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martin
Posts: 76489
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USA
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http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bull01.html
Curry's agent looks to New York
October 1, 2005
BY LACY J. BANKS Staff Reporter
Eddy Curry's agent continued to lobby Friday for Bulls operations chief John Paxson to accept a trade offer from the New York Knicks, a team one source said wouldn't require Curry to take a controversial DNA test.
Curry, 22, and the Bulls might be headed for a precedent-setting arbitration over whether the team has the right to demand Curry take the genetic test. Curry's 2004-05 season was cut short after he was diagnosed with heart arrythmia. A heart specialist suggested Curry take the DNA test to determine if he is predisposed to a potentially fatal heart condition, although another expert cleared Curry to play.
Paxson has said he won't allow Curry to play without taking the test, while Curry's camp has said Curry will refuse.
Today was going to be the deadline for Curry to accept the Bulls' one-year, $5.14million qualifying offer, but the deadline has been extended to Monday.
The Knicks are willing to give up forwards Tim Thomas and Michael Sweetney and a No. 1 draft pick for Curry in a sign-and-trade deal, and New York will not require Curry to take a DNA test, a source told the Sun-Times.
Neither Paxson nor Knicks operations chief Isiah Thomas was available for comment, but Paxson was quoted in the Daily Southtown as saying the Knicks' offered a ''bizarre proposal.''
''The Knicks are willing to use the sign-and-trade to give Curry a six-year deal that would guarantee him $40 million but pay as much as $70 million with incentives over the life of the contract,'' the source said. ''And Isiah has told close friends that he would not require Eddy to take a DNA test to seal the multiyear deal.''
Curry is prepared to sign the qualifying offer if that's all that's available, said his agent, Leon Rose.
"But the trade offer that has been reported is a fair offer that we'd like to see the Bulls accept,'' Rose said. ''It's a way for both sides to receive fair compensation, make a clean break and avoid some possible ugly confrontations in the future.''
The ugliness already is surfacing.
"Eddy says he really doesn't want to play for the Bulls anymore,'' a close associate of Curry said. ''He feels the Bulls broke their promise to re-sign him when he was medically cleared to play again. He also believes the Bulls leaked information from his medical reports to give people the impression that something is seriously wrong with him if he doesn't take that DNA test.''
Curry could not be reached for comment, but he continues to work out five days a week under trainer Tim Grover at the WestLoop Athletic Club. Curry has trimmed down to 284 pounds and has been involved in contact scrimmages for a week.
''I had no choice,'' said Grover, whose policy is to keep players away from the media if they are not under contract. ''I couldn't afford to have him go into training camp behind in that area. There is a certain part of a player's conditioning that he can only get from scrimmaging with other players and banging with them. Otherwise, Eddy's in great shape.''
Several teammates have given Curry moral support.
"I personally worry for him because these are things beyond his control,'' said Antonio Davis, Bulls co-captain and the president of the players association. ''I believe [management has] a right to know how healthy a guy is before they sign him to a new contract worth a lot of money.
"But at the same time, there should be a limit as to how much your employer is entitled to know about your medical records. When you go beyond the standard medical exams all the players take and ask for a player's DNA, it's got to be up to the player to give it. The union will defend him all the way.''
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10/1/2005 11:21 AM