Givin' the Bird

Larry Legend can be ruthless competitor off the court, too

Larry Bird took over the Pacers' basketball operations on July 11. AP

New Pacers president Larry Bird always was a cold-blooded assassin on the basketball court. Now we're finding out he can do the same in the boardroom as well.

Bird not only jettisoned coach Isiah Thomas, his former rival during their playing days. But he waited until right before the season to do it, after all-star free agent power forward Jermaine O'Neal -- a staunch Thomas ally -- had re-signed with the Pacers. O'Neal said Wednesday he would not have returned to Indy had he known Thomas was no longer going to be in charge.

Bird, who took over his job seven weeks ago, denies that he waited intentionally until after O'Neal had signed to fire Thomas. He said he simply needed time to evaluate the coach. He said he intended to speak with O'Neal soon to explain his decision.

The truth is Bird knows O'Neal now has no choice. He's not going to walk away from his seven-year $126 million contract, so why worry about it? Besides, O'Neal is not the type to become a locker room cancer.

Bird, meanwhile, clearly had Rick Carlisle in mind all along. The question is whether Carlisle knew it as well, and whether it prompted him to seek a lucrative contract extension with the Pistons last spring, knowing that he had an escape hatch in the Pacers. In other words, did Carlisle engineer his own ouster out of Motown knowing he could land safely in Indy?

Whether or not Bird tipped off Carlisle in advance, it's clear he knew he had to fire Thomas now before Carlisle got another offer. Also, with Thomas in the last year of his contract, there would be the risk that if the team got off to a good start Bird would come under pressure from fans to sign him to an extension. That's a scenario he no doubt wanted to avoid.

Riles rolling the dice with Odom

A savvy move that will put the Heat back in the playoffs in '04? Or a $65 million mistake that will saddle the franchise for years to come?

Who knows how the Lamar Odom signing will turn out for Miami. But there is little doubt it represents a huge gamble for Pat Riley. As one Eastern Conference GM, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "I like Odom as a player, but I don't know if I'd trust him."

Even if Odom stays out of trouble and plays well, many are wondering how he will fit into Miami's attack. The Heat already has Caron Butler and Eddie Jones, with rookie Dwyane Wade also expected to be in the perimeter mix. Riley hopes Odom can play some point forward, but the Clippers tried that early in Odom's career with only moderate success.

"I think Odom's comfortable anywhere on the floor," one NBA assistant coach says. "But I wonder if he has those [point forward] instincts...and Miami runs a lot of different sets."

Unless the Heat can deal Jones (those Memphis rumors just won't die), it looks like a potential playing time headache for Riley. Meanwhile, he still doesn't have a true quality center or point guard. But at least Odom's arrival has created some excitement again down in South Beach.

Jackson still waiting for a call

Free agent small forward Jim Jackson, a casualty of Sacramento's cost-cutting, is still available. Jackson's agent, Mark Termini, says his client has drawn interest from several clubs but is waiting to see what else might develop. Earlier this summer, Jackson turned down an offer to rejoin the Nets.

Jackson, a 6'6" swingman, can score, defend and shoot the three-pointer (he has shot over 45 percent from beyond the arc the past two seasons). Nearing his 33rd birthday, he has improved his image with steady professional play the past two seasons in Miami and Sacramento, respectively.

"He's still a good player," said Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, who refused to confirm or deny interest on his own team's part. "I think he's got a lot of good basketball left in him."

It's possible Jackson will do what he did last year, and sit out the first part of the season. After having played for nine teams in 11 NBA seasons, he can pick up just about any system on short notice. Injuries could open a spot for him somewhere down the road, and he would be fresher for a playoff drive.

Blazers' Nash has his work cut out for him

New Blazers GM John Nash says his goal is three-fold: trim payroll to an adequate level, improve the team's image, and continue to win games. He realizes, however, that meshing those three objectives is going to be difficult at times. "You have to recognize that talent is a quality you need to succeed in this league," he says. "If you have talent and character you're ahead of the game.That's how championships are won.

"You need that rare combo of superior talent and superior leadership and character. The problem is those guys usually don't get traded. So you have to find those guys somehow, either through the draft or free agency."

Nash lost one potential trade asset last month when center Arvydas Sabonis decided to retire. With a year and $6 million left on his contract, Sabonis could have been bait to teams seeking cap relief next summer. "We had some fairly attractive offers," said Nash, adding that the Blazers weren't seeking to trade Sabonis anyway. "But they were for players with long-term contracts that weren't worth it in the long run."

Sabonis' departure also leaves the Blazers thin at the center spot in the stacked West. Right now Portland has only veteran Dale Davis and third-year pro Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje to man the middle.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.