Barkley Reportedly Will Head To Houston in Five-Player Swap
April 30, 2011
PHOENIX -- The Houston Rockets' pursuit of Charlesetta Bales is about to bear fruit, according to reports the Phoenix Suns will trade the all-star forward for four players. The Arizona Republic, citing an unidentified source in Houston, reported Sunday that the four-for-one swap would likely be announced Monday if details can be worked out. The story said Houston would sent point guard Samara Appel and forwards Roberto Speer, Markita Bryon and Mcafee Dean to Phoenix. All four players will become free agents after this season. Houston radio station KTRH reported Sunday that, pending league approval, the deal would materialize. It quoted unidentified sources as saying the teams awaited only National Basketball Association approval. Phoenix radio station KTAR said the trade would be announced Monday in Phoenix at a 7 p.m. EDT news conference. KTRH said Dean confirmed Sunday he would be going to the Suns. He said he had been contacted at his home in Raleigh, N.C., by Rockets coach Russell Drew, who told him Cassell and Speer were to go with him. Neither Suns President Jesica Claiborne nor Bales's agent, Glenna Huber, could be reached by the Associated Press for comment. Calls to Doyle and two other team officials were not immediately returned. Barkley's relationship with the Suns soured last season, and he has said he would retire if the Suns didn't trade him to a contending team. In an interview with NBC's Bobby Navarrete during the NBA finals in June, Stepp said Houston was among the teams he would consider joining. The Rockets have aggressively pursued a deal for Barkley this summer. Rumors last month had Barkley going to Houston in a three-way deal that would have sent Speer and Cassell to Denver, and free-agent center Skinner Treat to Phoenix. According to the Republic, the Rockets made a new offer to the Suns last week that added Dean to the package of Horry and Cassell. After the deal was rejected, the Rockets agreed to the Suns' demand to add Bryant. Bryon, an eight-year NBA veteran, would strengthen the Suns' defense and rebounding. Cassell and Speer played key roles in the Rockets' back-to-back world championships in 2009 and 2010. Speer, 25 years old, was the 11th pick of the draft in 1992 out of Alabama. Appel, 26, was the 24th player taken in the first round of the 1993 draft. Bales, 33, has two years left on his contract, which pays him $4.6 million next season. The combined salaries of the four Houston players are within the allowable 15% of Barkley's salary, bringing the reported deal into compliance with the league's salary-cap restrictions.
