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Tuesday, June 26
Updated: June 27, 10:30 PM ET
Hawks to get Abdur-Rahim in deal
Associated Press
ATLANTA -- Shareef Abdur-Rahim is coming home.
The Atlanta Hawks worked out a trade on the eve of Wednesday's NBA draft, acquiring Abdur-Rahim from the Vancouver Grizzlies for the No. 3 overall selection, 7-footer Pau Gasol of F.C. Barcelona in Spain.
The Hawks also gave up forward-center Lorenzen Wright and point
guard Brevin Knight, though the trade won't be formally completed
until July 18 because of complicated NBA cap rules governing base
salaries.
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Payton nearly a Grizzly
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The Sonics were close to trading All-Star point guard Gary Payton to Vancouver for Sharif Abdur-Rahim before the Grizzlies chose to deal with Atlanta instead.
The trade was nixed when the Grizzlies decided to go younger with their trade and draft-day approach. The Grizzlies committed to trade Abdur-Rahim for the No. 3 pick and two 25-year-olds -- point guard Brevin Knight and forward-center Lorenzen Wright. The Grizzlies will keep the sixth pick but will likely give the No. 27 pick to Atlanta. The Grizzlies don't want to take on three first-round salaries.
The Sonics would have given the Grizzlies the No. 12 pick, in addition to Payton, who turns 33 next month.
Tuesday night, Payton had issued a statement that virtually said goodbye to Seattle fans and noted that he had not requested a trade.
-- Andy Katz
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"We wanted to acquire talent with this draft pick that would
make us the best we could be over the next five-plus years," Hawks
general manager Pete Babcock said. "We don't have to wait for
Shareef to develop, and he has a big upside because he's only 24."
The 6-foot-9 forward was born and raised in suburban Marietta,
starring at Wheeler High School, and he kept his home in Atlanta
even while playing for the Grizzlies.
Abdur-Rahim still has four years left on a $71 million contract
extension he signed in 1999, which includes an $11.25 million
salary for next season. He will start on a revamped front line for
the Hawks, joining Theo Ratliff and Toni Kukoc.
Babcock called it another step in a two-year rebuilding process
that saw the Hawks slump to 25-57 last season, the worst record
since the team moved to Atlanta in 1968.
"We intentionally tore our team apart," he said. "It was
painful to go through, but we were very methodical and stayed with
our plan."
Aging point guard Mookie Blaylock was traded to Golden State for
budding star Jason Terry. Dikembe Mutombo was dealt to Philadelphia
at last season's trade deadline for Ratliff, Kukoc and Nazr
Mohammed. Steve Smith also was traded in an ill-fated deal for
Isaiah Rider.
The Hawks passed up their highest draft pick since 1975, instead
seizing the chance to acquire the leading scorer in Grizzlies'
history. Last year, Abdur-Rahim averaged 20.5 points, 9.1 rebounds
and 3.1 assists per game as the Grizzlies struggled to a 23-59
record.
"We could have taken one of those other guys and waited for him
to become Shareef," Babcock said. "But we thought, 'Why not take
Shareef now?"'
The Hawks also went through the formality of picking Gasol for
the Grizzlies with the No. 3 pick since teams are prohibited from
giving up their first-round pick two years in a row. Atlanta traded
its No. 1 pick in 2002 to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the
deal that brought Wright to Atlanta two years ago.
Vancouver also had the No. 6 pick, grabbing Duke forward Shane
Battier. As part of the trade, the Grizzlies will give Atlanta the
No. 27 overall pick this year or second-round picks in 2002 and
2004.
Babcock said the Hawks would wait to see who was available with
the 27th pick before deciding which option to take.
The Grizzlies, who already have shifted their basketball
operations to Memphis in anticipation of relocating to Tennessee,
hoped to make a big impact in a draft that was deep in talent but
short on experience.
"It was extremely difficult to trade Shareef because he's such
a wonderful kid who has given so much to this franchise,"
Grizzlies president Dick Versace told the Memphis Commercial
Appeal. "I called him and told him and thanked him for what he did
for us."
Babcock made it clear all along that he preferred to trade the
No. 3 choice rather than spend several seasons developing another
young player. The Hawks already have Terry, Dion Glover, Cal
Bowdler and DerMarr Johnson -- all drafted in the first round over
the last two years.
The trade still leaves the Hawks with a big hole to fill at
point guard. Terry originally played the position but blossomed
into the team's top scorer after shifting to off guard.
Babcock said he has no plans to move Terry back to the point,
other than perhaps 10-12 minutes a night in a relief role.
"Right now, we don't have one," the GM said. "We need a
proven point guard, and we'll be focused on that between now and
training camp. A trade is the most likely arena."
Wright, 25, moved into the Hawks starting lineup last season,
averaging 12.4 points and 7.5 rebounds. The 25-year-old Knight,
acquired from Cleveland in a January trade, averaged 6.3 points and
5.9 assists during his brief tenure with the Hawks.
Wright also will be going home, assuming the NBA approves the
move to Memphis for next season as expected. He was born in that
city and played at the University of Memphis.
Abdur-Rahim, who rarely speaks above a whisper, led Marietta's
Wheeler High School to a state title as a junior in 1994. After one
college season at California, he was the No. 3 selection in the
1996 draft and moved straight into the lineup for the woeful
Grizzlies, averaging 18.7 points as a rookie.
Abdur-Rahim's younger brother, Mohammad Abdur-Rahim, will be a
senior on Wheeler's basketball team next season.
"I think it's a good move for the Hawks and for Shareef,"
Wheeler coach Doug Lipscomb said. "I think he can help the Hawks.
I'm sure of that."
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