LOS ANGELES -- The New Jersey Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, two ships sinking in the night, have swapped albatrosses. The 76ers accepted talented but grumpy forward Derrick Coleman and his $7.5-million annual salary, while the Nets agreed to take tall but skinny center Shawn Bradley and his $6 million.
"For us, it was sad we had to give up on a No. 1 draft pick, a guy that was an all-star," said Net general manager Willis Reed on Thursday. "But basically Derrick said he did not want to play for the New Jersey Nets, and we tried to accommodate him."
Said 76er owner Harold Katz of Bradley: "He did not get better. He did not improve. If anything, this season, outside of one game, it's been worse."
To make the deal under the salary cap, the 76ers also sent deep reserves Tim Perry, a forward, and Greg Graham, a guard, to the Nets for forward Sean Higgins and guard Rex Walters.
Coleman, 28, has been sidelined this season by an irregular heartbeat but recently began practicing. The 6-foot-10-inch power forward has career averages of 20 points and 11 rebounds but the Nets have made the playoffs only once in his five seasons.
Coleman, the first player taken in the 1990 NBA draft, had an eventful tenure with the Nets. Last season he signed a five-year, $37.5-million contract extension; defied coach Butch Beard's dress code, asking if he could write a check in advance for the fines; was left off the East all-star squad as a signal of his esteem in coaches' eyes; had a confrontation with Reed; and finally, after the Nets came in 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 32-50 record, asked to be traded.
The 7-foot-6-inch, 230-pound Bradley, 23, played only his freshman season at Brigham Young, went on a two-year Mormon mission to Australia and struggled in his first two NBA seasons. However, he finished well in his second, averaging 17 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in the last 17 games.
This season, however, he fell off along with his team. The 76ers have lost eight games in a row while more and more fingers were pointed at Bradley.
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Magic 110, Mavericks 96. In Orlando, Florida, Dennis Scott scored 29 points and Anfernee Hardaway had 24 as the Magic built on the NBA's best record.
The Mavericks got 22 points from Tony Dumas and 18 from Jamal Mashburn.
Cavaliers 97, Bullets 85. In Landover, Maryland, Terrell Brandon's season-high 29 points and career-best 15 assists overshadowed a 22-point effort by Chris Webber in his season debut as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their fourth straight, over the Washington Bullets.
Webber missed the Bullets' first 11 games with a separated left shoulder and served a one-game suspension Tuesday.
Jazz 112, Rockets 105. In Houston, Karl Malone scored 27 points and the Utah Jazz held off a furious Houston rally in the fourth quarter to beat the Rockets in a meeting of the Midwest Division's two top teams. It was Houston's first home loss this year. (LAT, AP)
(For other results, see Scorecard.)
An unnamed 76er official told the Philadelphia Inquirer Bradley was a "whipped puppy."
, who haven't won since getting off to a 5-1 start,
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