Nugs trade Billups, Mercer and Taylor

[Kevin Lok <kevin.lok@lycosmail.com>]

Nugs trade Billups, Mercer and Taylor
By Marc J. Spears
Denver Post Sports Writer
Jan. 31 - The Denver Nuggets traded three future
free agents, Denver native Chauncey Billups, guard
Ron Mercer and forward Johnny Taylor, to the
Orlando Magic for guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad, veteran
postman Chris Gatling, approximately $1 million
and a first-round pick Monday night, according to
sources close to the team.
A big part of why Denver coach/general manager Dan
Issel made the trade was because he had concerns
he wouldn't be able to resign Mercer. But Issel
was disappointed to deal Billups, whose season
ended with shoulder injury in December. Billups
and Taylor could be used to free cap room at
season's end. The Nuggets, however, hope to sign
Billups during the off-season.
In Abdul-Wahad, they get a soonto-be free-agent
swingman who cannot score like Mercer but is a
much better defender. The Nuggets also add a
coveted big man in the 6-10, 230-pound Gatling, a
1997 allstar who is a great shot-blocker and
rebounder. The first-round pick the Nuggets
received was the one they gave up in a trade for
forward/center Keon Clark and Taylor with Orlando
on Jan. 21, 1999.
"Mercer and I had an understanding from the very
beginning that if I didn't extend him before the
season started, he was going to look around," said
Issel, who said the deal worked well under the
salary cap since there was just about a $50,000
difference. "The biggest problem in this trade is
I don't want to trade Chauncey. I wouldn't trade
him, except for the fact that he is going to be a
free agent at the end of this year. And you never
know what the future will hold. Also, any
organization cannot lose a talented player without
getting something for him.
"Abdul-Wahad is not the scorer that Ron is. But
Gatling comes off the bench with a tremendous
amount of energy. They are the second- and
third-leading scorers for Orlando right now. The
two of them together make up the difference. Tariq
is a much better defender. He faces the same
situation here because he will be a free agent."