NBA Sprewell to Minnesota in big four-team trade

Keith Van Horn and Glenn Robinson were involved in the six-player deal.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Latrell Sprewell, Keith Van Horn and Glenn Robinson highlighted a four-team, six-player trade that was completed after a day of negotiations.
Sprewell went from New York to Minnesota, which sent injured point guard Terrell Brandon to Atlanta and backup center Marc Jackson to Philadelphia. The Sixers dealt Van Horn to the Knicks and received Robinson from the Hawks. The Sixers also sent reserve Randy Holcomb and a first-round draft pick to Atlanta and reacquired their own 2006 second-round pick from the Hawks.
The four-team trade was finally consummated Wednesday night after a day of negotiations that Minnesota vice president Kevin McHale said were complicated when a fifth team, which he would not name, tried to get involved.
The process accelerated when that team dropped out Wednesday evening.
"I've found out one thing, that five general managers can't make a cake, but four can," McHale said.
Cutting back payroll
With dozens of teams trying to cut back on payroll this offseason, McHale convinced owner Glen Taylor that the time was right to make significant changes.
"Glen said, 'Let's make this team the best it can be,' " McHale said. "This was the time to strike."
With the addition of Sprewell, an athletic defender who fills a hole at shooting guard, the Timberwolves can boast a talented starting lineup with Troy Hudson or Sam Cassell (acquired in a trade last month with Milwaukee) at point guard, Wally Szczerbiak at small forward, Kevin Garnett at power forward and recently signed free agent Michael Olowokandi at center.
"You can't keep building and building -- at some point you have to make a run," said McHale, whose team has been eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs an NBA-record seven times in a row.
The deal ends Sprewell's five-season tenure with the Knicks, which included a trip to the 1999 finals but ended acrimoniously after the four-time All-Star arrived for training camp last fall with a broken hand -- an injury he failed to notify the Knicks about.
The Knicks were attracted to Van Horn because of his size. Sprewell, a natural shooting guard, had been playing out of position at small forward for New York. Van Horn gives the Knicks a 6-foot-10 player they plan to use at both forward positions.
Van Horn averaged 15.9 points and 7.1 rebounds in his only season in Philadelphia after being acquired in a trade that sent Dikembe Mutombo to New Jersey last summer.
"When you make a trade you change the mix of the team, and we felt this was the right thing for our organization and it fits well with Coach [Don] Chaney's system," Knicks general manager Scott Layden said.
Robinson, a two-time All-Star, joins his third team in three years. He averaged 20.8 points and 6.6 rebounds in his only season in Atlanta after being traded from Milwaukee last offseason.
"Allen [Iverson] wanted a guy who could score points and he got that in Robinson," Sixers coach Randy Ayers said. "The thing I like about Glenn is he's a tough matchup. I'm sure Allen will enjoy playing with him."
Three game suspension
Iverson and the Sixers will have to wait until their fourth game to use Robinson. He was suspended for three games without pay by the NBA earlier this month after being convicted of pushing and threatening his ex-fiancee.
For the Hawks, the deal's benefits are financial, according to general manager Billy Knight.
Brandon, whose career is likely over because of repeated knee injuries, was attractive because his $11 million-plus contract is due to come off the salary cap in February. Atlanta could then use that space to have extra maneuverability on the free agent market or in trades.