The Toronto Raptors swapped backup guards with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, acquiring Juan Dixon for Fred Jones at the NBA trade deadline.

Dixon, 28, is averaging 8.9 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 22.6 minutes in 51 games this season, his fifth in the NBA.

Juan Dixon is headed to Toronto.
(D. Zalubowski/Associated Press)

A reliable three-point shooter, he has connected on 36.4 per cent of his field-goal attempts from beyond the arc.

"Juan has proven he belongs in this league," Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said. "And we will see how he affects our team.

"We will see if he is a factor in our plans. But we certainly look forward to giving him every opportunity to break into the rotation and see where it takes us."

Toronto also liked Dixon's two-year contract, considered modest by NBA standards.

Dixon is earning $2.5 million US this season and will pocket $2.75 million US next season, whereas Jones is in the first year of a three-year, $9.9-million US pact.  

"Having one less year and a little less salary, over the next two seasons, is certainly an attractive part of the deal," Colangelo said.

Dixon overcame a traumatic childhood — both parents were heroin addicts who died of AIDs-related illnesses — to lead Maryland to its first NCAA title in 2002 and win most valuable player honours.

He has averaged 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 20.6 minutes in 307 NBA games (66 starts) since being drafted 17th overall by the Washington Wizards in 2002.

Dixon joined Portland as a free agent on Aug. 4, 2005.

"I have heard nothing but positive things about Juan," Colangelo said. "Everyone that he has touched along the way in the NBA talks about what a class guy he is."

No future in Toronto

Jones didn't figure in Toronto's future plans, playing six minutes in Wednesday's 86-85 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers after missing six games with a dislocated middle finger.

He averaged 7.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 22.3 minutes in 39 games with the Raptors, who signed him last July 26.

"He started off doing very well for us," Colangelo said. "Ultimately, he kind of found himself out of the rotation.

"You hate to see people not thriving in situations. We have settled in on that rotation and Fred, coming off this most recent injury, probably was not going to have that role that we talked about."

Jones reportedly waived the final year of his contract to secure the trade to Portland, where he has lived since high school.

"You look for viable solutions," Colangelo said. "This is a tremendous situation for Freddy to go back to his hometown." 

Jones, winner of the 2004 slam dunk contest, has averaged 7.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 22.3 in 284 NBA games (28 starts) since being drafted 14th overall out of Oregon by the Indiana Pacers in 2002.

With files from the Canadian Press