Fortson Says Knicks or Warriors

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

This has been a lose - lose situation for the Celtics, seemingly right
from the very beginning....

http://www.nytimes.com/library/sports/basketball/080500bkn-knicks.html

August 5, 2000


Knicks Give No Guarantees to Fortson
By CHRIS BROUSSARD


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anny Fortson got to ride in a black limousine, but that was about it.
There was no star-studded video presentation as there was for Grant
Hill, no yachting excursion as there was for Brian Grant, and no promise
of a major role on the team.
What Fortson, a 6-foot-7-inch power forward for the Boston Celtics,
received yesterday was a tour of the Knicks' practice facility at
SUNY-Purchase and this offer: If you work hard and play well, court time
alongside Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson and Kurt Thomas might -- just
might -- await you.

"Right now, they're not making any promises or anything," Fortson said
yesterday before touring Westchester County with General Manager Scott
Layden and Coach Jeff Van Gundy. "They've just discussed with me what
the team needs and kind of left it at that."

While the Knicks may not have made Fortson feel like the league's most
coveted player, they are interested in acquiring his services. They
offered him the $2.25 million mid level salary-cap exception earlier
this week, but Fortson and his agent, Raymond Brothers, turned it down.

Fortson said he has narrowed his choices to the Knicks and the Golden
State Warriors, who also are offering the midlevel exception, and that
he hopes to decide next week. The Knicks may welcome the extra time
because, while still a long shot, there is a possibility that they could
obtain Grant, the Portland Trail Blazers forward.

On Thursday night, Grant turned down a seven-year, $90 million
sign-and-trade offer that would have sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers
for Shawn Kemp. Having opted out of the final four years -- worth $40
million -- of his seven-year, $63 million contract with Portland, his
decision leaves him with few options.

One of them, besides returning to Portland, is to accept a midlevel
exception from another team, perhaps the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers
or the Knicks.

Miami will be significantly under the salary cap next season. So after
playing for $2.25 million this year, Grant could receive a big payday
from the Heat next season. It is doubtful that he would sign with the
Lakers or the Knicks because they could not give him much of a pay
raise.

In all likelihood, Grant, who averaged 7.3 points and 5.5 rebounds last
season, will return to Portland.

The Knicks' best hope is that Cleveland, desperate to trade Kemp, will
be forced into taking the best deal available, and will accept Marcus
Camby and Chris Childs from the Knicks in a deal that would send Kemp to
Portland and Grant to New York. Mark Bartelstein, Grant's agent, has
been pushing for that deal, and the Knicks spoke with him yesterday
after learning that Grant had balked at going to Cleveland.

"We're going to continue to talk to Brian and see if there's a
possibility of him coming to New York," Layden said. "We're going to
continue to work and try to get something done."

Fortson hopes the Knicks or Warriors can work a sign-and-trade deal with
the Celtics so he could receive more money. He said much of his decision
will come down to playing time. That would favor the Warriors, who would
start him at power forward or play him roughly 30 minutes a game off the
bench.

"This decision is going to have a lot to do with my role on the team,"
said the 24-year-old Fortson. "I have a good opportunity at Golden State
to go in there and play as many minutes as I want. I definitely have to
take that into consideration. I'm not getting any younger. I need to go
out and do some damage while I can do it."

When given the opportunity, Fortson has done plenty of damage. Two years
ago, he averaged 11 points and 11.6 rebounds in just 28 minutes per game
for Denver. And he led the league in offensive rebounds, a category in
which the Knicks ranked last in the National Basketball Association this
past season. Last year, he averaged 6.7 rebounds in just 15.6 minutes
per game for Boston. Despite his rebounding prowess, his stock has been
limited by his lack of mobility and his tendency to foul.

If the Knicks' top frontcourt players remain healthy, Fortson's minutes
could remain sparse if he joined the team. In his eyes, that could
override their ability to contend for the Eastern Conference
championship.

"I like to win, so that has something to do with it," Fortson said. "But
at the same time, I care about myself as far as developing into a good
player, so I have to always keep that in the back of my mind -- where
I'm going to go and become the best I can be."