Even Croce don't want DC back!

[kevin lok <bostonceltics17@yahoo.com>]

http://www.charlotte.com/hornets/wires/k4787.html
Croce tells Derrick Coleman to stay away
By Phil Jasner
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
PHILADELPHIA - Even if these are his final days as 76ers president,
Pat Croce forcefully said Thursday he would not want Derrick Coleman
returning to the team.
Croce made his stance clear after a published report indicated he
thwarted a potential three-way deal in which the Sixers would have
sent Matt Geiger to Utah, the Jazz would have delivered Greg Ostertag
to New York and Charlotte would have sent Coleman to the Sixers.
Coleman was with the Sixers from 1995-96 until '97-98, then left in
free agency to join the Hornets.
"(Sixers general manager) Billy King knows how I feel about certain
players," Croce said. "I may have made my (feelings clear), but there
was never a deal brought to the table where I called it off.
"Derrick was not someone who went to Children's Hospital at Christmas
when I wanted, for the kids. And he wouldn't (sign) autographs at
autograph sessions, so that bothered me.
"I didn't want him to come back . . . If you're not going to invest in
the community here, I don't want you here. It's as simple as that."
Sixers coach Larry Brown said he was unaware of Croce killing a deal
that would have involved Coleman.
"No one ever said that to me," Brown said. "If someone did, I'd be
very disappointed."
Brown gave no indication he was any closer to a decision on his own
future. He will direct the pre-summer league camp that concludes with
Sunday's exhibition against the Charles Baker League All-Stars at
McGonigle Hall. He will not travel with the team for next week's
schedule in the Shaw's Summer Pro League in Boston.
"I wanted a good month before I made any decision," said Brown, weary
after two nonstop years of coaching with the Sixers and the U.S.
Olympic team, plus some health problems.
For perspective, he has spoken several times to Dean Smith, the former
North Carolina coach who has been his mentor.
"He told me the last seven or eight years he coached, every year at
the end of the season he wanted to retire," Brown said. "He thought it
was the worst time to make a decision, and I agree with him.
"I just want to wait and give everything I can to this franchise. If I
don't think I can, certainly that's going to have an impact on my
decision. I don't think it's the proper time to be thinking about
that."
He said he has been "truthful with everybody," including free agents.
"I love it here," Brown said. "I won't be coaching anywhere else. I'm
going to approach it like I'm the head coach. I'm going to do
everything I can to help this franchise get better."
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SIX SHOTS
The Sixers have discussed the possibility of a sign-and-trade to
acquire Washington free agent Christian Laettner, but have been
limited because the Wizards don't want a player in return with more
than one year remaining on a contract . . . A source said that New
Jersey has made "an acceptable offer" to Sixers free-agent center Todd
MacCulloch, but MacCulloch wanted to complete meetings Thursday night
and Friday with the Nets and meet with the Sixers in the next few
days. "We know what the Nets could do, so in that sense you could say
it's an offer," said Aaron Goodwin, MacCulloch's agent. "But it's
Todd's decision to make. Philly and the Nets are the two leaders;
we'll see what happens with them before we move on to teams like
Detroit, Chicago, Seattle and possibly Miami." . . . Georgia Tech's
Alvin Jones, the Sixers' second pick in the second round of the draft,
could not participate in drills because of a chip fracture in his left
ankle . . . The Charlotte Hornets have contacted Sixers free-agent
guard Kevin Ollie.
X X X
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