Lakers Deal Two Second Rounders to San Antonio for Draft Rights to Cory Hightower
On June 28th, 2000, the San Antonio Spurs traded the draft rights of Cory Hightower to the Los Angeles Lakers for a 2001 second round pick (Robertas Javtokas) and a 2002 second round pick (Randy Holcomb).
Fresh off of a 2000 NBA championship win, the Los Angeles Lakers went back to the drawing board to re-stock their supporting cast around stars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The team owned its first round pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, but had lost its second rounder in a trade involving A.C. Green and Sean Rooks with the Dallas Mavericks the previous year.
After selecting power forward Mark Madsen from Stanford with the final pick in the first round of the 2000 draft, the Lakers were able to get into the second round, by trading their 2001 and 2002 future second rounders to the San Antonio Spurs for San Antonio’s 54th pick in the 2000 draft.
The Spurs selected guard-forward Cory Hightower with the pick and subsequently sent him to the Lakers in the draft night deal. From Flint, Michigan, Hightower had excelled at Indian Hills Community College, where he put up 22.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 4.6 APG as a sophomore. A solid offensive player and quality shooter, Hightower entertained transferring to Texas Christian University before declaring for the 2000 NBA Draft.
After acquiring Hightower, the Lakers signed the swingman to a two-year contract with the second year being a team option. Hightower participated in summer league with the Lakers and entered training camp with the defending champions soon after. After averaging 2.8 PPG in five preseason games, the Lakers waived Hightower. The team decided to keep point guard Mike Penberthy as their final guard on the roster.
The 2001 second rounder ended up in the 56th spot of the draft and was used on Lithuanian big man Robertas Javtokas. Javtokas had played in America, attending high schools in North Carolina and Ohio before playing at the University of Arizona for one season.
Javtokas never signed a contract and never played in the NBA. He enjoyed a professional basketball career overseas that saw him play in Lithuania, Russia, Greece and Spain before retiring in 2017.
The Spurs used their 2002 second rounder — 56th overall — on Randy Holcomb. On the same night, the Spurs dealt Holcomb’s draft rights along with veteran Mark Bryant and the draft rights of John Salmons to the Philadelphia 76ers for guard Craig “Speedy” Claxton.
Cory Hightower on learning the triangle as a rookie in summer league (via LA Times):
“It’s going to be hard to learn. There’s a lot of cuts [in the triangle offense] and reads. You’re going to have to be a real student of the game.”
Los Angeles Lakers executive vice president Jerry West on Cory Hightower (via LA Times):
“He can score and he can shoot the ball. Someone that [head coach] Phil [Jackson] had a great interest in.”
On Hightower’s offensive ability (via LA Times):
“Cory, he’s really a skilled player. He’s clever and a shot maker but he’s not selfish. We think that we got two players who will have careers in the NBA.”
New York Knicks Acquire Erick Strickland In Four-Player Deal
On June 28th, 2000, the New York Knicks traded the draft rights of forward Donnell Harvey and forward John Wallace to the Dallas Mavericks for guard Erick Strickland and the draft rights of forward Pete Mickeal.
Finding an NBA home is easy for some, but difficult for most. Erick Strickland experienced the trials and tribulations of finding his NBA home in his first stop. The University of Nebraska product signed with the Mavericks as an undrafted rookie free agent and won a spot on the team’s 1996 opening night roster after a strong showing in preseason.
A shoulder injury and Dallas’ depth chart limited Strickland as he only played 2 games before being waived by the Mavericks in early January. After nearly two months in the CBA, Strickland was re-signed by the Mavericks in March to a 10-day contract. He was signed to a contract for the rest of the season eight days later and finished out his rookie season with the Mavericks.
Strickland played in 28 games overall and managed 10.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG in 27.1 MPG. Dallas finished out the season 24-58 under coach Jim Cleamons. The year was difficult as the Mavericks shuffled through 27 players which was an NBA record. That record would be broken by the Memphis Grizzlies 19 years later.
Dallas made three blockbuster deals that season involving the departures of the three J’s Jamal Mashburn, Jim Jackson and Jason Kidd. On top of that, the Mavericks named Don Nelson as their general manager to steer the downtrodden Mavericks in the right direction.
After his strong late-season finish, Strickland signed a six-year contract worth a reported $14.4 million with Dallas in the 1997 offseason. The Mavericks struggled early on with a 4-12 mark when head coach Jim Cleamons was fired. General manager Don Nelson was named coach after owner Ross Perot, Jr. asked him to run the club. Dallas went 16-50 under Nelson and finished the season 20-62.
During his sophomore campaign, Strickland saw action in 67 games (19 starts) and contributed 7.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.5 APG and 0.8 SPG in 22.5 MPG. Initially, he had an inconsistent role in the rotation under Cleamons (15.8 MPG and 4 DNPs). After Nelson took over, Strickland averaged 23.9 MPG in 55 games. Strickland struggled all season from the field as he shot just 35.7% on field goal attempts.
