Sixers part red tape for Moses

The tight little enclave of NBA owners that thought it had driven Harold Katz against a wall was last seen retreating sheepishly, licking wounds in places it didn't know it had.

The magnitude of the owners' injuries, financial and otherwise, will reach them in waves as the regular season and playoffs progress, as they watch the balance of power sway generally toward the East, and particularly toward the freshly muscled Atlantic Division.

Truck Robinson is in New York, Darryl Dawkins is in New Jersey, Quinn Buckner is in Boston and now Moses Malone - two-time MVP and All-Pro center - finally is with the 76ers.

Malone formally joined the team yesterday during a 5:40 p.m. conference call among Houston, Philadelphia and the league office in New York. Moses brings no guarantees of championships, but he absolutely will provide all the rebounds the Sixers had wanted, but had never truly reached for.

The price, which reportedly changed as many as four times in the negotiations, meant sending center Caldwell Jones to the Rockets, along with Cleveland's first pick in the 1983 draft. The Sixers had extracted that gem from the Cavaliers on Oct. 3, 1977, in return for the late Terry Furlow.

"It's real nice of the owner, general manager and coach to want me to play here," Malone said in an overcrowded press briefing in Veterans Stadium. "I know it's Doc's (Julius Erving's) show, and I'm happy to be part of Doc's show . . . Doc'll still be the show, but maybe now it'll be a better show."

Katz had signed Malone, who had spent the last six seasons with the Rockets, to an offer sheet Sept. 2. Houston had vowed to match the offer, and the league had begun disciplinary action against the Sixers, charging that several incentive clauses tied to performance and attendance violated NBA rules.

But even as special master Kingman Brewster was deliberating the case, Katz was rallying. After more than eight hours of testimony and discussion Monday in the New York Hilton, the owner left believing Brewster's decision would not affect the eventual outcome.

"I felt I could've had Moses four or five times in the early part of the week," Katz said, "but I didn't like the price. I knew I'd have to give up a lot, but I was determined not to give up too much."

He would not say it, but it was his way of flaunting the gauntlet the league had dropped at his feet. The owners, already facing escalating contract negotiations with most of the players, also are facing developing negotiations over a new contract with the Players Association. They have witnessed the heat of the ongoing NFL skirmish, and they cannot be happy. Seeing Malone in Philadelphia with a six-year contract worth in excess of $13 million doesn't ease their fears.

"This was not a major conflict with the league," Katz said. "I know there are people who will say a deal like this isn't in the best interests of the NBA, but it certainly is in the best interests of the 76ers. I have no animosity toward the other owners. I did what I felt I had to do for my team. I want to go for the whole thing, the championship, and the only thing we lacked was rebounding. Now we've got the best rebounder in the game. I can't wait until the season starts."

Malone won his third rebounding title last season, averaging 14.7 a game and 6.9 offensively. His 31.1 scoring average was second only to San Antonio's George Gervin, and he led the league in minutes played, averaging 42. He blistered San Diego with 53 points Feb. 2, and scorched Seattle with 32 rebounds (21 offensive) Feb. 11. In six years and 466 games, he has rung up 11,119 points (23.9 average) and 6,960 rebounds (14.9) and 3,009 offensive rebounds (6.5).

The Sixers reportedly offered one package that included their own 1983 first-round pick, plus the New Jersey choice they got in return for Dawkins, plus guard Lionel Hollins. They also held out the lure of a selection from among the bottom five people on their 1981-82 roster and future first-round picks they have coming from Denver and San Diego.

Katz held conversations Sunday with Clarence Mayer, representing new Rockets owner Charlie Thomas, and Mike Kessler and Bud Reynolds, representing Gavin Maloof, who is in the process of selling the franchise. General Manager Pat Williams did some more talking Monday during the arbitration hearing.

Tuesday, Katz and attorney S. Laurence Shaiman were in Atlanta on business related to Katz's Nutrisystem empire.

