Portland Trades Drexler to Rockets : Pro basketball: Trail Blazers escape $9.75-million balloon payment due next season, get Thorpe and a No. 1 pick.

It’s a bad season to be an institution in the NBA’s Pacific Division.

On Tuesday, the day after Don Nelson quit as coach of the Golden State Warriors, Clyde Drexler of the Portland Trail Blazers, Blazermania’s greatest star, was shuffled back to Houston, where he was a college star. He and Tracy Murray went for power forward Otis Thorpe and a No. 1 draft pick.

Since Thorpe can become an unrestricted free agent this summer, it is clear the Trail Blazers dealt the 32-year-old Drexler to escape the $9.75-million balloon payment owed him next season.

Drexler had complained of a “lack of respect”--the Blazers’ failure to extend his contract beyond next season. Additionally, he missed fired Coach Rick Adelman and departed General Manager Geoff Petrie, and disliked the new regime of General Manager Bob Whitsitt, until this season general manager of the arch-rival Seattle SuperSonics.

Drexler, who played for the University of Houston, will rejoin his Phi Slamma Jamma teammate, Hakeem Olajuwon.

“I can’t wait for the first game, I really can’t,” Drexler said after arriving in Houston on Tuesday night. “He’s the best player in the league, and it’s been a dream of ours ever since we left the University of Houston to play together again.

“We were just in the locker room together, and we were laughing like little kids. We couldn’t believe it.”

Having fallen to third in the Midwest Division and sixth in the Western Conference, with erratic shooting guard Vernon Maxwell suspended for 10 games, the Rockets were ready to deal.

“Obviously, we felt something needed to be done,” said Rocket Coach Rudy Tomjanovich. “This was presented to us, and we’re getting a great player. I would like to alter the chemistry. Sometimes it seems like we’ve been running against the wind.

“I think we’re going to score points a little easier. (Drexler) creates situations much like Hakeem. He’s a great passer out of the double-team. I think he can make the other players better.”

After postponing knee surgery to play with the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics, Drexler suffered through two injury-plagued seasons but bounced back in this one and is averaging 22 points, six rebounds and five assists.

“It’s something that Clyde wanted and he got what he wanted,” said point guard Rod Strickland.

“What more could he ask for? He wasn’t happy with what was going on here and he’s going back home. He gives (the Rockets) somebody who’s one of the top go-to players in the league. He’s a clutch player who’ll really help Houston.”

Murray has come off the bench since leaving UCLA after his junior season in 1992. A dead-eye shooter--he has made 39% of his three-point attempts in less than 11 minutes a game this season--he welcomed the move.

“It’s a new opportunity,” he said before leaving the Trail Blazers in Dallas. “They need somebody who can shoot. Hopefully I can provide that.”