December 2, 2003

THE ANATOMY OF A TRADE RUMOUR THAT ULTIMATELY CAME TRUE

      This brush fire had been burning for months.  Finally, after many incarnations, Antonio Davis and the Toronto Raptors got what they wanted.  For Davis, who had wanted to sign with Chicago when he was a free agent two years ago but was spurned by then general manager Jerry Krause, it was a “dream come true”.  His family lives in a Chicago suburb.  For the Raptors they are able to end a discourteous relationship that began when Davis, a long –time part time player in Indiana, found his spurs, and his ego, but lost his common sense after an all-star season in Toronto.  Being grossly overpaid didn’t seem to matter to Davis who wanted to be grossly overpaid in another town.  Every Raptor fan in the city is happy to see him get his wish.

       Davis had two very good years in Toronto.  In his second season the team advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals largely because Davis quietly and aggressively cleared out enough space in the paint for Vince Carter to come of age as an NBA superstar.  It was also the season that led Davis to his ultimate goal—free agency.  He wanted to play for Orlando—but the Magic didn’t have enough salary cap space to accommodate his gratuitous demands.   He wanted to play in Chicago, and seemed to have a deal worked out, but at the last minute Krause reneged on the deal—apparently having second thoughts about whether an aging former part-time player was worth such a huge sum of money.  Davis had little choice but to crawl back to Toronto and accept the team’s five year $60 million deal. 

       He talked a good game.  He talked about being professional and being devoted to his teammates and the city, but everyone could tell that the fight had left him.  Instead of the powerful and energetic Davis that had successfully battled taller and stronger centers like Dikembe Motumbo the Raptors now had a bitter, despondent player who felt trapped by the league’s strict salary cap rules and scorned by the city he loved.  He had waited his entire basketball life for an opportunity to be a free agent and choose his home, but in the end he had to take the one valid offer presented to him.  He did try to make the best of the situation.  He tried to be comfortable with the Canadian educational system.  The Raptors even tried to help, setting up his American born children with tutors so they could learn American history.  But in the end Davis was not happy.  He asked the team to trade him.  He sold his home in Toronto and moved his family to Chicago.  But his contract was too heavy; the Raptors couldn’t find him a new home.  When he reported to camp Davis looked like a teenager that had lost his first girlfriend.  He pouted.  He showed little of the energy and enthusiasm that netted him that monstrous contract.  He became a negative influence on the team.  He had to go.

       Raptor general manager Glen Grunwald had tried to find a willing suitor for Davis, but with a monstrous contract and dwindling skills the market for such a player was limited.  Dallas expressed some interest in Davis feeling that he might be an answer for their lack of an inside presence on defense, but the proposed deal—Antwan Jamison and Tony Delk—was the only deal that could make sense from a salary cap angle but didn’t make sense for a Maverick team that mistakenly insists that it already has a championship caliber team.  The Bulls had expressed an interest in Davis in the off-season--mostly as a tutor for their young big men Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler, but a deal could not be worked out. 

       Finally one month into the NBA season things changed.  Dallas revisited the trade possibility and Chicago, looking to inject some life into a disappointing roster, called about Davis.  The Mavericks showed more interest this time but were still unwilling to make another huge trade, they had already completed two blockbusters since the close of last season and wanted to wait and see how their team came together.  Grunwald didn’t want to wait.  He had the makings of a solid deal with Chicago.  But then the deal hit a major snag—it was released to the public.  Suddenly trade possibilities became trade rumours.

       Both the Bulls and the Raptors denied that anything was imminent-which is the standard response from sports organizations when trade rumours become public.  The question remains—how does a viable trade rumour become public fodder?  The answer is simple—someone within the offices of either organization called a member of the press and anonymously released the information.  The why is curious?  There are (more) rumours that soon to be deposed head coach Bill Cartwright released the information either to draw speculation away from his supposed firing or to put the pressure on his problem causing players.  There are other ways for rumours to be spread, outside of the useless and careless meanderings of bored media types.  Often sports organizations like to “float” the idea of blockbuster trades to the public to gather responses before pulling the trigger on the deal.  They ask one of their employees to surreptitiously leak the report to the media and then they wait and see how the public responds.   

      There were many different packages that were put together by each organization before the final one was agreed upon.  The centerpieces of the trade were always Davis and supposed Chicago problem child and, grossly overpaid player, Jalen Rose.  The other players included had to make sense in two areas—on the court and on the payroll.  In the end the three-for three nearly matches salaries dollar for dollar.  The Bulls acquire the defensive presences they needed in Davis and Jerome Williams, and the Raptors acquired the offensive forces they needed in Rose and Donyell Marshall.  The trade could only be completed once the furor from the initial rumours died down. 

       The Bulls hope that Davis can provide some leadership to a young team and that Williams can inject some energy and enthusiasm into a moribund squad.  The Raptors hope that Rose and Marshall can provide some punch for a team that wallows at the bottom of the NBA scoring parade.  In the end both teams were able to remove very big problems from their rosters.