Strickland Rejoins Blazers
Rod Strickland rejoined the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, becoming the backup point guard on a team that has the best record in the West but felt it needed another veteran to reach the NBA Finals.
The Blazers signed the 34-year-old guard for $2.25 million for the rest of the season.
Strickland, who spent four productive seasons in Portland from 1992-96, was at Monday's practice.
Portland also released guard Gary Grant and placed guard Greg Anthony on the injured list with a sore shoulder.
Strickland was waived last Thursday by the Washington Wizards, who bought out the remaining year-plus on his contract for $2.5 million. No one claimed him off waivers, allowing any team to sign him. Because he was waived before midnight Thursday, he is eligible for the playoffs.
Upon his arrival at the Portland airport with his family just before midnight Sunday, Strickland said he welcomed a chance to play for one of the league's top teams.
"It's a great team from top to bottom," he said. "I'm looking forward to getting into a winning situation."
The move brings full circle one of the worst trades in recent memory: Strickland sent from Portland along with Harvey Grant to Washington for Rasheed Wallace and Mitchell Butler on July 15, 1996. Wallace has become one of the best power forwards in the league, while the Wizards are foundering and have only 4@1/2 turbulent seasons with Strickland to show for the deal.
Strickland averaged 17 points and 8.6 assists with the Blazers, but his final season was marred by a feud with coach P.J. Carlesimo.
The Wizards and part-owner Michael Jordan were eager to get rid of Strickland and his $10 million salary. He was late for practices and was suspended one game earlier this season for missing a team flight.
Strickland also has been charged with drunken driving three times; he was acquitted once, but faces a trial April 3 after being cited Jan. 7. Strickland never could patch things up with the demanding Carlesimo, and the player walked out on the team for six games in early 1996.
Carlesimo was fired following the 1996-97 season, after the Blazers were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the fifth year in a row. Portland didn't really take off until Wallace started flourishing. The Blazers made the Western Conference finals in 1999 and 2000, and have the best record ithe conference (42-18) so far.
The Blazers appeared to be Strickland's first choice all along. He even phoned starting point guard Damon Stoudamire last Thursday to make sure it would be all right if Strickland came to the Portland.
"Me and Rod are good friends," said Stoudamire, who was traded from Toronto to his hometown in 1998. "I don't want people to think it's a stepping-on-my-toes-type of deal."
While the Blazers thought nothing of spending $2.25 million to get a player for 22 games, the health of Anthony, the backup point guard, influenced the deal as much as anything.
Anthony, slowly recovered from offseason surgery to both ankles, has missed the last five games with a sore right shoulder that may require periodic cortisone shots. Anthony was hurt when Utah's Jacque Vaughn crashed into him near the sideline going for a loose ball on Feb. 22.
Playing in Portland will give Strickland a chance to reunite with one of the game's best passing centers, Arvydas Sabonis, the only player on the team from when Strickland was first here. When the Wizards were beaten by the Blazers here last season, Strickland said he longed for a center with Sabonis' skill.
"I miss playing with him," Strickland said. "He may be slow, and he can't jump, but he's going to make the right play 98 percent of the time."
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