Webber Dealt to Kings for Richmond, Thorpe

The Washington Wizards on Thursday traded brash forward Chris Webber to the Sacramento Kings for guard Mitch Richmond and forward Otis Thorpe.

The trade comes one week after Webber told the Washington Post that he wanted to stay with the Wizards and that he had had some “revelations” that would make him a changed man.

“Guys, I make no bones about it,” Washington General Manager Wes Unseld said. “We gave up a tremendous young talent in Chris Webber. We got a tremendous, mature leadership-type individual in Mitch Richmond.”

Webber, 25, had a tumultuous season off the court. He is awaiting trial for a January arrest on charges of marijuana possession, second-degree assault, resisting arrest and several traffic-related charges after he was stopped on the way to practice on Jan. 20.

The case has no connection to Webber’s more recent legal troubles. He and teammate Juwan Howard have been named in a sexual assault complaint filed by a woman after a party April 6 at Howard’s home in Montgomery County, Md. No charges have been filed in that case, which is being heard by a grand jury.

“It’s a concern,” Sacramento General Manager Geoff Petrie said of Webber’s legal troubles. “I think we’re going into that with our eyes open. He does have some issues . . . and they are subject to due process.”

Webber’s legal woes, as well as his erratic leadership in a season in which the Wizards failed to make the playoffs despite having the sixth-highest payroll in the NBA, have brought a cloud over the Wizard organization.

“I think they’re making a mistake, but only time will tell,” said Fallasha Erwin, Webber’s agent.

This past season, Webber led the Wizards with 21.9 points and 9.5 rebounds a game. Richmond led the Kings with 23.2 scoring average, while Thorpe averaged 10.2 points.

The Wizards had acquired Webber from the Golden State Warriors--who gained him in a 1993 draft-day deal with Orlando for Penny Hardaway--in 1994 after he failed to get along with then-coach Don Nelson.

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The Miami Heat, never warm to the prospect of hiring broadcaster Marv Albert, said that it will stick with its current TV voice at the suggestion of President and Coach Pat Riley.

“Eric Reid is our guy. We’re looking to re-sign him,” Heat spokesman Tim Donovan said. Reid has held the job for 10 years.

Albert, the longtime NBC broadcaster, was fired by the network and resigned from Madison Square Garden network in September after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault charges in a sex case.

Albert’s business manager, Evan Bell, had no comment.