Fortson for Patterson/Maxwell? Sign Jahidi White?

[Thndrblt31@aol.com]

This article just mentions the idea of trading Ruben Patterson and Vernon 
Maxwell for Fortson.  I'd do this trade in a second.  

And everyone has been talking about Adonal Foyle, what about Jahidi White?  
He looks to be better than Foyle.

-------------------------------

GM FOR A DAY: It might not be popular, but Sonics would be wise to trade 
Payton 

Frank Hughes; 

I know this is not going to be the most popular decision, but if the Seattle 
SuperSonics' future were up to me, I would trade All-Star point guard Gary 
Payton.

I know, I know, he is probably one of the top five players in the league, he 
has been in Seattle his entire career and he has been the Sonics' personality 
for most of the past decade.

But there are several factors that go into this decision.

The obvious one is Payton's volatile personality. He seems to be at the 
center of every controversy the Sonics have, and at a time when they are 
trying to develop young players, it is in their best interest not to have him 
influence them.

That's not the main reason. No, all great players have quirky personalities, 
and their teammates must learn to cope.

The thing I keep coming back to is this: With Payton having the best season 
of his career, the Sonics won 45 games and could not get out of the first 
round of the playoffs.

I can't imagine that Payton can play any better than he did this past season. 
He was terrific. He averaged almost 24 points, nine assists and six rebounds 
a game, and he led the league in 3-point field goals.

That suggests two things: As cold-hearted as it sounds, the Sonics have 
gotten the most out Payton they possibly could. And his trade value is sky 
high.

Why wait for Payton to possibly break down? He will be 32 years old next 
season. His body has taken a lot of wear and tear. And if he breaks down, he 
is going to break down quickly and in an ugly fashion. Gary Payton is not 
going to play sporadically. He will want to play as many minutes as he can 
for as long as he plays, whether it is for the good of the team or not.

The Sonics are trying to develop a team for the future in Seattle. They need 
to understand that the team is a few years away from competing for a 
championship, and that the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers are 
well ahead of them.

More than likely, the Sonics are not going to vie for a title in the next 
three years, at which point Payton's contract runs out and he has said he 
will retire. 

And then what? After the team has relied on Payton for the next three years, 
he retires and none of the players has learned how to be the go-to guy, 
because Payton has held that role for so long.

Instead of that, trade Gary now, develop a core of talent that will be here 
for a long time, grow together, and when it comes time for them to chase the 
title, have the players in place to do it, each of whom knows what role he 
plays with the team. Losing Payton in three years will only serve to set back 
the organization another few seasons, while getting nothing in return for his 
talent.

So here is what I propose to do.

Call the Toronto Raptors and offer a sign-and-trade deal that would bring 
Tracy McGrady and Doug Christie to Seattle in exchange for Payton.

The salaries would match. Payton will make at least $12 million in the coming 
season, and McGrady stands to earn a contract starting at $9 million either 
from Toronto, Orlando or Chicago. Christie will make $3.5 million, which 
would get the salaries within the required 15 percent to execute a trade.

The Raptors have coveted a point guard since they lost Damon Stoudamire, and 
getting Payton to play alongside Vince Carter and the front court of Charles 
Oakley, Antonio Davis and Kevin Willis is enough of an enticement to have 
them agree to the deal. McGrady likely will bolt anyway, and Christie is 
upset with Raptors coach Butch Carter. Plus, Christie is from Seattle.

The difficult part would be to persuade McGrady to agree to come to Seattle. 
He is building a house in Orlando, where he is from. But perhaps the allure 
of having his own team, or at least sharing it with another youngster such as 
Rashard Lewis, would be appealing enough. Plus, Washington, like Florida, has 
no state income tax.

For the Sonics, it would give them two young stars, assuming they can re-sign 
Lewis. Lewis will turn 21 next season, as will McGrady. They are virtually 
interchangeable at the shooting guard and small forward spots. Imagine their 
talent level when they both are 25! 

In addition, Christie is eligible for free agency next summer, as is Horace 
Grant. With the salary cap going to an estimated $40 million, this would give 
the Sonics one big-time free agent to add the mix.

