Warriors Look To Deal Sprewell

The NBA lockout may be settled, but the Golden State Warriors still have a dilemma -- Latrell Sprewell.

Garry St. Jean, the team's general manager, is looking to trade Sprewell as quickly as possible and confirmed talks with several teams around the league -- but would not name them.

"We haven't hid the fact that we're going to make a deal as fast as we can for Latrell," he said Thursday.

The team hopes to get at least two quality players for Sprewell, who choked Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo during a practice session Dec. 1, 1997.

The Warriors immediately terminated the remainder of Sprewell's three-year contract, worth as much as $24 million, and the league imposed a one-year suspension.

But an arbitrator later reinstated Sprewell to the team and cut his suspension to the 68 remaining games of the 1997-98 season.

"When we get two people to come in, they're not going to be the 11th and 12th guys on the roster," St. Jean said. "We think they're going to be guys who can play, guys that have good careers, and have been with good teams. We're going to feel good about it."

Carlesimo downplayed the choking incident but when asked if there was a chance of keeping the three-time All-Star, he said, "I think anything is possible, but it would be difficult."

The Warriors other concern is signing Antawn Jamison, the North Carolina forward they acquired with a draft-day trade. Carlesimo hopes Jamison can help the team turn around its dismal 19-63 record last season.

The Warriors don't figure to have much room under this year's $30 million salary cap to pursue free agents.

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