Pippen to get ticket out of town
By JONATHAN FEIGEN
Copyright 1999 Houston Chronicle
The Rockets' impending divorce from Scottie Pippen grew ugly and near completion Wednesday when the team moved close to a deal to ship Pippen to Portland and the disgruntled forward blistered Charles Barkley in a televised interview.
Pippen said Wednesday there was "no reason to spend three or four years" with a team that would have Barkley, and that he wanted "to get away from playing with" Barkley, whom he had called a close friend last season.
But even before Pippen's comments were made public, the Rockets were already working on a trade that would move him less than eight months after he had been acquired to be a key part of their future.
In exchange for Pippen, the Trail Blazers would send the Rockets six players, at least half of whom would be included only for salary-cap reasons. None could be considered a replacement superstar.
The Rockets would receive forward Walt Williams, center Kelvin Cato, forward Stacey Augmon, forward/center Carlos Rogers, forward Ed Gray and guard Brian Shaw, according to several sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The trade would give the Rockets 19 players, four more than they could have on the roster (including players on the injured list) when the season begins Nov. 2. But the Rockets would have to take on the extra contracts to balance the $14.75 million of cap space (in salary and incentives likely to be earned) taken by Pippen's contract.
The trade will not be completed until Saturday at the earliest, according to a source close to the discussions. The Rockets' training camp will begin Tuesday in Austin.
Rockets officials, citing team policy, declined comment.
"We're always trying to improve this team," Rockets vice president Carroll Dawson said. "We never sit down and say, `This is good enough.' We'll be looking at everything. You're always trying to make the team better. We never rest on our laurels."
This trade, however, would be made in part to rid the Rockets of Pippen's escalating contract and increasing dissatisfaction with the team. The last two seasons of Pippen's five-year, $67 million deal (excluding incentive bonuses Pippen received last season) would be worth $37 million.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, Pippen's contract would likely push the Rockets so far over the salary cap that it would cost them a severe tax and tie their hands in any player moves.
Other than Williams, who has two seasons remaining on his deal, and Rogers, who has three years left, the players the Rockets would receive are all in the last season of their contracts.
In Williams, a 6-8 forward with outstanding shooting range, the Rockets would land a player they sought in the 1997-98 season when they attempted to acquire guard Damon Stoudamire from Toronto. Cato, a 6-11 shot-blocker, is considered an outstanding defensive talent, though he has struggled to receive consistent playing time in his two seasons out of Iowa State.
Pippen had requested a trade to the Lakers to be reunited with his Bulls coach, Phil Jackson. Though Jackson remains a staunch supporter of Pippen and has argued that he could help ease LA's transition to the triangle offense, the Lakers have opted to try to make their current mix work rather than offer a package that would include Glen Rice and Robert Horry.
Barkley told the Chronicle last month and ESPN on Tuesday that Pippen owed him an apology for asking to be traded less than a year after they jointly decided to sign with the Rockets.
"Every day before he signed," Barkley said, "Scottie was calling me and asking me if I was going to be (in Houston). He said he wasn't coming if I wasn't staying. I gave him my word, and that's why I signed for what I did ($1 million for one year) when I did.
"Man, it threw me for a loop," Barkley said of the trade request. "I almost fell out of my chair. I felt very frustrated ... very betrayed.
"I found Scottie the next morning and told him how disappointed I was in him. It really rubs me wrong that he'd try to bail out on the team after one season. It's unbelievable to me."
Barkley said in August that Pippen could repair the damage caused by his trade request.
"First, Scottie owes the Rockets' fans an apology," Barkley said. "They've been terrific to him. Second, he owes the Rockets an apology. And third, he owes me an apology.
"Scottie needs to stand up and be a man. If he does, we can move on. Everything will be fine."
In an ESPN interview Wednesday, Pippen offered a stinging rejoinder.
"I wouldn't give Charles Barkley an apology at gunpoint," Pippen said. "He can never expect an apology from me. ... If anything, he owes me an apology for coming to play with his fat butt."
Although Barkley had defended Pippen's play in Tuesday's interview, contending Pippen was overtaxed by ball-handling responsibilities that would now go to rookie Steve Francis, Pippen said he was the one who should be disappointed.
"He's a very selfish guy," Pippen said of Barkley. "He doesn't show the desire to want to win. That's my reason for wanting to get away from playing with him anymore -- because he just doesn't show the dedication.
"I probably should've listened to Michael (Jordan) a year ago when he said that Charles will never win a championship because he doesn't show any dedication."
Barkley averaged 16.1 points (making 48.3 percent of his shots), 12.3 rebounds (second in the NBA) and 4.5 assists last season.
Pippen averaged 14.5 points per game, his lowest average since his rookie season in 1987-88, and made a career-low 43.2 percent of his shots. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists and was named to the NBA's All-Defensive first team.
"Charles is definitely one of the guys that needs to show more leadership for this ballclub to be successful, and he don't show that to me," Pippen told ESPN. "He feels that if he gets 10 rebounds and double-figure points, he's done a good job. But that's not what the game's about. It's about defending, being professional and coming to work every day.
"I was very shocked to see what type of player he was by spending half a season with him. ... I'm a guy that's dedicated to winning, and I put out a lot of effort on the court. I expect that from my teammates, especially from a guy of his caliber.
"You know he's not willing to go the distance. There's no reason for me to put my last three or four years at risk of never winning."
Pippen complained throughout last season about his role and said Wednesday he would like to play for Jackson in the triangle offense.
"I would like to play for Phil," Pippen said. "(But) I'm not demanding a trade."
But with his scorched-earth, bridge-burning comments, Pippen could have assured a trade -- if one were not already in the works.
