| | Associated Press
SEATTLE -- With the biggest trade in NBA history officially dead, Vin Baker and Gary Payton were a couple of unhappy
SuperSonics as they arrived for USOC processing Thursday, their
first full day as members of the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team.
Baker, who had been ecstatic at the prospect of joining the New York Knicks, instead found out that the chances of him being traded there had shrunk to zero.
"It's been a difficult four or five days, and it's a situation where we have to look at how everything shook out and see what will be best for me," said Baker.
Baker came close to joining the Knicks in a four-team deal that would have sent Patrick Ewing to Seattle,
Baker, Glen Rice and Travis Knight to New York, Christian Laettner
and Chris Dudley to the Lakers and seven marginal players, plus two draft picks and $3 million in cash, to Detroit.
Payton, happy to be keeping Baker as a teammate, was nonetheless miffed over the way Seattle management had kept him out of the loop while working on the team.
About the only member of the Olympic team happy with the day's
turn of events was coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who pumped his fist in
excitement when he learned that the big trade was dead and his
team, the Houston Rockets, would likely land free agent forward
Maurice Taylor.
The Rockets have scheduled a news conference with Taylor on Friday.
"That's what we wanted to hear, that Ewing's not going to
Seattle," Tomjanovich said.
In fact, Ewing might not be going anywhere.
New York general manager Scott Layden said the team will
continue its efforts to trade Ewing, but it is now more likely than
not that Ewing will be a member of the Knicks when training camp
opens Oct. 3. Ewing retains his no-trade veto and can turn down any
trade that is not to his liking.
"We'll only do what's right for everyone concerned," Layden said. "If there is a chance for Patrick to get a fresh start and for the Knicks to improve as a team, we'll make a deal."
But it won't be with Seattle, that much appears certain.
Sonics general manager Wally Walker flew to Washington last week
to have dinner with Ewing and his agent, David Falk, and it was at
that meeting that Ewing became sold on the idea of joining the Sonics.
The Pistons pulled out of the deal at the last minute, and several days of subsequent talks failed to produce a deal.
"It is dead, and we'll come in tomorrow and lick our wounds and see where we are," Walker said.
With this deal apparently dead, several others were rumored to be in the works, and all the NBA maneuverings were being closely monitored by the members of the Olympic team as they spent several hours at a naval base and had a team photo taken.
When they weren't pushing Home Depot shopping carts around to
load up on warmup suits, team hats, shoes, sandals and leather
jackets, members of the Olympic team sneaked off to a corner to
talk on their cell phones or gossip with their new teammates.
Baker was especially anxious to hear what Layden and Walker, who had both remained publicly silent for more than a week, said to reporters on conference calls.
Layden, departing from his usual practice of refusing to comment on trades, said Ewing and Falk had never discussed a contract extension with him and had never demanded a trade.
Layden also said he expects the Knicks to be a contender in the
East even if they are unable to find another trade involving Ewing.
"Whatever awkward feelings there may be, I expect he will come
back and have a strong season for the Knicks. And when he comes
through the tunnel at Madison Square Garden for the first time,
there's going to be a standing ovation," Layden said.
Baker, who has a strained relationship with Sonics coach Paul
Westphal, seemed resigned to the fact that he'll probably be back
in Seattle when the Olympics are over.
"I really had a good 24 hours when I considered myself a Knick.
It was a great feeling for my family and friends. But now we have
to rethink things," he said. "I'm at a point in my career where I needed a new start and I thought New York would have been a good place to have that start because it was just time to change. We'll see where we go from here." | |
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