Looks like everyone got their wish. MIAMI (Ticker) -- The long-anticipated three-team trade sending power forwards Brian Grant to the Miami Heat and Shawn Kemp to the Portland Trail Blazers finally was announced Wednesday. Spurned by Grant, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the third team involved, acquiring forwards Chris Gatling, Clarence Weatherspoon and a conditional first-round pick from the Heat along with guard Gary Grant from the Blazers. Under the league's collective bargaining agreement, the deal could not become official until Saturday because Gatling was ineligible to be traded twice within 60 days. He was obtained by Miami on June 27 from Denver. Grant, 28, opted out of the final four years and $40 million of his contract with Portland to become an unrestricted free agent and drew interest from numerous teams. He refused a six-year, $60 million offer to re-sign with Portland before rejecting a maximum seven-year, $93 million sign-and-trade agreement that would have sent him to the Cavaliers for Kemp. Grant, who was born and raised in Ohio, wanted to play for a championship contender and did not believe the Cavaliers fit that description. Heat coach and president Pat Riley stepped in and orchestrated a trade that satisfied Grant, who received a seven-year, $84 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal and landed with a contender. The link: http://espn.go.com/gen/newswire/2000/20000831/00713511.html
The rich keep getting richer. If Miami doesn't win the east now... Riley is the Phil Jackson of the East. ------------------ In order to be a success in life, you need 2 things: 1. Don't tell everything you know.
I don't think the differences between Grant and PJ Brown are all that big, other than age. Miami has done an amazing job though of putting themselves in a position to contend for 5 or so years by getting Jones and Grant to add with Mourning. That's a pretty young group of players entering their best years. Come to think of it, the league may have to investigate how they were able to pull that off. It seems too good to be true. Miami still doesn't have anybody to deliver in the clutch though.
Freakster I really think there was a "meeting of minds" between B.Grant and Riley. Basically Riles didn't want to lose anything when he give up PJ Brown (and actually wanted more offensive threat from the PF position maybe) and Brian Grant wanted a defined starter's role in a longer term contract with a coach of passion. I think they both get what they want. The spark of course is Zo. I personally think the work-ethic on the floor of Grant will mesh well with Zo's work. Plus they both can be tenacious defenders when it is needed. Those two will make an awesome 4-5 front. The hole left by Jamal Mashburn's departure, that instant crash-bang, slip-slide, straight-ahead, here's-my-fast-ball-now-try-to-hit-it type of offense will be the true measure of this summer's trades,though. IMHO, anyway.
Funny, I always considered Phil Jackson to be the Pat Riley of the Central... ------------------ "There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and STATISTICS..." - Mark Twain -
That is... before his move to L.A. of course... Didn't Riley already establish himself as a genius two decades ago? ------------------ "There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damned Lies, and STATISTICS..." - Mark Twain -
