Hiting the Trail

Scottie Pippen got his wish, or at least part of it.

Houston got rid of its problem, and about $54 million of future salary.

And Portland got a major, if aging, new puzzle piece, which it can either use to boost its revamped roster for a serious title run, or to lure Glen Rice from the Lakers, who so far remain uninterested in taking on Pippen’s gigantic future salaries.

So much is going on on the edges of this maneuvering, it’s almost easy to disregard the particulars:

According to several news outlets, the Houston Rockets today will trade Pippen, a six-time NBA champion, to the Portland Trail Blazers for six players--Kelvin Cato, Walt Williams, Stacey Augmon, Ed Gray, Brian Shaw and Carlos Rogers--none of whom are starters, several of whom are expected to be released by Houston almost immediately, and all of whom were put in the trade mainly to suit salary-cap rules.

The most important issues, though, are these:

* Pippen, 34, choreographed his departure from Houston by grumbling behind Coach Rudy Tomjanovich’s back, by privately seeking a trade to the Lakers to be reunited with Coach Phil Jackson, and, earlier this week, by blasting Charles Barkley, calling him a “very selfish guy,” among other less-than-salutory descriptions.

Barkley apparently lit the fuse by saying that Pippen should apologize to him, the Rockets and to their fans for Pippen’s efforts to be traded to the Lakers.

“I wouldn’t give Charles an apology at gunpoint,” Pippen said during an interview with ESPN. “He can never expect an apology from me. . . . If anything, he owes me an apology for coming to play with his fat butt.”

The complaints solidify the malcontent reputation of Pippen, who spent eight less-than-spectacular months with the Rockets after signing a four-year, $67-million free-agent contract in January.

* Portland, swept by San Antonio in the Western Conference finals last season, continues to tweak and tighten its roster, which overflowed with talent last season but did not always have defined roles.

Earlier this off-season, the Trail Blazers traded guards Jimmy Jackson and Isaiah Rider to the Atlanta Hawks for veteran Steve Smith, and signed forward Detlef Schrempf as a free agent.

If Portland, owned by billionaire Paul Allen, keeps Pippen and his huge back-end money, the Trail Blazers’ rotation is crystal clear and potentially one of the strongest in the league: Arvydas Sabonis and Jermaine O’Neal at center; Brian Grant, Rasheed Wallace, Pippen and Schrempf at forward; Smith, Damon Stoudamire, Greg Anthony and Bonzi Wells at guard.

With champion San Antonio having lost forward Sean Elliott probably for the season after a kidney transplant, Portland with Pippen becomes at least a co- favorite to win the NBA championship.

* Pippen, however, yearns to be reunited with Jackson, with whom he won six NBA championships while both were with the Chicago Bulls, and to move permanently to L.A. to assist the acting career of his wife.

Jackson has been trying to convince Laker owner Jerry Buss that despite Pippen’s declining statistics (he averaged 14.5 points and shot a career-low 43.2%) and ballooning salary numbers, Pippen’s versatility and court savvy would give the Lakers a much easier transition into the triangle offense.

The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, apparently believe that the pure-shooting Rice, a free agent after this season, would be the perfect final complement to their post-up offense and would have no problem meeting his salary demands.

The Lakers have opted not to make a move for Pippen, choosing to wait and see if the current roster--and especially Rice--can flourish under Jackson and in the triangle.

Jackson has not ruled out reconsidering the possible acquisition of Pippen at some later point. For salary-cap purposes, it would take Rice, Robert Horry and probably Travis Knight to complete the deal.

Several sources said that Houston, once it had decided to trade Pippen, recently sought the Rice-Horry-Knight package for Pippen, but was rebuffed.

Laker management, according to several sources, also is not comfortable surrendering Horry and Knight, two of its top four frontline players, without getting a power player in return.

And by taking on Pippen’s salary, the Lakers, already locked into Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Rick Fox and Derek Fisher for many more years, would be over the salary cap, guaranteed, well into the 21st century.

* The Rockets, strictly a half-court team in recent seasons, have redone and revitalized their entire perimeter corps, moving Pippen and Michael Dickerson and acquiring talented rookie Steve Francis and recently signing former Utah swingman Shandon Anderson.

Laker Notes

Stephen Howard, who played in Greece last season, is the latest journeyman big forward to get an invitation to Laker training camp.

To Portland

Scottie Pippen (F)

*

To Houston

Kelvin Cato (C)

Walt Williams (F)

Stacey Augmon (F)

Ed Gray (G)

Brian Shaw (G)

Carlos Rogers (F)