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Blazers sign Sabonis to multiyear deal
Portland finally lands the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian it drafted in 1986,
while giving up the rights to longtime point guard Terry Porter
So, can this guy beat out Chris Dudley or not?
The Trail Blazers wouldn't speculate on that Friday, but they used
plent of superlatives to describe Dudley's new challenger, 7-foot-3,
292-pound Arvydas Sabonis.
"He brings another dimension to us," coach P.J. Carlesimo said
after the Blazers finally cleared their salary-cap hurdles and
signed the Lithuanian star.
Carlesimo called Sabonis a scorer, a very good 3-point shooter,
free-throw shooter and rebounder, an exceptional passer, and one of
those rare, great players who makes his teammates better.
"He will enable us to put a lot of different combinations on the
floor, which last year we couldn't do," Carlesimo said. "He will
really help us in our half-court offense and our fastbreak."
Dudley, a fierce rebounder and hard-working defender but awful
shooter, averaged a career-high 27.4 minutes per game last season.
Because of concerns about Sabonis' sore right foot, the Blazers
have said he might play only about 24 minutes -- half a game -- or
less.
"They're both going to get big minutes," Carlesimo said Friday. "I
think it's going to be a great center combination. At both ends of
the floor and on both backboards, it's really going to improve this
team."
Sabonis answered questions in Spanish, except when someone asked
for the condition of the foot he broke about five years ago.
"OK," he said almost immediately.
The Blazers drafted Sabonis with the 24th pick in 1986 and have
been waiting for him to come ever since. Only last year did he
decide he wanted to give up the easier pace of European basketball
and try to prove himself in the NBA.
Sabonis has been in Portland for more than a week, shopping at
Safeway and looking at expensive houses while the Blazers tried to
finalize the Otis Thorpe trade that helped them get enough money
under the cap for Sabonis. Portland also cleared room for Sabonis
by renouncing its rights to veteran guard Terry Porter, center
James Edwards and guard Steve Henson.
The Blazers said Sabonis signed a multiyear contract, but the club
wouldn't reveal the number of years. Sabonis said he hopes to play
in the NBA for as long as his foot allows.
Sabonis, who will be 31 on Dec. 19, had "huge offers" to stay in
Europe, according to agent Herb Rudoy, including "a mind-boggling"
offer from Panathinaikos of Greece.
"It was certainly more than the Trail Blazers could have paid him,"
Rudoy said, "but he never thought about it for a second. He really
wanted to come here. He is really, really happy. Happy to be here,
and happy with his contract."
The NBA's new collective-bargaining agreement offers the Blazers a
couple of ways to sign and later re-sign Sabonis for a substantial
increase in pay.
Sabonis, who helped the Soviet Union beat the United States and win
the 1988 Olympics, said politcal roadblocks and the foot injury
kept him from playing sooner for the Blazers.
"So now I'm here and I'm ready to do what I need to do," he said in
a deep voice.
The Blazers were able to sign Sabonis when they let the deadline
pass Friday for rescinding the trade of Thorpe to Detroit for power
forward Bill Curley and the rights to rookie guard Randolph
Childress. The Blazers had questioned the condition of Curley's
left ankle and expressed their concerns in several conversations
with the NBA, league officials said.
Curley is due in Portland on Monday and plans to meet with doctors
here before deciding whether to have surgery. He hurt his ankle at
the end of last season and isn't sure whether it has healed
correctly. The injury apparently kept him from doing hard off-
season workouts this summer. The Blazers are expected to sign
Childress and rookie forward Gary Trent next week. That will give
them 11 players under contract and one spot left on the active
roster, unless Curley or someone else isn't ready for the
Nov. 3 regular-season opener.
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