Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson wanted to make a deal, and so did his Philadelphia counterpart, Billy King. Paxson had his eyes on forward Tyrone Hill, and King longed for swingman Matt Harpring.

Easy, right?

Not at all. Since Hill was due $6.6 million for this season and Harpring $1.9 million, other players had to be thrown in to even out the salaries on each side.

Several players were discussed, but Paxson insisted on wanting forward Jumaine Jones. He eventually got what he wanted. So last Aug. 3, Hill and Jones went to the Cavs for Harpring and forwards Robert Traylor and Cedric Henderson.

Two months into the season, the 6-foot-8, 218-pound Jones is averaging 10.6 points and 7.9 rebounds. Not bad for a player many considered a throw-in.

``We needed to get more athletic, so putting Jumaine in the trade was important for us,'' Paxson said. ``But he's a better rebounder than I thought.''

Paxson figured the player pulling down all those boards would be Hill, who has a career mark of 8.7. Hill, who practiced yesterday for the first time, has yet to play this season due to a back injury. But the emergence of Jones in his third season has eased much of the Cavs' frustration over Hill.

Jones' offense needs work. He's not a great ballhandler, so he doesn't get to the hoop much for easy buckets or to draw fouls. But Jones is doing plenty of other things well for the Cavs. In Wednesday's 91-89 loss to New Jersey, he had a career-high six blocked shots.

``I'm far from a shot blocker,'' said Jones, who has 18 this season.

But Jones, who has averaged 9.8 during the past eight games, is willing to brag about his rebounding.

``I want to average 10 rebounds a game,'' said Jones, who averaged 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds while playing 10 minutes a game in his two seasons with the 76ers. ``I've got that ability. I just have a nose for the basketball.''

Jones is a hard worker, and he's very athletic, so he can jump over players. While at power forward, where Jones has played much of the season, he uses quickness to get around foes. But he's also willing to bang into them.

``He's not afraid to throw his body around,'' Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. ``He gets in there against guys who are bigger and doesn't shy away from contact.''

With small forward Lamond Murray out with a strained back, Ilgauskas was inserted into the lineup Wednesday. That resulted in Chris Mihm moving from center to power forward and Jones going to small forward.

Lucas said Murray won't play tonight against New York or tomorrow at Chicago. When Murray returns, Jones is expected to be the odd man out. But the Cavs believe he will be able to provide valuable athleticism off the bench at power and small forward.

It's appropriate Jones soon will be playing both positions since nobody can agree on where he is better suited. Assistant Jerry Eaves was asked which is Jones' natural position.

``For him to be in the league a long time, it's three (small forward),'' Eaves said.

Coach John Lucas was asked the same question.

``His body is a three, but he's a four (power forward),'' Lucas said. ``He won't be a great three, but I'm not certain he can't be a great four.''

Since Lucas has the final word, he'd prefer to play Jones mainly at power forward. But when Hill returns, the Cavs will be overloaded there, so Jones also will have to play small forward.

Jones doesn't care where he plays as long as he plays. He has high hopes for his game.

``I want to be a Dennis Rodman-type, but better offensively,'' said Jones, who is a non-stop ball of energy.

Jones, shooting 39.5 percent from 3-point range, is a solid outside shooter. But Lucas believes he too often settles for outside jumpers. That's why he's constantly doing ballhandling drills, such as dribbling through cones.

It would have been laughable early in the season to compare Jones' defense with Rodman's. But Jones has gotten much better in that area.

Eaves awards players $5 for each charge they take. Guess who has gotten the richest?

``Jumaine's taken $90 (18 charges) from me,'' Eaves said. ``That's a big lead over Bimbo (Coles), who's taken $50.''

But that's small stuff when one considers what the Cavs took last summer from the 76ers.

CLIMBING A HILL -- Hill, who hurt his back last summer, participated in 30 minutes of halfcourt drills. ``I'm still going to have soreness until I get my legs back under me,'' said Hill, who looked stiff. Hill said he wants ``to get in a couple of games on the West Coast trip (Jan. 10-18), and I want to be ready for the Miami game (Jan. 21).'' Paxson and Lucas both said it's too early to establish a timetable on when Hill might play.

NOTABLE -- Lucas is hopeful Murray can practice next week and play Wednesday against Golden State. . . . Center Michael Doleac, out since Nov. 21 due to a fractured ankle, has had his walking boot removed and next week will do treadmill work. Paxson doesn't expect Doleac back until after the West Coast trip. . . . Lucas talked to his team for 30 minutes yesterday. ``I expect more out of them,'' said Lucas, who called recent problems ``mental.''