Sonics swap 7 for Ewing
The Sonics watched several efforts to land Patrick Ewing fall through this summer, but last night they acquired the New York Knick center in the biggest trade in NBA history.
The complicated four-team, 12-player deal involved the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Knicks, and it helped the Sonics revamp their roster. They moved seven players, including power forward Horace Grant, to land the 38-year-old Ewing.
"It hasn't been a sprint; it's been a marathon," General Manager Wally Walker said in a conference call last night. "There were many times we were all convinced the deal was completely dead. And it was, I guess. But it kept getting resurrected, and here we are."
The Sonics are without Grant, Greg Foster, Chuck Person and Emanual Davis, who were all sent to the Lakers, while Vernon Maxwell, Lazaro Borrell and Vladimir Stepania went to New York.
The Knicks got Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Travis Knight, two first-round picks in next year's draft (one each from the Lakers and Sonics) and two second-round picks in the draft (from Seattle).
The Suns received Chris Dudley, a first-round pick in next year's draft (from New York) and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Despite Ewing being injury-prone the past three seasons - missing 88 games - the Sonics believe he will be one of the better centers in the Western Conference.
If Ewing stays healthy, he should help the Sonics against the the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal and San Antonio's Tim Duncan. Last season, Ewing averaged 15 points and 9.7 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per game.
"The trade is not without risk, given Patrick's age and previous history," Walker said. "But it's a risk we absolutely had to take. To get a center, even at Patrick's age, he's still one of the top centers in the league."
Ewing's departure after 15 seasons was spurred after he reportedly asked the Knicks for a two-year extension.
"Patrick Ewing will forever be a New York Knick in the minds of everyone associated with this franchise," Knick GM Scott Layden said last night. "His contributions to this team have been unparalleled.
"It became clear that he was looking for a change, and when he requested a trade, we respected his request."
Ewing apparently wanted to leave New York so much that he didn't agree with Seattle on an extension. Instead, the Sonics have told Ewing they will see if he remains healthy through next season before having any discussions of re-signing him.
"Our wish is that Patrick has an outstanding and healthy year," Walker said. "And our dilemma is (reporters) are giving me heat to get him re-signed."
The original deal, which included Vin Baker going to the Knicks, fell through in late August after the Detroit Pistons pulled out.
After free-agent power forward Maurice Taylor signed with the Houston Rockets, Baker's return to Seattle was sealed. But because the Lakers, Knicks and Sonics intended to get a deal done, it remained alive even if things looked dim.
Laker GM Mitch Kupchak kept count of various trade scenarios, and the number hit 48 at his last count.
"It was a lot of work," Walker said. "And I give credit to the teams involved because every time there was a roadblock - and there were dozens upon dozens - everyone was creative in trying to find a way to get around it and keep the deal in motion."
The interested parties even tried for a five-team deal Tuesday - believed to include the Philadelphia 76ers - before it died of complications.
The Suns didn't become involved until last week, after the principal teams had exhausted several other scenarios.
In making the trade, the Sonics helped their conference rivals meet their biggest need by sending Grant to the Lakers.
But the Sonics saw the move as helping themselves more than aiding the Lakers, and star guard Gary Payton liked it.
"I think Patrick's going to come and add something that we needed," said Payton when told of the deal. "We needed someone to cope with the Rasheed Wallaces and the Shaquille O'Neals. We hope this is going to help Vin come back to the player he wants to be.
"I know Patrick's going to help our scoring, and it should open up things for me. . . . "
With the monster trade, the Sonics have only 11 players under contract, meaning other moves are yet to come, probably with Seattle's $1.2 million or $2.25 million exception. But it's the least of Seattle's problems after finally pulling the trigger on the Ewing deal.
"It was dead so many times," Walker said, "and all of a sudden there'd be another conversation, and somebody would say, `Well, what do you think about this?'
"It would solve that problem. And we got it done."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Here's the deal
Seattle and three other teams swapped a total of 12 players and four draft picks and cash:
Sonics get: Patrick Ewing
Knicks get: Glen Rice, Travis Knight, Luc Longley, Vernon Maxwell, Vladimir Stepania, Lazaro Borrell, Seattle's 2001 first-round pick (lottery protected) and two second-round picks, Lakers' 2001 first-round pick (lottery protected)
Lakers get: Horace Grant, Greg Foster, Emanual Davis, Chuck Person
Suns get: Chris Dudley, Knicks' 2001 first-round pick and an undisclosed amount of cash.
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Patrick Ewing bio
Position: Center.
Age: 38.
Height: 7-0.
Weight: 255.
College: Georgetown, '85.
Career highlights
-- NBA's 14th all-time leading scorer (23,650 points).
-- Has been selected to play in 11 All-Star games.
-- Named to the All-NBA first team once, second team six times.
-- Member of the 1984 and '92 U.S. gold medal-winning teams.
-- First pick of the 1985 draft.
-- Member of Georgetown's 1984 NCAA champions.
Personal
-- Ewing and his wife Rita have two daughters, Randi and Corey, and a son, Patrick Jr.
-- Graduated from Georgetown with a Fine Arts degree.
-- Has made cameo appearances in movies "Space Jam," "The Exorcist 1990" and "Funny About Love" and TV shows "Mad About You" and "Herman's Head."
-- Conducted youth clinics in South Africa in the summer of 1994 with fellow former Georgetown centers Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo.
-- Elected president of the NBA Players Association in 1997
Career statistics
Year Team G MP FG FT Pts Reb Ast
1985-86 Knicks 50 35.4 .474 .739 20.0 9.0 2.0
1986-87 Knicks 63 35.0 .503 .713 21.5 8.8 1.7
1987-88 Knicks 82 31.0 .555 .716 20.2 8.2 1.5
1988-89 Knicks 80 36.2 .567 .746 22.7 9.3 2.4
1989-90 Knicks 82 38.6 .551 .775 28.6 10.9 2.2
1990-91 Knicks 81 38.3 .514 .745 26.6 11.2 3.0
1991-92 Knicks 82 38.4 .522 .738 24.0 11.2 1.9
1992-93 Knicks 81 37.1 .503 .719 24.2 12.1 1.9
1993-94 Knicks 79 37.6 .496 .765 24.5 11.2 2.3
1994-95 Knicks 79 37.0 .503 .750 23.9 11.0 2.7
1995-96 Knicks 76 36.6 .466 .761 22.5 10.6 2.1
1996-97 Knicks 78 37.0 .488 .754 22.4 10.7 2.0
1997-98 Knicks 26 32.6 .504 .720 20.8 10.2 1.1
1998-99 Knicks 38 34.2 .435 .706 17.3 9.9 1.1
1999-00 Knicks 62 32.8 .466 .731 15.0 9.7 0.9
Career 15 seasons 1039 36.2 .508 .742 22.8 10.4 2.0
Playoffs 149 37.6 .467 .719 20.1 10.4 1.9