Thursday, September 09, 1999
Blount signs with Suns
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns signed former University of Cincinnati star Corie Blount to a two-year contract Wednesday, beating out four other teams that were interested in the 6-foot-10 forward.
The Suns used their $1.1 million salary cap exception. Blount has the option of accepting a second-year salary of $1.2 million.
Indiana, the Los Angeles Lakers, Vancouver and Washington all were interested and had more cap room, but Blount's agent said his client liked the opportunity in Phoenix.
“He had a number of teams that were pursuing him and had the chance to earn considerably more dollars with some other teams,” Mark Bartelstein said.
The acquisition was important for Phoenix, which traded forwards Danny Manning and Pat Garrity to Orlando for coveted shooting guard Penny Hardaway in early August.
General manager Bryan Colangelo said the offseason moves are designed to address weaknesses identified when the Suns were swept by Portland in the first round of the playoffs.
“We talked about athleticism. We talked about interior toughness,” Colangelo said. “We talked about a lot of things that at least on paper have been addressed.”
The latest addition gave the Suns six players who measure 6-10 or taller.
Coach Danny Ainge said Blount, who has taken more than 40 percent of his rebounds off the offensive glass, will provide needed rebounding and interior defense.
“He adds great depth to our front line, and he's probably more athletic than most of our current big guys,” Ainge said.
A few days before the Hardaway trade, the Suns gave free agent forward Rodney Rogers their $2 million cap exception. That left them only the lesser exception to land Blount, considered one of the best big men left on the market.
Blount, 30, played for Chicago, the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland in his six NBA seasons, averaging 3.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.7 minutes.
The Bulls drafted him No. 25 in the first round in 1996, then traded him to Los Angeles two years later. Blount played with the Lakers until last season, when he was traded to Cleveland.
The Suns open their training camp Oct. 4 in Flagstaff.
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