Heat Wins Bidding for Bullets’ Howard: 7 Years, $98 Million

The Washington Bullets lost all-star forward Juwan Howard Saturday when the free agent reached an agreement in principle to play for the Miami Heat, according to his agent, David Falk.

Falk declined to disclose details, but sources said the agreement involves a seven-year contract worth at least $98 million.

Reached Saturday night, Bullet owner Abe Pollin said, “I don’t know anything about it, and the only one you can talk to is Wes,” referring to Wes Unseld, the team’s general manager.

The total value of that deal would make Howard one of the highest-paid athletes in the history of professional team sports, but that landscape is changing daily as some of the NBA’s top players take advantage of free agency.

Even as Howard’s negotiations with Miami were moving toward agreement, the Heat also was working toward a deal to retain center Alonzo Mourning with a contract that sources said would be worth $105 million over seven years.

The Bullets initially offered Howard $78 million over seven years. After Falk continued negotiating with other teams, the Bullets raised their offer above $90 million, sources said.

“We have an agreement in principle with Miami,” Falk said. “There are a new set of [collective bargaining] rules and it’s going to take a little time to work out the details.”

Falk said it will probably take several days to complete the contract. The Heat also must make several maneuvers to accommodate Howard under the league’s salary cap of $24.3 million. Howard’s salary would start at about $8.8 million and grow by 20% each season, the maximum amount allowed by the league. His salary, however, would average $14 million per season.

Howard finished 10th in the NBA in scoring last season, with an average of 22.1 points per game. He also averaged 8.1 rebounds per game and was named to the all-star team.

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The competition to sign Seattle guard Gary Payton, the NBA’s defensive player of the year, is down to the SuperSonics and Heat with the New York Knicks no longer in the race.

“I’m trying to get something done. I’m trying not to drag things out,” agent Aaron Goodwin said.

Payton is expected to sign a seven-year deal worth up to $80 million by Monday. Goodwin said the Knicks were eliminated Friday along with Charlotte and Milwaukee.

Goodwin said he expected to meet again with Heat representatives in Indianapolis, where Payton is playing today with the U.S. Olympic team. If talks get close enough with either Seattle or Miami, Goodwin said Payton will be brought into negotiations today.

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The Knicks reportedly have come to terms with free-agent guards Allan Houston and Chris Childs.

Madison Square Garden Network reported Saturday that Houston, formerly with the Detroit Pistons, and Childs both agreed to contracts with the Knicks, adding that MSG President Dave Checketts would neither confirm nor deny the report.

ESPN also reported that Childs, the former New Jersey Nets point guard, came to terms on a six-year, $24-million deal that would be announced today.

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The Denver Nuggets are out of a three-way exchange in which Charles Barkley could go to the Houston Rockets, according to published reports.

Sources close to the negotiations told the Houston Chronicle and the Denver Post that the proposed trade among the Rockets, Nuggets and Phoenix Suns unraveled Friday because Denver center Dikembe Mutombo wants to consider free-agent offers before committing to the deal. According to the Rocky Mountain News, the deal is still pending, but “is almost dead.”

Such a deal would also send Robert Horry and Sam Cassell from Houston to Denver, with the Nuggets signing Mutombo and shipping him to the Suns.

Falk reportedly is asking for $12 million to $14 million in average annual salary for Mutombo, more than what he would have earned had he signed the deal Phoenix was offering.

Several teams have expressed interest in Mutombo. Detroit appears to be the most serious, targeting the center as their No. 1 priority. Reports have pegged their potential offer at five years and $50 million, according to the Post.

Barkley, asked if the three-way deal was dead, said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. I hope not. I’ll be glad when it’s over.”

Meanwhile, the Chronicle said the Rockets still hoped to acquire Barkley by dealing directly with the Suns and working out a trade that would probably require at least three players leaving the Rockets to satisfy salary cap restrictions.