Seikaly Traded to Jazz for Reserves

The Utah Jazz acquired center Rony Seikaly from Orlando on Monday, sending reserves Chris Morris and Greg Foster and their 1998 first-round draft pick to the Magic.

Seikaly, a 6-foot-11 center, gives the Jazz a formidable front-line player to join Karl Malone, who “very enthusiastically approved” the deal along with John Stockton, said Jazz vice president of basketball operations Scott Layden.

“It’s no secret that we think Rony will be great in this organization,” Layden said.

Seikaly, 32, was averaging 15 points and 7.6 rebounds. He had been the subject of trade rumors recently, with Philadelphia, New Jersey, Boston and New York among the teams expressing interest.

The acquisition is even more important for the Jazz because center Greg Ostertag will be sidelined at least three more weeks with a stress fracture in his leg.

Foster was averaging 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds and had started 18 games. Morris averaged 2.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in only 26 games.

This is Foster’s eighth season in the NBA and third with Utah. Morris played seven years in New Jersey before going to Utah. Seikaly, in his 10th season, has been with Miami, Golden State and Orlando.

“There’s such a premium on big guys in this league that I feel we were very fortunate to get Rony,” said Layden, who hopes to have Seikaly in the lineup on Wednesday against when Utah plays the New York Knicks.

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Dennis Rodman was a no-show for a second consecutive practice, the third time in less than a month he has missed a workout with the Chicago Bulls.

The indiscretions have led to a spot on the bench for the start of Sunday’s game and a fine.

“We’re not going to wrestle and tussle with this because it’s not something major. It’s not anything that’s causing us to lose,” Bull Coach Phil Jackson said Monday in Deerfield, Ill.

Jackson said Rodman was healthy, but the coach wouldn’t reveal his excuse for missing practice. He did say he would be fined.

The coach said he had not decided whether Rodman would play tonight against the Indiana Pacers, a showdown for the best record in the East.

“That depends on how Dennis responds,” Jackson said.

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It’s official--Damon Stoudamire is a Portland Trail Blazer.

The point guard had to wait until the 2 p.m. deadline Monday for the Toronto Raptors to confirm the Friday deal that sent him, Walt Williams and Carlos Rogers to Portland in exchange for Kenny Anderson, Gary Trent and Alvin Williams.

The deal was sweetened Monday when Portland added a second-round draft choice. The Trail Blazers had already included first-round picks in both this year’s and the 1999 drafts. The trade was held up Sunday over results of the physical exams taken by Williams and Trent.

While Stoudamire suits up tonight against the Golden State Warriors, Toronto will be without Anderson, who said before the trade that he would not report if he were traded to the Raptors. Anderson has until today to report.

The Raptors, who gave Anderson an extra day to report, could fine or suspend him for failing to report by the 48-hour post-trade deadline.

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Latrell Sprewell’s arbitration hearing concluded with 7 1/2 hours of closing arguments, most of which focused on the player’s grievance against the NBA for suspending him for one year for attacking Coach P.J. Carlesimo of the Golden State Warriors.

Arbitrator John Feerick can issue his decision at any time within the next 30 days.

Sprewell is hoping to be readmitted to the NBA immediately.

Feerick has given no indication of how long he will take to issue a ruling. Before the hearing began, he turned down a motion for an expedited decision.