In the 1998 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks acquired 20-year-old German forward Dirk Nowitzki in a draft night deal for Robert “Tractor” Traylor. They also acquired guard Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns in another draft night deal.
The NBA lockout happened after the draft, but a 50-game season was announced for the 1998-99 campaign. During the lockout-shortened year, Strickland was in a reserve role behind guards Steve Nash, Michael Finley, Hubert Davis and Robert Pack on the depth chart. He amassed 7.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.2 SPG in 33 contests and 17.2 MPG. Dallas continued its penchant for bad season starts as they went 1-8 in their first 9 games. The Mavericks finished the season 19-31 and fifth in the Midwest Division.
The 1999-00 season would be a season of change and major improvement for Strickland and the Mavericks. Dallas played poorly early on with a 9-23 record, but improved in the second half of the year. They won 16 of their final 21 games to finish 40-42 and just 4 games out of the last spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
A new era of Dallas Mavericks basketball was ushered in after billionaire Mark Cuban bought the team from Ross Perot, Jr. One of Cuban’s first moves was to sign veteran and colorful character Dennis Rodman. That partnership would only last 35 days before Rodman was waived by the Mavericks.
Strickland was a full-time starter in the Dallas backcourt alongside Steve Nash. He participated in 68 games (67 starts) and managed career-highs of 12.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.5 SPG in 29.8 MPG. He also posted the second-highest PER of his career (16.5) and the highest true shooting percentage at the time (53.1%).
His biggest play of the season came on a game-winning, buzzer-beating putback to down the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on March 21, 2000.
(GIF via Molletero1987)
After the career year, Strickland’s value across the league rose and he became an attractive trade chip. His hard-nosed and scrappy defense along with streaky shooting and a favorable contract would play a part in his eventual trade to the Knicks. Strickland ended his Mavericks tenure with a stat line of 9.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.2 SPG in 196 contests. The University of Nebraska product shot 40% on FGs, 33% on trifectas and 81% on FTs.
The New York Knicks brought John Wallace in for a second go-around with the team after a two-year stint with the Toronto Raptors. The Syracuse product signed a three-year deal worth $6.6 million in the summer of 1999 to return to the franchise that drafted him in 1996.
Wallace played in 60 games, but he was limited to an inconsistent role throughout the course of the 1999-00 season. He managed 6.5 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 13.3 MPG. New York continued their run as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. They finished third in the East with a 50-32 mark.
Wallace was limited to just 4 minutes during New York’s 2000 playoff run. They swept the Toronto Raptors in three games and outlasted nemesis Miami in the second round with a 4-3 series win. The Knicks made the Conference Finals, but lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Once the trade was consummated, the Mavericks shipped John Wallace to the Detroit Pistons two months later. Donnell Harvey joined the Mavericks for Summer League after the draft and managed 7.8 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 8 contests despite dealing with a groin strain.
Harvey saw limited action in his rookie season. The University of Florida product played in 18 games and managed 1.2 PPG and 1.1 RPG in 3.6 MPG. Dallas was a team on the rise during the 2000-01 season with a 53-29 record. They made the postseason for the first time in 11 years.
In the first round, the Mavericks won in five games against the Utah Jazz. They lost in the Semifinals to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1. Harvey did not play in any of Dallas’ 10 postseason games.
Harvey played in 18 games—2.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG—during the 2001-02 season when he was traded to the Denver Nuggets in a seven-player deal centered around Nick Van Exel. Dallas was 38-17 when Harvey was traded. He ended his Mavericks tenure with averages of 1.7 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 36 contests. He shot 55% on FGs and 42% on FTs.
Pete Mickael played in Summer League—11.0 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 23.7 MPG—for the Knicks and earned a spot on the team’s 2000-01 opening night roster. He spent his entire Knicks tenure on the injured list before being waived in early January of 2001.
Strickland was seen as a solid pickup for the Knicks, but could never find consistent minutes. New York’s perimeter rotation was already crowded with Charlie Ward, Chris Childs, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Glen Rice all ahead of Strickland on the depth chart.
Strickland played in 28 of 42 games and had produced 4.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.8 SPG in 15.0 MPG with the Knicks. He shot just 30.3% on FGs and posted an ice cold true shooting percentage of 41.9% which was only accomplished by five other players in the NBA that season.
New York was 26-16 when they traded Strickland to the Vancouver Grizzlies for Othella Harrington in late January of 2001.
Erick Strickland on his shock at the trade (via NY Times):
“Never in a million years would I have thought that. That (New York) was probably the last place, I would have thought. But now that it's happened, I'm sure we can work it out somehow, and I don't mind the challenge. I look forward to coming to New York because that's my style. The Knicks portray a style I've played my whole career, and I enjoy that and look forward to that.”
On playing for the Knicks:
“There's no doubt about that; what better place to do so? It's the biggest market and everybody and their mother wants to play in New York. So, what better place could I be?”
