TOMASSON: 'I just got you a free million'

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published February 8, 2008 at 12:45 a.m.

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Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein / Nbae/Getty Images/2007

Aaron McKie had scored 29 points in the two previous years and was all but retired when he was put into the trade for Pau Gasol and came into a prorated windfall of $750,000.

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It was like a knock on the door by Ed McMahon.

Steven Hunter had just finished working out in July 2004. His phone rang and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, was on the line.

"Congratulations, I just got you a free million dollars," Bartelstein said.

Hunter was dumbfounded for a few seconds. But he figured there was no reason to question it.

"I was like, 'Damn, I got the best agent in the world,' " said Hunter, now a Nuggets center.

Hunter that summer was a free agent, having completed his Orlando contract. The Magic and Cleveland wanted to make a deal, but the money didn't work.

For an NBA trade, salaries on each side must be within 25 percent and $100,000. In 2004, it was 15 percent and $100,000.

So Orlando agreed to use Hunter in a sign-and-trade, and he was dealt with Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao for Tony Battie and two second-round picks. Because a sign-and-trade contract must be for three years and at least the first year guaranteed, Hunter got $1 million even though the Cavaliers had agreed beforehand to waive him after the trade.

"I got a free million dollars," said Hunter, who then signed with Phoenix for the minimum of $720,046. "That's love right there."

Money can buy love in the NBA, especially when a player is handed a big check just because he can make a trade work.

The Lakers last week were short on money when it came to getting Pau Gasol. Rather than wait for Memphis to come to its senses and possibly back out, the Lakers remembered they hadn't renounced broken-down free agent Aaron McKie, 35, who had scored 29 points over the two previous seasons.

So they used McKie, who was working as a 76ers volunteer assistant and was all but retired, in a sign-and-trade. He got a prorated deal worth about $1.6 million this season, meaning McKie's take was about $750,000.

"Is this a great country or what?" said executive Ed Stefan- ski, whose 76ers already are paying McKie $7 million this season due to a 2005 contract buyout.

It initially was thought Memphis would waive McKie immediately, but, with the NBA wary of anything that could be considered circumventing of the salary cap, the Grizzlies figure it might be a good idea to keep the out-of- shape McKie around for the season as a player-coach. For a free $750,000, McKie might be willing to pump up balls before practice.

One executive called what Hunter and McKie got a "Magic Envelope." Such deals surface when there is great motivation to trade, and sometimes the team that dispatches the lucky player pays his salary.

The once free-spending Trail Blazers were specialists at such deals. Brian Shaw, coming off a season in which he went scoreless in one game, got a $1.1 million gift when put into a 1999 trade that sent Scottie Pippen to Portland, and Houston immediately waived Shaw.

Gary Grant, who was 35 and had scored 12 points over the previous two seasons, got a free $1.4 million when he was tossed into a three-team deal in 2000 in which Portland got Shawn Kemp, and then Cleveland waived Grant. Then there was the $1.2 million retirement gift Joe Kleine got in 2000, just $35,000 less than the top seasonal salary of his 15-year career.

"I've never officially retired," quipped Kleine, 46. "I'm hoping it can happen again."

Kleine had played his last NBA game when he got a call from his agent, Jeff Austin, that he was in line for a windfall.

"I was like, 'Yeah, right,' " Kleine said.

But it was real. In order to make the dollars work, Portland signed Kleine, who had scored 11 points in seven games the previous season, and packaged him with Jermaine O'Neal for Indiana's Dale Davis.

"It shows what's good about the NBA in that it's the greatest job in the world," said Kleine, soon waived by the Pacers. "But it shows what's bad in that teams will pay someone that much not to play. . . . But Paul Allen (Portland's billionaire owner) can afford it."

Don't think, though, Kleine didn't show his gratitude. As co-owner of Corky's Ribs & BBQ, in Little Rock, Ark., he sent Portland a large care package of ribs.

Are Nuggets next?

The Lakers grabbed Gasol, Phoenix brought Shaquille O'Neal into dock. Golden State picked up Chris Webber, San Antonio signed Damon Stoudamire and Utah has had an impressive month after acquiring Kyle Korver. Is Denver the next West contender to load up?

"We're always interested in getting better," coach George Karl said. "But I don't think you're going to see us make a Band-Aid move to get better."

The Nuggets are in a bit of a tough spot. They're deep into the luxury tax and owner Stan Kroenke doesn't seem inclined to spend a lot more money.

Injuries are an issue. The Nuggets don't know when Nene, recovering from testicular cancer surgery, might return and it's hard to predict how Chucky Atkins, 33, will look when he returns from a sports hernia by early April.

"I'd like to answer that question about three weeks after we're healthy," Karl said of whether Denver can end up being the team he anticipated.

But that will be after the Feb. 21 trade deadline?

"It makes it difficult because you're predicting," Karl said.

Regardless, Karl said the Nuggets have "had moments" when they can be considered an elite team. And he anticipates his team getting stronger down the stretch.

Basketball Jones

Bobby Jones played in four NBA All-Star games, two with Denver, and won a Sixth Man Award. But he never figured he'd have an award named after him.

"It blows me away," said Jones, a pro from 1974 to 1986.

During All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, Athletes in Action will unveil the Bobby Jones Award, which Jones said goes to a current or former NBA player who has made "an inspirational Christian impact in his community."

Finalists are A.C. Green, Allan Houston and David Robinson.

tomassonc@RockyMountainNews.com

NUMBERS GAME

6,693 career re- bounds for New Jersey's Jason Kidd, who recently moved into second place in NBA history for most by a guard. Oscar Robertson leads with 7,804.

TRAVELING MAN

Center Shaquille O'Neal is with his fourth team, the third most for a player that has been named NBA Most Valuable Player.

But O'Neal, who won the 2000 award with the Lakers and was traded Wednesday from Miami to Phoenix, must do plenty more traveling to catch Moses Malone and Bob McAdoo, right, MVPs who played with seven teams each.

Malone also logged time for two ABA teams and once was with Portland, although he never played a regular- season game there.

HE SAID IT

"That record's in danger. I think it will be higher. I think you can get to 47."

George Karl, Nuggets coach, believing a West team will miss the playoffs with a better mark than Houston's 45-37 in 2000-01, the best by a team staying home since the current system started in 1983-84 (the all-time mark is Phoenix's 49-33 in 1971-72).

Free money

Some players

who got unexpected windfalls to make trades work after seasons in which they didn't exactly tear it up offensively:

Player Dealt Avg. Windfall

Brian Shaw 1999 0.0 $1.1 million

Gary Grant 2000 4.0 $1.4 million

Joe Kleine 2000 1.6 $1.2 million

Steven Hunter 2004 3.2 $1 million

Aaron McKie 2008 2.2 $750,000

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