukee in a
three-team deal. He averaged 5.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 70
games but was frequently in foul trouble.
"Robert and Cedric probably didn't fit into any short-term or
long-term plans," said Paxson. "We felt we've got one veteran
player and one young player who can help us. We feel good about
it."
McLeod came to Philadelphia last February with center
Dikembe Motumbo in a trade for Toni Kukoc, Nazr Mohammed,
Pepe Sanchez and Theo Ratliff.
McLeod averaged 9.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 35 games with the
76ers and Atlanta.
Moiso, the 11th overall pick in 2000, played in 24 games with
the Celtics before being placed on the injured list with a
tendinitis in his right knee. He averaged 1.5 points and 1.8
rebounds.
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