SEATTLE -- If Horace Grant's feelings are hurt after being traded for the first time in his 12-year NBA career, he's keeping it to himself.
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Although he will turn 34 on Sunday, Horace Grant says he has several good seasons left. |
Acquired by Seattle from Orlando in a four-for-one trade on draft night, the bespectacled veteran power forward was introduced
Thursday by the Sonics.
"I've been doing this a long time, so I know it's a business," said Grant, who will be 34 on Sunday. "Of course, I left some
friends back there, but this gives me a chance to make some more friends. It really didn't bother me."
The Sonics landed Grant, who played for the Magic for five years, on Wednesday night in a trade in which they gave up veterans
Billy Owens, Don MacLean and Dale Ellis, and draft-pick Corey Maggette. Orlando sent second-round draft choices in 2001 and 2002
to Seattle to complete the deal.
The Sonics picked Maggette, a 6-foot-6 forward who left Duke after his freshman season, with the 13th selection in the draft at
Orlando's request.
Grant signed with the Magic as a free agent after the 1993-94 season after playing his first seven years with Chicago. He helped
the Bulls win three NBA championships.
With two seasons left on his contract at $6½ million and $7 million, Grant was not surprised to be sent all the way to the West
Coast by Orlando. He helped the Magic get into the playoffs by averaging 8.9 points and 7 rebounds this season, when he played in
all 50 of his team's games.
"I think the Magic just wanted to go in another direction," he said at a news conference. "A youth movement. They don't know
what's going on down there in terms of Penny (Hardaway). So I think it worked out for both sides. I'm extremely happy to be here."
After missing the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, the Sonics needed to get a veteran front-line player. They could
lose forward Vin Baker and Detlef Schrempf as free agents, and
they're not expected to bring back center Olden Polynice, who averaged 8.9 rebounds per game this past season.
The Sonics will try to re-sign Baker, and they also hope to talk Schrempf into coming back for a 15th NBA season.
In Seattle, Grant joins a team that went 25-25 this season, finishing ninth in the Western Conference. The Sonics are led by
Gary Payton, who tied for sixth in the league in scoring with 21.7
points this season.
"From what I know, he's excited about the trade and having me here," Grant said of Payton.
Grant said he thinks he can help the Sonics, mainly on defense.
"I think my best asset would have to be my defense," he said. "A no-nonsense attitude. Hard work. And 12- to 15-foot jumpers.
"Watching the Sonics this past year, they really needed that toughness. That's what made the Sonics. I think with me being here
anchoring their defense, which I'm known for, I think we'll get back to it."
Grant said the long NBA lockout affected his play this season, and he did not have a good season. He plans to bounce back in 1999-2000.
The Sonics are counting on having Baker back.
"They'll be out there together a lot," coach Paul Westphal said. "Horace operates really comfortably around the top of the
key, and Vin likes the low post. So offensively, I don't see them bumping into each other or anything. I just see them as really
complementing each other."
Team president and general manager Wally Walker said: "We're taking Vin at his word that he wants to be back here, and we're his
No. 1 choice. We definitely want to re-sign him. So based on that, we think there's a high likelihood he'll be back here."
In addition to Polynice, the Sonics are expected to renounce the rights to free agents Aaron Williams, Drew Barry and John Crotty.
They're not ready to do it yet, though, until Aug. 1, when teams can start signing free agents.
"We won't do any renouncing of players until we have a free agent that we want to sign," Walker said.