| | Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland, Cleveland and Miami completed a
five-player deal Wednesday, with the Trail Blazers sending power
forward Brian Grant to the Heat and getting Shawn Kemp.
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| Kemp |
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| Grant |
Under terms of the deal, which has been known for weeks but
finally met league approval, Grant signed a seven-year, $86 million
deal with the Blazers. In exchange for Grant, the Heat sent Chris
Gatling and Clarence Weatherspoon, along with a first-round draft
choice and cash, to the Cavaliers.
Cleveland also gets Portland's 36-year-old backup point guard,
Gary Grant, who almost certainly will be cut.
Kemp's weight problems, bloated contract and surly attitude made
him unwelcome in Cleveland. Kemp, who played for Seattle when
Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt was there, is due to make $71
million in the next four seasons.
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The Big Men
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Brian Grant
1999-2000: 63 gms., 21.0 mpg, .491 FG%, 7.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg
Career: 28.4 mpg, .499 FG%, 11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg
Notes: Rebounding was down over four per game last season from career high 9.8 in '98-99.
Shawn Kemp
1999-2000: 82 gms., 30.4 mpg, .417 FG%, 17.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg
Career: 30.6 mpg, .497 FG%, 16.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg
Notes: 1999-2000 rpg was his lowest since '90-'91, 1999-2000 ppg was his lowest since '92-'93
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"He's had a great career and still has good games in him,"
Whitsitt said. "He'll do what is needed of him to win. He's not a
statistics guy. He's done that.
"He's done everything a guy can do in the NBA, but win a
championship. He's hungry for it."
Portland guard Steve Smith, practicing with the U.S. Olympic
team in Hawaii, said the 6-foot-10 Kemp will be a big help guarding
the Los Angeles Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal.
"We've got so many guys. We're the other Dream Team," Smith
said.
Brian Grant was slowed by knee and foot injuries last season
when he averaged career lows of 21 minutes, 7.3 points and 5.5
rebounds. One of the league's most emotional players and fiercest
rebounders, he also was frustrated by giving up the spotlight to
Rasheed Wallace, who had a breakout season playing the same
position.
"Brian wanted to make sure he was playing for a team that had a
chance to win a championship, a team where he would play a major
role and he would be the starting power forward, with a great coach
and a terrific city," said Mark Bartelstein, Grant's agent.
"Miami has all that covered and more.
"He's got a lot to prove, and he's looking forward to proving
it. He's got a lot of pride, and it hurt him to go through what he
went through last season."
Grant had been courted by the New York Knicks and Cleveland, but
Miami could offer the kind of raise he was looking for. He made
about $7.7 million with the Blazers last season. The Los Angeles
Lakers also were interested, but the most they could afford was the
$2.25 million exception.
When Miami traded its own power forward, P.J. Brown, to
Charlotte for Eddie Jones, it opened the door for Grant.
Bartelstein also represents Brown.
The deal gives the Heat an imposing frontline that also has
Alonzo Mourning and Anthony Mason, and puts coach Pat Riley in his
best position to make it back to the NBA Finals since he's been in
Miami.
"It looks fabulous on paper, looks like we're going to come out
of the East, but I've seen some of the most talented teams not win
anything," Mourning said. "Look at Portland: The last time they
won it was when Bill Walton was there. There's always a lot of
talent there, but they never win. So talent alone won't do it."
Kemp, who joins a Portland team that nearly beat the eventual
NBA champion Lakers in the Western Conference finals, signed a
seven-year, $98 million contract after coming to the Cavs in a
three-way trade in 1997.
"Whenever you're considering trading, every factor comes into
it," Cavaliers general manager Jim Paxson said. "To say it's strictly
done for financial reasons, no. Strictly done for the weight
reasons -- everything factors in.
"Because of the back end of his (Kemp's) contract, the
flexibility of being able to do anything to improve this team was
greatly limited. So in the short term we have depth, we have a lot
of players fighting for time and positions, and in the long term we
have some flexibility."
The Blazers are hoping a return to the Pacific Northwest will
motivate Kemp. He has reported to training camp 50 pounds
overweight the past two seasons in Cleveland.
The added weight grounded Kemp, who used to be one of the most
ferocious dunkers in the league. Too often last season he was
forced to adjust his shot or just had it blocked. He finished the
season averaging 17.8 points -- his lowest total since 1992-93 -- and
with a career-low 41.7 field-goal percentage.
"Clearly, I expect him to be in shape to play, and I know he
will," Witsitt said. "If you look at what he did last year, you
have to be an athlete in good shape to do that."
Kemp also was a liability on the defensive end, leading the
league in personal fouls and finishing third in turnovers -- a
remarkable stat for a frontline player.
The 30-year-old forward was a bigger headache off the court. He
regularly arrived late for home games, team meetings and flights,
failing to be the type of role model the Cavs wanted their young
players to learn from.
Gatling, who came to Miami in a pre-draft trade with Denver, has one year left on a contract that will pay him $5.4 million this
season. He averaged 11.9 points and 5.9 rebounds in 85 games last
season with Orlando and Denver.
Weatherspoon averaged 7.2 points for Miami. Gary Grant played in
just three games last season for Portland. | |
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