SIXE19.htm

[David A Wickerham <aw623@freenet.buffalo.edu> (by way of wickerhd@nyslgti.gen.ny.us (Dave Wickerham))]

          [Philadelphia Online] THE PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS Sports
                          Thursday, June 19, 1997
                                      
               Sixers likely to nix watching McGrady session
                                      
                               by Phil Jasner
                          Daily News Sports Writer
                                      
   
   The 76ers probably are going to decline an invitation to watch North
   Carolina high school star Tracy McGrady in a private workout Sunday in
   Durham.
   
   The Sixers adopted that stance in the aftermath of McGrady backing out
   of a scheduled interview and workout with them today because of what
   has been described as either a hamstring or groin injury.
   
   The 6-7 McGrady, who averaged 27.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.7
   assists as a senior at Mount Zion Christian Academy, interviewed
   yesterday with Toronto.
   
   McGrady told reporters in Toronto that he suffered the injury about
   two weeks ago. He previously had worked out and/or interviewed with
   Boston, New York, New Jersey, Cleveland, Golden State, Denver,
   Indiana, the Los Angeles Lakers and Vancouver.
   
   ``From what I'm hearing of him, I don't think we could take him with
   the No. 2 pick [ in next Wednesday night's NBA draft ] ,'' said Billy
   King, the Sixers' vice president of basketball administration.
   
   ``We don't feel he's as good as [ Texas Tech's ] Tony Battie, [ Utah's
   ] Keith Van Horn, [ Colorado's ] Chauncey Billups or [ Villanova's ]
   Tim Thomas. We wouldn't take him ahead of any of them. I'll probably
   let his coach and agent know Friday or Saturday, but it doesn't look
   like we'll be going down there.''
   
   Raptors vice president Isiah Thomas said he would consider choosing
   McGrady with the No. 9 pick.
   
   The Sixers, who already have met with Tim Thomas, Battie and Colgate's
   Adonal Foyle, are scheduled to visit today with Billups, then see
   Kentucky's Ron Mercer in a workout and interview. Michigan forward
   Maurice Taylor is scheduled tomorrow, although King said he is not
   being considered at No. 2.
   
   ``We had been entertaining the idea of getting an additional pick [ in
   the first round ] ,'' King said. ``I don't know whether we'll do that,
   but if it were to happen we'll at least know who he is.''
   
   King said Foyle was also an unlikely No. 2 pick.
   
   The 6-9 Taylor, a junior, averaged 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds last
   season, helping the Wolverines to the NIT championship.
   
   But the Sixers have remained unable to schedule a meeting with the
   6-10 Van Horn, who has said through agent David Falk that he is not
   interested in playing in Philadelphia.
   
   ``I think he has heard about things in the Sixers' past that are not
   positive to him,'' King said of Van Horne. ``If I had a chance to talk
   to him, I'd tell him that [ new coach ] Larry Brown wasn't here then,
   but that Larry's track record is that he has won and his players have
   had fun.''
   
   King also repeated what Brown said earlier this week, that if the
   Sixers decide Van Horn is their best option at No. 2, they will not
   hesitate to take him.
   
   ``If we took him, we'd have a lot of calls from other teams,'' King
   said. ``But they would have to call with something very good, because
   we wouldn't give him away. If we took him, it would be to become an
   integral part of our team.''
   
   In the meantime, King said a report in the Chicago Tribune that the
   Sixers were one of the teams most interested in acquiring the Bulls'
   Scottie Pippen was ``absolutely wrong.''
   
   A rumor has been circulating for about a month that the Sixers would
   be willing to trade Jerry Stackhouse and the No. 2 pick for Pippen.
   
   ``People hear it, see it, they think it's true,'' King said. ``But why
   would we trade two young players for a great player who will be 32
   this summer, who would want a lot of money [ to re-sign ] ?''
   
   Pippen has one year remaining on his contract, and is scheduled to
   earn about $2.7 million. Stackhouse also has a year remaining on his
   original, three-year rookie contract, but has the option of opening
   negotiations for a new deal after July 1.
   
   ``Jerry has played two years, but he hasn't played yet for Larry,''
   King said. ``He has the potential to get much better.
   
   ``You might win more games with Scottie right away, but you have to
   look at your future, too.''
   
   In the same vein, King said there was nothing to a rumored trade that
   would have sent Golden State forward Joe Smith and the Warriors' No. 8
   pick to the Sixers for forward Clarence Weatherspoon and the No. 2
   pick.
   
   King said he had spoken with new Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo,
   congratulating him on joining the Warriors, and that the two had
   agreed to speak again, probably before the draft.
   
   Even farther off center, King said, was a column in an Oakland,
   Calif., newspaper that suggested a trade of the Sixers' Derrick
   Coleman for the Warriors' Donyell Marshall. And both King and Isiah
   Thomas said there was no truth to suggestions that the Raptors had
   rekindled their interest in Coleman.
   
   Thomas admitted being interested several weeks ago, but backed off
   when Harold MacDonald, Coleman's agent, said Coleman only wanted to
   play for a winner.
   
   King did admit that the Sixers have ``about three [ prospective ]
   deals about which we've had repeated conversations,'' but would not
   offer specifics.
   
   ``But none of them is anything we're ready to do,'' he said. ``All
   we're really doing is getting closer to concrete details.''
   
                                    ---
          Philadelphia Online -- Philadelphia Daily News -- Sports
                     Copyright Thursday, June 19, 1997