Source: Grant Rejects Trail Blazers Again

Portland Trail Blazer power forward Brian Grant has turned down an offer worth more than $70 million over six years, one that would have kept him with the team, a source within the organization said Monday.

“He has basically said he does not want to play in Portland,” the source told the Associated Press.

His agent, Mark Bartelstein, said negotiations between Grant and the Blazers are continuing.

Last week, Grant, 28, rejected a seven-year, $93-million deal that would have been used in a sign-and-trade for Shawn Kemp of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Grant also rejected an earlier four-year, $42-million offer from the Trail Blazers to stay in Portland.

The Oregonian reported in its Monday editions that Grant is interested in the Miami Heat.

The newspaper cited an NBA source as saying Grant met with the Heat last week.

Grant apparently was considering a move to Miami for the NBA’s $2.25 million, mid-level salary cap exception. The Heat is expected to get as much as $12 million under the salary cap next season and therefore could pay Grant his true value then.

*

After unsuccessfully trying to trade Allen Iverson all summer, the Philadelphia 76ers are hoping to keep the mercurial star guard.

“He has his faults, but everything that’s gone wrong in the organization is not his fault,” General Manager Billy King said. “The kid has helped us win a lot of games. We can’t say he’s destroyed everything around him.”

Iverson, who has battled with Coach Larry Brown for years, was fined more than 50 times for being late to practice, was suspended for one game after missing a shoot-around and repeatedly ignored the team’s dress code.

“There’s only one deal we came close to doing,” King said. “If I wanted to trade Allen today, I could. Would I get value? Probably not.”

King is encouraged that Iverson recently had a long talk with team president Pat Croce, and he believes the situation could be resolved.

*

If the Charlotte Hornets plan on trading forward P.J. Brown again, it’s news to him.

Brown said the team has assured him it wants Brown to remain with the Hornets. There are league restrictions in any trade involving Brown for the first 60 days he is with Charlotte.

“I’m preparing to be a Charlotte Hornet,” said Brown, adding that he is shopping for a home and preparing to enroll his three kids in Charlotte schools.

Brown, a 6-foot-10 forward-center, was acquired from Miami in a nine-player trade.

Speculation has centered on the Hornets sending Brown to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade for former Hornet star Glen Rice.

In the first 60 days after his trade to Charlotte, Brown can only be traded for one player of equal salary, or in a package deal where the same number of players with the same salaries are exchanged. Brown cannot be dealt with another Hornet for one player until the 60 days are up.

*

The Indiana Pacers are close to re-signing Reggie Miller for $36 million over three years, ESPN reported. . . . The Golden State Warriors re-signed center Adonal Foyle, 25, to a multiyear contract, the team said. . . . Norm Ellenberger, 65, an assistant under Bob Knight at Indiana for 10 years, joined the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach to Tim Floyd. . . . The Minnesota Timberwolves were expected to announce the free-agent signings of guard Chauncey Billups and forward Joe Smith at a news conference today, WCCO-TV reported. No other details were provided.