Taylor tells Rockets He's Still Undecided; Rockets also after Miller

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/641283

Deal has Ewing going to Sonics


Rockets' pursuit of Taylor affected

By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle

In a move once unthinkable, one of the last remaining active icons of an NBA franchise, the New York Knicks' Patrick Ewing, was set Monday to move to the Seattle SuperSonics in what would become the largest trade in league history.

The four-team deal, involving a record 13 players and two draft picks, would bolster the champion Lakers, radically change the frontcourts of the Knicks and Sonics, allow the Pistons to clear cap room to chase Chris Webber next summer, and end the Rockets' pursuit of free-agent forward Maurice Taylor.

But the most stunning aspect of the deal would be its heart -- Ewing's departure from New York after 15 seasons in which he became one of the NBA's all-time 50 greatest players and a sure Hall of Famer.

To land Ewing, 38, the Sonics would send the Knicks forward Vin Baker. The Knicks would also add Lakers free-agent forward Glen Rice and Lakers reserve forward/center Travis Knight.

The Lakers would pick up Christian Laettner from the Pistons to fill their void at power forward and Chris Dudley from the Knicks to serve as Shaquille O'Neal's backup at center.

The Pistons would receive guards Tyronn Lue and John Celestand from the Lakers, forwards Vladamir Stepania, Greg Foster and Lazaro Borrell and guard Vernon Maxwell from the Sonics, guard David Wingate from the Knicks and first-round picks from the Lakers and Knicks.

The Pistons, who owe the Rockets a first-round draft pick, will receive future first-round picks from the Lakers and Knicks, either of which would satisfy their obligation to the Rockets. But the trade will also allow them to spend freely in free agency next summer when Webber is expected to be available.

The Sonics would get a veteran center to battle O'Neal, San Antonio's David Robinson and Portland's Arvydas Sabonis. But for the Sonics, the key to the deal might be a player not in the trade.

The Sonics would be able to move Baker largely because Taylor would sign a $2.25 million, one-year contract to take his place as a smooth-shooting power forward.

Taylor and his agent, David Falk, who also represents Ewing, had not told the Rockets that Taylor had chosen to pass up their offer, and Taylor even told two Rockets representative on Monday he still was undecided.

But all indications were that they were preparing to officially announce the deal and the signing of Taylor as soon as the league approves the trade.

"I think we've done a good job in our dealings with Maurice Taylor," Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said Monday. "I believe this would be a good place for him. It would be good for us."

For the Rockets, sources said, the next step could be to pursue free-agent center/forward Brad Miller. According to Miller's agent, Mark Bartlestein, the Rockets showed interest in Miller before the Taylor deal began slipping away. But unlike Taylor, Miller is a restricted free agent.

If Miller, who played for Tomjanovich's World Championships team in Greece, would accept a $2.25 million offer, the Hornets could match it, forcing teams over the salary cap to pursue a sign-and-trade deal. The Rockets would seem unlikely to be able to offer the shooting guard the Hornets are hoping to land for Miller.

But Tomjanovich said the Rockets would be cautious about allocating any future cap space, or even using their $4.5 million trade exception before it expires Oct. 1, if it would adversely affect their free-agent spending next year.

"There's 1,000 different things we're looking at, but there's not a lot of things there," he said.

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Assimilate David Falk!!

[This message has been edited by The Cat (edited August 21, 2000).]