Blazers Desperate To Dump Wallace (Dallas Mentioned)

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From the TORONTO SUN...

Jail sale in Portland

Blazers desperate to dump Wallace

By FRANK ZICARELLI




The Jail Blazers are on the verge of moving Rasheed Wallace, the team's talented frontcourt player who has become the poster child for everything that is wrong in Portland. This was once a franchise that embodied community responsibility, featured players whose on-court behaviour was exemplary and whose fan base was among the strongest and most loyal in the NBA.

But ever since the Blazers imploded in the fourth quarter during the 2000 Western final, the team has been in a nose dive, with players running afoul of the law and fans turning their backs on their once-beloved team.

Wallace, more than anyone on a team full of reprobates, has done more with his mouth and actions to taint the team's image.

Earlier this year, the Blazers jettisoned Bonzi Wells to Memphis in a deal that was one-sided in the Grizzlies' favour.

With Wallace eligible for free agency this summer, it's hard to believe Portland will receive anything comparable to the talents Wallace potentially brings when his head is on straight.

The Raptors tried to swing a deal for Wallace, who makes close to $17 million US this season, and dangled Antonio Davis. Wallace's name also came up in a three-team deal that had him going to New Jersey.

Toronto is clearly out of the picture, leaving the likes of San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, New York, Detroit and Atlanta in the running for Wallace.

So desperate are the Blazers to move Wallace that they have asked his agent, Bill Strickland, to help solicit offers from any team.

Strickland, by the way, also represents Raptors guard Alvin Williams, a fellow Philly native who is close friends with the malcontent Wallace.

Despite the baggage, Wallace can flat-out play -- both in the post and on the perimeter -- and needs a change in scenery and culture.

His days in Portland are numbered and there are a number of teams lining up for his services. The key is finding the right mix. Without Walker