ducks
06-27-2004, 06:22 PM
Erick Dampier to Pacers, Lakers, Heat or Memphis?
Had the Pacers been able to trade up to secure the Bulls' No. 3 pick they would've happily exchanged Al Harrington and assumed Eddie Robinson's two-year guaranteed burden for the privilege of calling Ben Gordon their very own. Mount Vernon's second coming of Gus Williams figures to be an immediate star; he gets any shot he wants . . . and makes 'em. Not a prototype point, but if put in pick-and-roll situations, a la Mark Price, he's not going to be easy to stop.
Offered No. 7 at the same rate of exchange, the Pacers declined, preferring to trade Harrington for someone of immediate consequence and save cap space for next summer's free-agent crop. Erick Dampier is their top priority; I hear Jermaine O'Neal is recruiting him heavily. Many teams figure to join the chase when the Warriors center opts out of his remaining two-year, $16.9M pact within the next few days despite a four-year extension offer (121/2 percent yearly hikes) from Golden State.
As mentioned previously in this space, the Lakers will be all over Dampier should Shaq be shorn. The Heat also are prepared to make a proposal: Brian Grant and Caron Butler. But the Grizzlies feel they're solidly positioned to obtain Dampier's dominant shot blocking/defensive rebounding services because they have someone (Shane Battier? James Posey?) Chris Mullin loves.
www.nypost.com/sports/23901.htm (http://www.nypost.com/sports/23901.htm)
Had the Pacers been able to trade up to secure the Bulls' No. 3 pick they would've happily exchanged Al Harrington and assumed Eddie Robinson's two-year guaranteed burden for the privilege of calling Ben Gordon their very own. Mount Vernon's second coming of Gus Williams figures to be an immediate star; he gets any shot he wants . . . and makes 'em. Not a prototype point, but if put in pick-and-roll situations, a la Mark Price, he's not going to be easy to stop.
Offered No. 7 at the same rate of exchange, the Pacers declined, preferring to trade Harrington for someone of immediate consequence and save cap space for next summer's free-agent crop. Erick Dampier is their top priority; I hear Jermaine O'Neal is recruiting him heavily. Many teams figure to join the chase when the Warriors center opts out of his remaining two-year, $16.9M pact within the next few days despite a four-year extension offer (121/2 percent yearly hikes) from Golden State.
As mentioned previously in this space, the Lakers will be all over Dampier should Shaq be shorn. The Heat also are prepared to make a proposal: Brian Grant and Caron Butler. But the Grizzlies feel they're solidly positioned to obtain Dampier's dominant shot blocking/defensive rebounding services because they have someone (Shane Battier? James Posey?) Chris Mullin loves.
www.nypost.com/sports/23901.htm (http://www.nypost.com/sports/23901.htm)