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Bulls' market Chicago may ship Starks, make push for McGrady
Posted: Monday February 21, 2000 04:56 PM
NBA insider Stephen A. Smith of The Philadelphia Inquirer talked about the weeks comings and goings with CNN/Sports Illustrated's Bob Lorenz on This Week in the NBA: Bob Lorenz: There are still questions surrounding the Lakers and Glen Rice. Will he stay, will he go! And if he stays, will he get his share of shots and be happy with Kobe and Shaq out on the floor? Stephen A. Smith: I'm not sure if Rice will be staying or going -- it depends on the Lakers getting off the right deal. But what I'm hearing out of Los Angeles is that there is some friction going on inside the team. A lot of players don't believe that Phil Jackson is bringing down the hammer on Kobe Bryant the way he needs to. Kobe likes to dribble and go one-on-one and that disrupts the floor and the triangle offense that has been so hyped and advertised. So players are concerned, they wish that Phil Jackson would bring down the hammer on Kobe. Everybody loves Kobe, everybody knows that he is a great player, but they really feel that he needs to be reeled in by Jackson and he has not done that as of yet. Bob Lorenz: The Sacramento Kings with Jason Williams are a very exciting team to watch, but are they ever going to get any better? Do they need to make some player moves? Stephen A. Smith: I am not sure whether they need to make any player moves, but maybe they need to go to some defensive camp. They have shooting camps, why don't they go to camp and learn how to play some defense. It isn't just Jason Williams, it's the entire starting lineup. They gave up Tariq Abdul-Wahad and sent him to Orlando. One of the things they raved about was that guy's defensive ability and now there is nobody on the Kings who stands out in that department. That's why they're going to be exciting, make the playoffs and then bow out and watch the championship finals with the rest of us. Bob Lorenz: A lot of people did not think Elton Brand should have been the No. 1 overall pick, but now looking at his numbers.... Stephen A. Smith: Well, Bob, I was one of those people. I did not believe that he was worth the No. 1 pick, not with Lamar Odom and Steve Francis on the board. He is making me out to be a flat-out liar. This kid is a workhorse, he works very hard. The Bulls picked him because he is a tremendous individual, very kind, very jovial, very hardworking. He is showing that he is worth every penny and the investment the Chicago Bulls have in him. He runs up and down the floor, rebounds with tenacity and he deserves all the credit in the world for what he has accomplished. Lamar Odom is still my choice for Rookie of the Year but at the same time, Elton Brand is making sure that Lamar Odom and Steve Francis are not monopolizing that Rookie of the Year race. Bob Lorenz: The Miami Heat have suffered some bad losses, including two each to the Nets and the Bulls. Do you think Pat Riley is going to make some moves? Stephen A. Smith: Pat Riley is trying to get John Starks away from the Bulls. It would surprise me if John Starks ended up in Chicago for the rest of the season. Chicago is in a position to give Starks to the Heat, possibly for a draft pick and future considerations, because they are trying to clear cap space, Pat Riley knows that if you are going to contend for the Eastern Conference crown, then you need someone at the shooting guard spot to play aggressive defense and cause some havoc and Veshon Lenard is just not doing that. Bob Lorenz: Do you think Michael Jordan has seen anything promising on the Wizards roster? Stephen A. Smith: Well, there can't be anything promising right now but Richard Hamilton is somebody that he would like to see play more. Jordan is stuck in a quandary right now because he does not want to sit Mitch Richmond because he appreciates what Richmond has done over the years. But Jordan really believes that Richard Hamilton deserves to be in there; he is a winner. Jordan wants him to play but that would mean sitting 34-year-old Mitch Richmond and that is hard for someone who is player-oriented and appreciates things that veterans do like Michael Jordan does. Bob Lorenz: Is there any team that Michael Jordan specifically might be dealing with? Stephen A. Smith: He might be talking to Chicago ultimately. Jerry Krause wanted Richard Hamilton before last year's draft; however, he never expected to land the No. 1 overall pick and once he received that pick he couldn't turn around and use it on Hamilton. The Bulls will be a major player in the free-agent market this summer and don't be surprised if they elect to go after Richard Hamilton, even if it means Krause dealing with Michael Jordan. Bob Lorenz: There's been a lot of talk about Krause and the Bulls clearing cap space and trying to make their move for the future. Do you think Krause has been doing a good job at rebuilding this team? Stephen A. Smith: He has done a fantastic job. This is a man who promised after the Jordan era was over that he was going to rebuild this franchise and that is exactly what he is doing. He has gotten rid of long-term contracts, he is stockpiling draft picks and he is creating cap space. He knows that because of his tumultuous relationship with Jordan over the years, a lot of players are not going to be anxious to come to Chicago, so he turned it around and put himself in a position to over-pay some of these guys. He has got cap room, he is going to go after some major players this summer, and he is going to be in a position to throw a boatload of money their way and we all know that money talks. Bob Lorenz: What happens if nobody wants to come there ultimately? Stephen A. Smith: It is what I just said: money talks. They will want to come, maybe not a Tim Duncan, maybe not even a Grant Hill, but there is a chance that he could get a Tracy McGrady, even though it is rumored that Tracy McGrady may be heading to Orlando this summer. There is still a possibility that he could overpay McGrady. If Orlando offers him $50 million and Krause turns around and offers some $70 million, where would you go? I'm going to Chicago if I am Tracy McGrady!
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