"I called Mr. Thomas from there, and he said there was reason to talk," Katz said. "He suggested, if we were that close, to come on down. We did that, didn't get home until 5:30 in the morning (yesterday) . At that point, we didn't have a deal, but we still had negotiations. We started again on the phone at 11 a.m., and finished about 4.

"Moses will help us win and attract people. If we attract enough people, it's a good business deal, but even if we don't, it's still a good basketball deal, 'cause he's the best rebounder in basketball. It took all this time to do, though, because they wanted more. They wanted another quality player or giant cash, but when I want something, I go get it. I finally said this was as far as I was going to go."

Ironically, the Rockets had scheduled only one pre-season game in Houston, against the Sixers on Oct. 13. The teams will meet twice during the regular season, Dec. 28 in Houston and Feb. 18 in the Spectrum.

The trade, in effect, is three-cornered, because the NBA agreed to drop its disciplinary action. A clause in Malone's contract guaranteeing him $100,000 a season in endorsements and personal appearances had been invalidated by Brewster, but has been reinstated. Malone also will be able to earn five percent of any gate receipts between $4 and $6 million, and 10 percent of anything beyond $6 million.

Other clauses relating to road attendance and having other statistical leaders on Malone's team were deleted.

The key for Houston was the Cleveland pick, which could translate into Virginia's Ralph Sampson or Georgetown's Patrick Ewing. The key for Philadelphia was Malone now, rather than the possibility of Sampson or Ewing later.

"The Cleveland pick brings no guarantees," Katz said. "For it to be Sampson, Cleveland would not only have to finish last, they'd have to win the coin flip. For it to be Ewing, he'd have to come out of college after only two years. A guarantee of Malone is better. Ralph may or may not be as good as Moses during his career, but he certainly won't start out being as good."

"One of the worst things that could've happened would've been (for us) to sign Moses for $2.2 million and win just 44 games again," said Ray Patterson, the Rockets' general manager. "With Sampson, Bowie (Kentucky's Sam Bowie) and possibly Ewing, next year will be the top draft in the last 10 years. This gives us the opportunity to be involved.

"This is the only way to get out of our cloistered situation that we've been in the last few years. We win in the 40s and end up with a middle first-round pick."

Thomas admitted there had been some bad feeling earlier.

"Katz came out and said, 'He (Thomas) can't match the offer,' " Thomas said. "He doesn't know what I can and can't do. I didn't get in here just to get run over."

Katz, who landed at Northeast Philadelphia Airport yesterday morning in a private plane in a frightening fog ("The airport was closed, but we didn't know it," he said), was feeling equally aggressive. There is even the chance that he is not done dealing because, unless one of the rookies or lesser veterans suddenly emerges, the Sixers might need a power forward and/or a shooting forward to complement Malone's rebounding and the remarkable skills of Erving and Bobby Jones on the wings. No one would confirm it, but there reportedly is some continuing interest in obtaining Terry Cummings, the former DePaul star who was drafted by San Diego, but who hasn't come close to agreeing to terms with the Clippers.

"I think I'm a better player on a team that's running," Malone said. "My main concern was to be at training camp at the beginning to know where I was going to play. The last four or five years, Philly had the best team in the league (but didn't win the title). We can win it now, but we can't be selfish, we've gotta play together."

"We're going to go to camp and look at what we have," Katz said. "If Billy (Coach Billy Cunningham) feels we need somebody else, I'll try and get him what he needs. I'm not saying we're not trying now.

"But Moses now gives us the best starting team in the league, and the best team in the league, but nothing guarantees a championship. All I can say is, we're certainly improved, which is what I set out to do. The differential of paying Moses against what we would have been paying Caldwell and Darryl, plus the $700,000 we received from New Jersey, means there really is only a slight difference in our payroll. The hope is, we've proven to the fans that we're sincerely interested in winning. This is easily the most exciting team ever fielded here."

When the news conference ended, Katz headed for the Vet's executive level to enjoy a celebration drink.

"That's the way you make deals," he said wearily. "Those who get angry and walk out of rooms never make them. Those who can sit and wait, show patience and keep talking, get them done. That's why I didn't get too upset earlier in the week. I knew what was coming."