Reports: Heat set to get Brian Grant AUGUST 10, 2000 Print it! MIAMI -- While Brian Grant's agent says a sign-and-trade deal that would send the free-agent power forward to the Miami Heat has not been completed, two newspapers report the three teams involved have reached agreement in principle. The Oregonian reported in its Friday editions that five people -- two NBA general managers, one player in the trade and the agents for two other players in the deal -- said the details had been worked out. The Palm Beach Post also reported Thursday that an agreement in principle was reached among the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Heat for the three-way deal. Grant's agent, Mark Bartlestein, said Thursday that sign-and-trades are difficult. "There's no deals done as of yet, nothing is completed. We're talking with Miami," he said. But the Florida newspaper reported that Portland plans to sign Grant to a long-term deal, which will pay him as much as $9.2 million next season and $87 million over seven years, then send him to Miami. Cavaliers forward Shawn Kemp will go to Portland. Cleveland will get forwards Clarence Weatherspoon and Chris Gatling from Miami and Portland will add Gary Grant, after signing him to a three-year contract, the newspaper reported, citing anonymous NBA sources. "I'd be crazy not to want to be traded at this point, especially after the team has tried to trade me," Kemp said in a statement on his website Friday. "I would love to play for another championship, the team doesn't matter." The Heat would be "a perfect fit" for him, Brian Grant told The Oregonian. And Kemp's agent, Tony Dutt, called the prospect of Kemp going from Cleveland to Portland "a good situation for him. We're happy and pleased. We appreciate the efforts of a lot of people." "There's a lot of interest on both sides," Heat general manager Randy Pfund said. "We've inched a lot closer, but because of the timing, the situation cannot be resolved right now." Gatling's inclusion in the deal means the trade could not be official until at least August 26. The Heat obtained Gatling from Denver in June and league rules do not allow a player to be traded twice within 60 days. Brian Grant almost ended up in Cleveland in a $93 million deal that would have sent him to the Cavaliers in exchange for Kemp. But as a free agent, Grant used his power to turn down the deal. Then, after opting to become a free agent at the end of June and giving up a guaranteed $40 million over the next four years, Grant this week reportedly rejected a $70 million, six-year offer to stay with the Blazers -- which included no guarantee he wouldn't be traded. Grant has said he wanted to play for a team that could win a championship. "Yes, the Blazers are a contender, but they're not a contender I feel is going to keep me around to be part of that championship when they win it. That's what it comes down to," Grant told The Oregonian. Gatling was not happy about the possible trade, which will be his fourth in the past year. "This shows you there's no honesty, no trust in this league," Gatling said. "They (the Heat) haven't told me anything about any of this that's going on. If I'm not traded, I wouldn't give that team 100 percent, not after they haven't been 100 percent honest with me." Geez, would he be getting paid 100%? And here is Kemp's official web site: http://www.reignman.com/ ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know. [This message has been edited by BobFinn* (edited August 12, 2000).]
