Mutombo Drawing Interest

Dikembe Mutombo is available, Jason Kidd isn’t and Gary Payton might be. As for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, it looks as if he won’t be going anywhere until the Grizzlies move from Vancouver.

Trade talks heated up in certain NBA cities and cooled down in others Wednesday as today’s 3 p.m. PST trading deadline moved closer.

The team most likely to make a major move was the Atlanta Hawks, who were sorting through offers for Mutombo from the 76ers, Knicks, Mavericks, Trail Blazers and Suns.

“Nothing may happen, but things have heated up dramatically the last 24 to 48 hours,” Hawk General Manager Pete Babcock said.

The 76ers and Knicks were believed to be the leading contenders, with Philadelphia offering a package including shot-blocking specialist Theo Ratliff and forward Matt Geiger and Atlanta asking for Toni Kukoc instead of Geiger. The Knicks reportedly were offering Marcus Camby and Glen Rice, with the Hawks asking for Allan Houston instead of Rice.

The Hawks were expected to wait until the last minute to see whether any team would sweeten its offer. If not, they will be content to keep Mutombo for the rest of the season and then decide whether to re-sign him or work out a sign-and-trade deal over the summer when the 7-foot-2 center becomes a free agent.

Kidd’s name was prominent in the rumor mill for about 24 hours, but Phoenix General Manager Bryan Colangelo said Kidd “will not be traded.”

As for Payton, he was uncertain whether his 11-year career in Seattle was about to end.

Aaron Goodwin, Payton’s agent, said he had heard the SuperSonics were discussing a trade with the Bucks, although an NBA source who spoke on condition of anonymity insisted Milwaukee was not in the mix on any Payton deal.

*

A top executive of the Vancouver Grizzlies visited Anaheim for the first meeting with local officials hoping to bring the NBA team to the Arrowhead Pond.

Andy Dolich, the Grizzlies’ vice president of business operations, met with Pond General Manager Tim Ryan and Anaheim City Manager James Ruth, sources said. Dolich will report to Vancouver owner Michael Heisley, who has yet to accept an invitation to visit Anaheim.

Heisley visited Louisville last week, St. Louis on Tuesday and New Orleans on Wednesday. At a news conference in New Orleans, Heisley said he had one city left to visit. It is unclear whether Heisley intends to follow Dolich to Anaheim or visit another city, perhaps Memphis.

Heisley said he planned to move, not sell, the Grizzlies and said he had narrowed his list of potential new homes to “three, maybe four” cities. He declined to name them but called New Orleans “a real possibility” after meeting with the mayor of the city, local business leaders and executives of an 18,500-seat arena that opened in 1999 but has yet to attract an NBA or NHL team.

*

A second man charged in the death of Herbert Cleaves, older brother of Detroit Piston rookie Mateen Cleaves, surrendered to authorities.

Dontrell Y. Smith, 23, of Flint, walked into police headquarters with his attorney, Genesee County Prosecutor Arthur Busch said.

Mateen Cleaves rejoined his team Tuesday after spending time with his family in Flint.

*

Milwaukee’s Glenn Robinson and Chicago’s Ron Artest were each suspended without pay for one game and fined $7,500 for fighting in a game Tuesday.

Both players were given technical fouls and ejected. Artest also received a flagrant foul.

Artest will serve his suspension tonight when the Bulls play host to the Clippers. Robinson will sit out Friday’s home game against the Vancouver Grizzlies.

*

Portland Trail Blazer forward Scottie Pippen took part in full-court drills for the first time in a month, but said he’s not going to rush back from elbow surgery.

“You’re trying to jump the gun on me,” Pippen said when a reporter asked whether he might play in the Blazers’ upcoming three-game road trip. “When I start feeling good, I’m looking forward to coming back.”