With Luol Deng now in town and the Cleveland Cavaliers yet dreaming that LeBron James may someday soon be open to returning there, the franchise may be open to offering up versatile swingman C.J. Miles on the open market.
Fox Sports Ohio is reporting the hard-nosed and always professional Miles is attracting attention from a number of teams looking to shore up perimeter play as the February 20 trade deadline nears.
An eight-year veteran who got his start under the notoriously disciplined Jerry Sloan in Utah , Miles is now viewed as one of the Cavs’ most vocal and respected leaders and reportedly was instrumental in brokering a truce between once feuding backcourt mates Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters.
Back in mid-November, when a 1-8 stretch led to a “player’s only” meeting, it was Miles who was hugely credited with using his veteran experience to calm locker room tensions, including breaking up an actual fistfight rumored to have taken place between Irving and Waiters. Miles also reportedly spent much of his summer working out with the two young players in hopes of developing better team chemistry.
On the hardwood, Miles, 26, is known as a heady competitor and a streaky shooter. During one three-game stretch in early November, he shot 19-of-38 from the floor, including six three pointers. And earlier this month against Philadelphia, he set the Cavs’ record for most three-point field goals in a game by netting 10 against the Sixers.
Overall, Miles’ numbers this season (9.9 points per game, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists) mirror those of last year when he averaged 11 points, three rebounds, and an assist. In the final year of his contract, Miles’ $2.2 million annual salary is also viewed as an attractive factor.
According to reports, the Cavs remain uncertain what value Miles might command on the trade market.
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