| |  | |
| Anderson |
| |  | |
| Smith |
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Derek Anderson says the San Antonio Spurs
lied to him. The team said he broke his word about re-signing with
them. No matter what was promised to whom, Anderson is now with the
Portland Trail Blazers.
Anderson was traded to the Blazers on Wednesday for Steve Smith
in an exchange of shooting guards, a deal brought on when Anderson
rejected a six-year, $42 million offer from the Spurs last week and
immediately committed to Portland.
"My loyalty is with the people who are going to be loyal to
me," Anderson said during a news conference at the Rose Garden.
The Spurs also included guard Steve Kerr in the deal, which will
pay Anderson $48 million over six years.
Anderson signed a one-year deal last season for $2.25 million,
with the understanding that he would be rewarded with a long-term
contract starting in the $8 million range. Team officials said they
had a verbal agreement from Anderson to accept their offer last
week.
Anderson, however, was insulted that the deal wasn't fully
guaranteed in the final season. When team officials gave him a
deadline of 2 p.m. Friday, he and agent Tony Dutt committed to
Portland.
"I just think they're in a situation where they have to look at
themselves in the mirror and say, `What in the world were we
thinking?' Because I did nothing negative to them," Anderson said
of the Spurs.
"I don't buy into the `Aw, it's a business, people lie to you.'
You don't have to lie to me; tell me the truth and move on."
In a separate news conference in San Antonio, Spurs assistant
general manager R.C. Buford responded, "Contract negotiations in
team sports happen all the time, and I'm not sure that anything
here happened differently than they would most places."
Before the sign-and-trade deal was struck Wednesday, Anderson
was prepared to accept the Blazers' mid-level salary-cap exception,
which would have paid him $33.8 million over six years -- far less
than what he stood to earn with the Spurs.
San Antonio reportedly didn't want to make the trade but risked
getting nothing in return for Anderson.
Now they get Smith, whose knees are questionable and who lost
his starting job to Bonzi Wells last season. Smith also had been
pushing the Blazers for a contract extension, on top of the $19
million he's due to earn over the next two years.
When he heard that Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt was
courting Anderson, Smith demanded to be traded.
"I'm happy to get the chance to go to the Spurs," Smith said
Wednesday. "When you get traded or ask to be traded, you never now
where you are going to end up. If you had to pick an organization
or a team that fits for me and what I stand for, the Spurs were
right there on the top of my list."
Buford added, "We're thrilled that this has happened. It's
another piece that puts us right back in contention for a
championship."
Smith averaged 13.6 points last season and seemed to play better
after going to the bench. He regained his starting spot after Wells
injured his left knee late in the season, but the Blazers stumbled
to an 8-17 record in the final six weeks, capped by a three-game
playoff sweep by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Anderson nearly became a Blazer last summer, when he was leaving
the Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent. But the deal fell through
and Anderson signed with the Spurs. Anderson said he didn't forget
how honest Whitsitt was during their talks.
"He was very up-front and stuck by me, and I think that's why I
came," Anderson said.
He averaged 15.5 points last season, and his outside shot
improved. A career 28 percent shooter from 3-point range before
last season, he made nearly 40 percent of his 3-pointers in
2000-01.
Anderson likely will start at shooting guard for the Blazers,
with Wells backing him up after he recovers from surgery to repair
a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Kerr, who has two years left on a contract that pays him $2.4
million a year, will be the third-string point guard, behind Damon
Stoudamire and Erick Barkley.
|
|
|
