This time Patrick Ewing is gone. For real. No false alarm. Enjoy the cafe latte, Patrick.
Ewing’s 15-year career without a championship in New York finally ended last night in a four-team deal that sends him to Seattle. Again.
The 12-player blockbuster brings the Knicks six players and four draft choices, highlighted by Lakers small forward Glen Rice and Phoenix center Luc Longley. The Knicks get two first-round picks, but also give up one.
The Knicks add four bit players – L.A. center Travis Knight and Seattle’s 7-foot prospect Vladimir Stepania, Cuban forward Lazaro Borrell and veteran guard Vernon Maxwell.
It’s believed at least one of their new pickups could be waived.
The Knicks also traded Chris Dudley, headed to Phoenix, and gained two second-round picks. All the small pieces are similar to the ones involved in the blown-up four-team deal last month except one very important difference. Instead of getting Vin Baker, the Knicks are getting Longley, the 31-year-old Australian who has been a major disappointment for the Suns in two seasons.
Phoenix emerged as the new team involved after the Sixers dropped out early yesterday in a deal that would have landed the Knicks Rice and Philly center Matt Geiger – a better proposition. But that died.
Team sources insisted last night the 38-year-old Ewing had demanded this trade, especially since the late-August deal blew up. No, this wasn’t the Knicks’ idea completely as they were willing to have “The Big Fella” play out the final year of his contract, even with hard feelings and all.
GM Scott Layden said in a statement last night, “It become clear, he was looking for a change. When he requested a trade we respected his request. It was important, in doing so, that we had the ability to add value and with Glen [Rice] and his All-Star credentials and with two veteran big men and draft picks, we believe we have done that.”
The Knicks’ infatuation with the 6-foot-8 Rice is perhaps tied to having another outside shooter, making them more comfortable in dealing Allan Houston or Latrell Sprewell for an All-Star big man such as Dikembe Mutombo or Chris Webber. The Knicks had once eyed a deal with Atlanta in which either Houston or Sprewell and Marcus Camby would be packaged for Mutombo, a free agent next summer.
But in a statement last night, Jeff Van Gundy made sure to indicate Houston and Sprewell were staying. “Glen Rice has had a tremendous career and we’re happy to have him,” Van Gundy said. “We’re looking forward to Allan, Latrell and Glen forming a very dynamic perimeter.”
Rice, a free agent, signed a four-year, $36 million deal in this sign-and-trade, which was less than the six-year, $50 million he would have received in the original August package. One league source indicated the holdup yesterday afternoon was the Knicks bargaining down Rice.
Rice, at 33 years old, is on the downside of his career and refused to fit in with the Lakers. As a possible sixth man here, there is concern Rice could be a chemistry problem in the Big Apple.
Van Gundy, always staunch defender of Ewing’s, went on to lavishly praise his ex-center. “Patrick is one of the hardest-working, loyal players I’ve ever been around,” Van Gundy said. “I have told him more than once that he is a champion even if he hasn’t won a championship yet. He practices and played like a champion every day he was here. Seattle was fortunate to get a player of his talent and character.”
Besides Longley, the Knicks get a young project in Stepania, a 24-year-old Russian selected in the first round, 27th overall in 1998. Stepania averaged 2.5 points, 1.6 rebounds. 6.7 minutes in 30 games last season.
Longley, at 7-foot-1, has been in Phoenix two seasons after leaving the Bulls. Despite his three rings with Chicago, Longley has been a disappointment in Phoenix and has four years and $26.5 million left on his contract that the Suns were trying to dump.
Though the starter, Longley averaged just 19.7 minutes per game – 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds – last season.
In the deal, the Lakers gain Horace Grant and throw-ins. The Suns, so desperate to deal Longley and dump his salary, only get the 35-year-old Dudley and a first-round pick. Dudley makes $7 million this season but can be bought out for $2.3M in his final year.
Yesterday’s deal beats last week’s three-team clinker that crashed in which the Knicks would have wound up with only Rice, but not by all that much. By adding a fourth team in Phoenix, the Knicks get a big body to replace Ewing at the pivot, but it is not a stirring deal, especially with Longley coming aboard instead of Geiger.
