What the?

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

This sounds like a report Ray would have cooked up. Note, however, the part
about no trades til Aug. 1. If that's right, it would explain why things have
been so quiet around here. Seems strange, though -- are NBA execs going
golfing for the month of July?


  Tuesday, Jun. 29
  Hakeem headed to Toronto?

	Associated Press

  HOUSTON -- Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon, a 12-time NBA All-Star,
could be traded to the
  Toronto Raptors for two players and two first-round draft picks, the Houston
Chronicle reported Tuesday.

  Sources close to the talks say discussions have been going on for about two
weeks, the newspaper
  reported. Negotiations became more serious Sunday and Monday and could lead
to some changes in
  the offer, possibly including another draft pick or player, the sources
said. 

  Rockets officials refused to comment. 

  "The main thing is there will be fewer free agents in the future under
  the new collective bargaining agreement," a source close to the talks
  said on condition of anonymity. "You can already see more players
  signed with their teams because they get more money with their
  current teams. Free agency as we once knew it has been curtailed." 

  Olajuwon, the Rockets' most celebrated player in a 15-year NBA
  career that followed three seasons at the University of Houston, led
  them to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. 

  Trades cannot be made until Aug. 1, so the Raptors would have to select
players on the Rockets' behalf
  during Wednesday's NBA draft. 

  Houston would acquire the Raptors' two first-round selections, the fifth
pick -- acquired from Denver --
  and the 12th pick. The Raptors also would send former Rockets center-forward
Kevin Willis and
  swingman Doug Christie to Houston. 

  Both players are under contract for one more season. Because Toronto is
under the salary cap, it would
  be able to take on Olajuwon's $14.3 million salary without precisely
matching the salaries of the players
  dealt. 

  Willis played two seasons with the Rockets before he was traded to Toronto
last June for Roy Rogers
  and two first-round draft picks. Willis, 36, averaged 12 points and 8.3
rebounds last season. 

  Christie, 29, played 3? seasons for the Lakers and Knicks before spending
the last three seasons in
  Toronto. He averaged 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season
and a career-best 16.5
  points and 5.2 rebounds in 1997-98. 

  The Rockets, who have the No. 22 pick in the first round, have been looking
to move up in the draft. The
  No. 5 pick would be the team's highest since they selected Olajuwon first
overall in 1984. 

  By dealing Olajuwon, Houston would begin a rebuilding process in the wake of
consecutive first-round
  playoff losses. 

  The deal also could affect forward Charles Barkley, who is considering
retirement and said he wanted to
  return only if he thought the Rockets were title contenders.