Mourning Turns Up With Heat : Pro basketball: Center is traded for Rice, Reeves and Geiger after turning down Hornets.

A new era in the NBA dawned Friday, when center Alonzo Mourning, a 25-year-old, two-time all-star considered by the Charlotte Hornets as their cornerstone, turned down their $11-million-a-year offer and forced a trade.

That set up the first skirmish in a year that will see stars such as Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal eligible for free agency. Miami’s Pat Riley won it, sending Glen Rice, two more starters and a No. 1 pick to Charlotte for Mourning.

The Hornets also get guard Khalid Reeves and center Matt Geiger. Miami also added LeRon Ellis and Pete Myers.

It’s a coup for Riley--assuming he can sign Mourning, who will become a free agent next summer and who asked the Hornets for $13 million a year.

Mourning reportedly held the deal up for a day, saying he didn’t want to join a stripped-down team. On Friday, however, he said in a news conference in Miami that he intends to play for the rest of his career for the Heat.

The Lakers, who would have liked to make Mourning an offer on the open market next summer, pursued a trade--Charlotte officials say Vlade Divac was offered--but weren’t willing to pay more than $10 million a year.

Mourning has played three seasons, appeared in two All-Star games and has career averages of 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

“It’s a huge loss,” the Hornets’ Robert Parish said. “You don’t replace an Alonzo Mourning. That type of talent doesn’t come very often.”

Parish called Rice “a hell of a player. But let’s face it, he’s no Alonzo Mourning.”

The deal comes as a result of the new labor agreement that abolished restricted free agency and set free players with early termination options, such as Mourning and O’Neal.

The Hornets originally signed Mourning to a seven-year contract but gave him an “out” after his fourth season. Under the rules then in effect, Charlotte could have matched any offer. The Hornets had been negotiating with Mourning for two years on an extension--their last offer was $100 million over 10 seasons--but never got it done.

This fall, with the Hornets under the gun, owner George Shinn met with Mourning’s agent, David Falk, and was given the new price: $91 million over seven years. Falk also gave his “protect your assets” speech, telling Shinn if he couldn’t sign Mourning, he’d better trade him or he’d get nothing back.

Riley then stepped up, reportedly outbidding the only other owner thought to be willing to go $13 million a year, Portland’s Paul Allen.

Shinn says he made a last attempt to sign Mourning on Wednesday, raising his offer to $11.2 million a year.

“He had no interest in it,” Shinn said. “He said, ‘No, you’ve got to get closer to my money.’ And it just broke my heart.”

Whether it works out or not, this was Riley’s big move. A new contract for Mourning will put Miami over the cap, and if he gets $13 million a year, they’ll be over for the foreseeable future. These days, coups are expensive.