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<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland Trail Blazers formally reached a deal that sent forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim to the New Jersey Nets as the moratorium was lifted on NBA free agent signings on Tuesday.
Signings were supposed to begin nearly two weeks ago, but complications in putting the NBA's new six-year collective bargaining agreement into writing forced a pair of delays.
The Blazers signed Abdur-Rahim then dealt him to New Jersey for a protected first-round draft pick next year. If the draft pick is a lottery selection, then Portland would receive the following year's first-round pick from the Nets.
New Jersey President Rod Thorn would not disclose terms of the contract. It was not yet signed because it is contingent on a physical exam, he said.
"I think Shareef is at a point in his career where he has a lot to prove, and that bodes well for us," Thorn said. "He's a very prideful individual, and he wants to prove that the lack of team success in his NBA career is due to the teams he's played on, rather than to him. To me, he's right in his prime as a player."
Abdur-Rahim has averaged 19.8 points and 8.1 rebounds over a nine-year NBA career in Vancouver, Atlanta and Portland.</div>
Source
Signings were supposed to begin nearly two weeks ago, but complications in putting the NBA's new six-year collective bargaining agreement into writing forced a pair of delays.
The Blazers signed Abdur-Rahim then dealt him to New Jersey for a protected first-round draft pick next year. If the draft pick is a lottery selection, then Portland would receive the following year's first-round pick from the Nets.
New Jersey President Rod Thorn would not disclose terms of the contract. It was not yet signed because it is contingent on a physical exam, he said.
"I think Shareef is at a point in his career where he has a lot to prove, and that bodes well for us," Thorn said. "He's a very prideful individual, and he wants to prove that the lack of team success in his NBA career is due to the teams he's played on, rather than to him. To me, he's right in his prime as a player."
Abdur-Rahim has averaged 19.8 points and 8.1 rebounds over a nine-year NBA career in Vancouver, Atlanta and Portland.</div>
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