Atlanta – Forward Al Harrington said Sunday he would prefer to stay an Atlanta Hawk the rest of the season. But if the Nuggets somehow acquired him, he would have no problems with that either.
“That’s another great opportunity,” Harrington said. “They are a winning team, a team competing for a playoff spot and trying to win a championship. … That’s something I’d just embrace.”
Harrington has been linked to two Nuggets trade rumors.
One is a three-way trade that would include Harrington going back to the Pacers; Pacers forward Ron Artest and guard Anthony Johnson going to Denver; and injured Nuggets forward-center Nene and guard Earl Watson going to Atlanta. Another is Harrington coming to Denver for Nene and Watson.
“I heard I would be going through, not going to the Nuggets,” Harrington said. “I’ve never even thought about playing in Denver. But I’ve heard nine times out of 10 whatever you hear never goes down. You just got to see.”
The Indianapolis Star reported Sunday that Artest now wants to stay with the Pacers, but it’s expected he will be moved. Nuggets general manager Kiki Vande- weghe said “there is nothing really happening” in regard to any potential trades.
Harrington is averaging 18.4 points and 7.9 rebounds this season. The 6-foot-9, 245-pounder is in the final year of a contract paying $6.9 million this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
The team he finishes the season with will have his Bird rights, which allows the club to sign him to a six-year deal with 12.5 percent pay increases. Outside teams under the salary cap could sign him to a five-year deal with 8 percent pay increases.
“I haven’t heard anything yet,” Harrington said. “Like I’ve said before, I’m going to let my agent handle all that. If it’s something real, he’ll let me know or (Hawks general manager) Billy (Knight) will let me know.”
When asked about Harrington’s free-agent situation and the trade rumors, Knight declined to get into specifics.
“That’s just the way it is in the NBA,” Knight said. “I’m not going to get into all that stuff. Our team is playing better. Al certainly is playing as well as some other guys.”
Footnote
Vandeweghe said the chances “are probably not very good” that the $1.6 million medical exception the Nuggets acquired for injured forward-center Nene will be used by today’s deadline.
Denver has a maximum 15 players on the roster and would have to cut one to add a player with the exception.
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com.
