Ewing Trade Rumored Again

N E W  Y O R K, Sept. 9 -- A three-way mega trade thought to be dead —involving Patrick Ewing, Glen Rice and Horace Grant — is reportedly stillalive.

The scenario calls for Patrick Ewing to go from the New YorkKnicks to the Seattle SuperSonics, Glen Rice from the Los AngelesLakers to the Knicks, and Grant from the Sonics to the Lakers.

Four newspapers in three cities — The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Seattle Times and Post-Intelligencer — are reporting the deal today, citing unidentified NBA officials.

The Sonics and Lakers are described as ready to close the deal,and waiting for the Knicks to sign off on it.

No Confirmation

Ewing, Rice and Grant were the key players, but as many as fiveothers could be involved to make the trade fit salary-caprequirements.

The New York Times says the Knicks and the Lakers possibly couldswap backup centers Chris Dudley and Travis Knight.

The Seattle Times says that for salary-cap purposes, the Sonicswould have to ship off such role players as Greg Foster, VladimirStepania and Vernon Maxwell.

Neither Scott Layden, the Knicks’general manager, nor coach Jeff Van Gundy could be reached forcomment yesterday, according to The New York Times. Efforts to reach the Knicks today were unsuccessful.

The Los Angeles Times reached Lakers general manager MitchKupchak in Hawaii, but he declined comment.

Sonics general manager Wally Walker told Grant on Friday a tradewas possible, without giving him details.

Grant told the Seatte Times, “If I go to L.A., theymight as well fit us for another ring.”

Trade Had Collapsed Last Month

The trade started off last month as a four-team, 13-player dealthat would have been the largest in NBA history. But it fell apartwhen the Detroit Pistons backed out.

Ewing also was headed to Seattle in that trade. The Knicks inreturn, would have received Vin Baker from the Sonics, along withRice and Knight from Los Angeles. The Lakers would have acquiredDudley and Detroit’s Christian Laettner.