Plus, if Vin Baker is able to return to at least a close simile of the player 
he once was - and that seems more likely if he gets away from running mate 
Payton - that would give the Sonics three legitimate stars next season.

Surrounded by talented role players such as Christie, Brent Barry, Lazaro 
Borrell and Jelani McCoy, it would give the Sonics a nice nucleus upon which 
to build their future.

You notice I didn't mention Ruben Patterson. Patterson did a lot for the 
organization last season, at a time when there was a serious question about 
the small forward position.

But Patterson prefers not to play a backup role, not after the type of first 
half he had. There are many teams that covet Patterson, and I would like to 
strengthen the depth of the Sonics' frontcourt.

If the Sonics package Patterson and Vernon Maxwell and Greg Foster, perhaps 
they could get a player such as Danny Fortson from Boston in another 
sign-and-trade scenario; or perhaps a Jahidi White from Washington; or 
possibly Samaki Walker from San Antonio. Or, if they are desperate, 
Washington's Ike Austin.

What about the point guard? Christie played the point when the Raptors had 
their most successful run of the season. Barry played point guard a lot last 
season, allowing Payton to slide to shooting guard. Both those options would 
give the Sonics a backcourt that includes a 6-foot-5 or 6-6 point guard and a 
shooting guard who is 6-8 or 6-10. They would be challenged defensively, but 
nobody could match up with them.

And if that doesn't work, the Sonics still have Emanual Davis, who is a true 
distributor, or Shammond Williams, who is more of a shooting guard but who 
has great ball-handling skills.

And there are other free agent point guards on the market this season, most 
notably Greg Anthony. He probably would come back to Seattle to start. 
Miami's Anthony Carter? Tell him he starts, and he may come running.

When the Sonics hired coach Paul Westphal, they said their goal was to 
develop young players for the future while staying in the playoffs.

This strategy does both, and in the long term will give Seattle a better 
chance at a championship.

- - -

* Reach staff writer Frank Hughes at 253-597-8742, ext. 6120, or 
frank.hughes@mail.tribnet.com

- - -

SIDEBAR: Twelve free agents to watch

A list of some of this summer's top free agents. Teams can begin talks with 
free agents June 1, and they can sign them Aug. 1.

1. Tim Duncan, center, San Antonio Spurs: 23.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 2.23 blks

Any team that can pry him away from the Spurs is an instant title contender

2. Grant Hill, forward, Detroit Pistons: 25.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.2 assists 

The artist formerly known as the next Air Apparent is looking for a winner

3. Tracy McGrady, forward, Toronto Raptors: 15.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.3 assists

He's young, athletic, and might want to take his show south of the border

4. Eddie Jones, guard, Charlotte Hornets: 21 ppg, 4.2 assists, 4.8 rpg

Underrated all-around player who always seems to be on the cusp of greatness

5. Tony Kukoc, forward, Philadelphia 76ers: 14.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg; 4.7 assists

An enigma at times, but always a scoring threat with championship experience

6. Jalen Rose, forward, Indiana Pacers: 18 ppg, 4.2 assists

Dethroned Reggie Miller as Pacers' best player. Question is, will he stay?

7. Rashard Lewis, forward, Seattle SuperSonics: 8.2 ppg (limited playing time)

Numbers don't tell his story. Poise and potential make him key free agent

8. Tim Thomas, forward, Milwaukee Bucks: 11.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Scored 20 points in 20 minutes against New Jersey in March

9. Jahidi White, center, Washington Wizards: 83 blks, 7.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg

Could be a defensive presence in the right situation

10. Tim Hardaway, guard, Miami Heat: 13.4 ppg, 7.4 assists

Even if Heat makes finals, he might be too expensive, and too old, to bring 
back

11. J.R. Rider, guard, Atlanta Hawks: Kicked off team in midseason

Talented, yes. A head case? Definitely. Will some team take a chance? Count 
on it.

12. Anthony Carter, guard, Miami Heat: 6.3 ppg, 4.8 apg, 1.2 spg

Hustler turned pro has turned heads this spring. Stock keeps rising.


05/21/2000