INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Luol Deng was surprised. His mom was shaken. After learning he had been traded from the Chicago Bulls to Cleveland, Deng said the most difficult aspect of knowing he would no longer be playing for the Bulls after nine seasons wasnt packing his bags or saying goodbye to teammates. The hardest part was explaining to his mom, Martha, he had to move. "She couldnt understand why," he said. "She feels like Im a nice guy, I get along with everybody, so I had to explain to her. She was asking me, Are you not playing well? Whats going on? That was the hardest part." Its gotten a little easier. Deng began a new chapter in his NBA career on Wednesday when he practiced with the Cavaliers for the first time. Cleveland acquired the two-time All-Star small forward Tuesday from the Bulls in exchange for centre Andrew Bynums salary cap-friendly contract and future draft picks. Deng said he didnt see the trade coming. The 28-year-old knew a deal was always possible and an end to his run with the Bulls was inevitable, but it caught him off guard. "Ive been very lucky," he said. "Not a lot of guys can say theyve been with one organization for too long. I was definitely surprised. You hear stuff, you hear rumours, but some of its true and some of its not. When it happened, I couldnt believe it. It took a while to hit me. But its not like Im stopping from playing basketball. Ive been traded from one great organization to another one." The Cavs are counting on Deng to make a difference on and off the floor. A dependable scorer, solid defender and leader, Deng brings a winning attitude to a young Cleveland team undergoing growing pains. "Hes a veteran whos still in his prime," said coach Mike Brown. "He adds to the culture of what were trying to do here. Hes definitely a two-way player that can add an amount of professionalism, a maturity, and winning ingredients to any ball club." Brown said Deng, who averaged 19 points and 6.9 rebounds, will likely start Friday night when the Cavs open a five-game road trip in Utah. The trip will help Dengs transition. "Its great for him to get to know us, soon and better, and for us to get to know him," Brown said. "So you couldnt ask for it to happen at a better time." During his first interview with Cleveland media members, Deng flashed his wide smile and charmed reporters while recounting the whirlwind 36 hours since the trade was completed. Deng recently turned down a contract extension from the Bulls, whose season shifted from contention to rebuilding after star point guard Derrick Rose was injured. Several of his former teammates expressed disappointment in seeing him leave, and Deng said it was tough knowing he wont play with them again. "Its basketball at the end of the day, and its my job," he said. "But the hardest thing is those are friends. Its really hard when you wake up the next day and know that your friend is gone and hes going to be competing against you. I think they understand the business part of it. Its a contract thing, and my time has come up. Thats the direction the organization chose to go." Deng is in the final year of his contract worth $14 million this season and is eligible for free agency this summer. Hes willing to discuss a long-term contract with the Cavs, who are just 12-23 and currently out of playoff position. "Im definitely open to talking about it," he said. "I have no problem with that." Deng said he felt like a "college kid" and was amazed as he toured Clevelands lavish training complex for the first time. "Youve got a food place and a chef there the whole time," he said. "You pick whatever you want, then youve got a TV and a hot tub, cold tub. I was caught up with that." When it came time to practice, Deng had to wear No. 8, but afterward he convinced Cavs rookie guard Matthew Dellavedova to give him No. 9, which he has worn his whole career. "We sat in the locker room for a little while looking at each other. It was almost like we were about to break up," Deng said with a laugh. "It was really hard, but hes such a nice guy. He gave up the number. Im definitely going to have to pay him back for that." Deng explained No. 9 has special meaning for him. "Im one of nine kids," he said. "I always wore nine for my mother because she gave birth nine times. It was always my payback to her." Now theres a trade she can appreciate. N... Air Max 90 VT Heren . Louis Blues forward Chris Stewart was recognized Monday as the NHLs top performer for the week ending Dec. . The NHL and National Hockey League Players Association announced Thursday they are partnering with the You Can Play Project, an organization aimed at eliminating homophobia in athletics. 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