| | PHILADELPHIA -- Miami and Philadelphia were close to a
five-player trade Wednesday night that would send Jamal Mashburn to the 76ers for Larry Hughes, Billy Owens and two other players,
three league sources told The Associated Press.
| |  | |
| Mashburn |
| |  | |
| Hughes |
The trade was expected to be completed Wednesday but was not yet
approved by club executives on both sides. The sources, who had
knowledge of the trade and spoke on condition of anonymity, said an
announcement could come as early as Thursday.
In addition to Hughes and Owens, the Sixers would trade two more players to make the deal work under salary cap rules, one source said. Mashburn makes $5.6 million, Owens $2.1 million and Hughes $1.7 million.
However, Sixers' general manager Billy King told ESPN's Jay Bilas on Wednesday night that the trade would not happen.
Word of the deal sent shockwaves through the Sixers locker room
after a 107-89 victory over Atlanta. Sixers coach Larry Brown wouldn't comment, either. The players did the talking.
"I say Larry is going to be right here with this team," said Allen Iverson, Hughes' mentor and best friend on the team. "I mean, why wouldn't they tell me if something like that was going to happen?"
Matt Geiger, who also has been named in other trade rumors, said, "We're improving every night and it's not a smart decision
to try to stir something up like this."
The deal would leave the Heat with 18 players on the roster,
making it necessary to cut three or make another trade.
Hughes, a 6-foot-5 guard who turns 21 Sunday, said he'd heard
about the possibility of going to Miami for Mashburn -- but not from
anyone in charge with the Sixers.
Hughes, who scored 18 points Wednesday night, said he talked
with King on Wednesday, but "not about anything going down."
"We talked. There's no bad blood," Hughes said. "We speak
every day. I'm in a tough situation, they're in a tough situation.
There's no bad blood."
Mashburn, a 27-year-old small forward, is the Heat's
second-leading scorer with 17.3 points per game. He is the kind of
swingman and scorer the Sixers believe they need to advance in the
playoffs. The 6-foot-8 Mashburn is in his seventh year and has
played for Dallas and Miami.
Hughes has been an enigmatic talent since Philadelphia drafted
him eighth overall in 1998. A natural No. 2 guard, Hughes doesn't
fit the Sixers' plans because Iverson prefers to play there instead
of the point.
Hughes, nicknamed "Smooth" for his silky style, is close
friends with Iverson but has quietly clashed with Brown -- specifically over his defensive play. Hughes is averaging 10.6
points and 22 minutes per game, but his playing time has steadily
declined. He logged only six minutes Saturday in Atlanta and 11
last Friday against Orlando.
Owens, a 30-year-old small forward, was acquired from Orlando on
Aug. 14 for Harvey Grant and Anthony Parker. He is averaging 6.6
points and 22 minutes a game.
The Sixers hosted the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. Hughes
came off the bench in the second quarter and scored 12 points.
Iverson and Hughes, known in Philadelphia as the "Flight
Brothers," mistimed an alley-oop in the final seconds of the
quarter.
Brown was not on the bench in the second quarter, but he had the
stomach flu. Asked to comment on the trade as he left the postgame
news conference, Brown declined. The Heat had the night off.
| |
ALSO SEE
Hughes dazzles amid trade speculation
 |