On playing the role of spark plug:
“I look at myself as that type of guy. I would love to come in and fill that void. I don't think I have all the antics that Starks did. One thing that I'm going to bring is tremendous heart. I'm going to come with it every night, blood, sweat and tears. I'm about winning. Period.”
Donnell Harvey on playing for the Mavericks and being traded on draft night (via Mavericks.com):
“I'm very excited to be playing with the Dallas Mavericks and I was traded from the Knicks. My friends and family were very excited about going to the Knicks, but I'm very excited to be playing for Coach (Don) Nelson and playing here, and doing whatever it takes to win some ballgames.”
If he feels ready for the NBA after one year of college:
“I feel that everyone who entered the draft is not ready to play in the league. It doesn't matter your age, or your experience, you just need to work hard to make it.”
On if playing for an uptempo system at Florida could help him adjust to the NBA:
“Each coach has their own coaching style. With coach (Billy) Donovan we did a lot of running and pressing. Well, with the up-tempo game we played, and the up-tempo game in the NBA, I think it prepared me a lot.”
Pete Mickeal on the draft experience during 2000 Summer League (via NY Times):
“Going through that was probably the worst experience I ever went through. Just sitting there, watching TV, knowing your name's going to be called, but not knowing where. Then they got down to 50 and I was like, 'Dang, is my name going to get called at all? I left the room after the 55th pick and came back just before the 58th. I was looking at the screen, just mad. I'm mad at the screen now. I ain't mad at nobody but the TV screen. I'm staring the TV screen down hard, man. And when they said my name, it was anger.
“I was just ready to come do this. That's all it meant was that I got to start all over again and prove myself again like I always have.”
John Wallace on if he’s excited coming to Dallas (via Mavericks.com):
“Definitely. I can't wait to get down here, and get the season going, especially with the way the guys finished the season up last year. I'm looking forward to helping out anyway I can.”
On his expectations regarding a role:
“I'm just going to come in here and do whatever is asked of me on any particular night. Whether it be scoring, rebounding, defense...whatever it takes to win a game.”
If he was surprised by the trade:
“No I wasn't surprised. This is a business, things are going to happen. I'm happy to be here, actually, because I didn't think I was getting enough playing time up in New York. I'm glad to be here, ready to start working, and try to get minutes down here in Dallas.”
On his lack of playing time and if he started at all:
“No, it was an unfortunate situation but it's in the past, and I'm looking forward to becoming a Maverick.”
If starting is important to him:
“No, I just want to play. It's like when you guys (reporters) go out to cover a story: you want your stories to make it on TV; you don't want your stories to make it to the cutting board, and not make it to the screen. I feel the same way. I was working and doing whatever they asked of me, but I just wasn't getting the time, so I'm happy to be here.”
His opinion of the Mavericks:
“I think they are a very exciting young team. I think they are going to be more about up-down running, more so than the Knicks, which fits my style. I love Mark Cuban; he's a great owner and I think he's really cool. I'm very excited to be here.”
How he thinks he will fit into this team:
“Wherever coach wants to put me. I'm not set on where I want to play (which position), I'm just ready to play. I've been sitting on the bench for a whole year, and I'm just ready to play.”
On a chance at a new beginning:
“This is my first time playing in the Western Conference, and it's going to be fun.”
New York Knicks general manager Scott Layden on how the trade happened (via NY Times):
“We set up our priority list and we went down the list of players and at a certain point we made the trade. We chose Harvey for Dallas.”
On Erick Strickland:
“In order to get Erick Strickland at this time, we feel very good about this trade. We’re excited to have him here. He plays hard, with a lot of energy. He's going to help us get better. We feel good about our roster.”
On the draft situation (via NY Daily News):
“It got to a point in the draft where we couldn't get the players on our list. We felt it was time to make a trade.”
Dallas Mavericks general manager and head coach Don Nelson on trading Strickland (via Mavericks.com):
“It's hard to trade a player you have a bond with. Strick and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship. I had to get after him, and get him to change his game, and it wasn't easy for him. He needed to play more under control; he was wild, very wild, and still has that wild hair about him, even last year, and I only put up with it to a point. And he got that under control, and he became a very good player for me. A lot of the games we won, he was a big part. So it was hard to move him, but you have to move on in this business and do what you can to make your team better.
“We think we got an outstanding young player in the draft, we have Hubert (Davis) who we can bring back as a free agent in a backup role, and our roster is full, and it's going to be hard to get minutes. It's going to be a really healthy situation for training camp. I think it's going to be a good situation for Strick, moving to the Big Apple; he'll have an opportunity to play there. I just didn't see minutes for him anymore.”
How Strickland made himself more marketable for a trade:
“Two years ago nobody would have made a call on Erick Strickland. Last year nobody called him. This year I got calls, and he was playing so well that I just couldn't trade him. So he made his value go up. Now that we were active this time of year, there was a lot of interest in him. We couldn't resist, identifying our rebounding problem and trying to do something about it, and Donnell Harvey really does that.”
On John Wallace:
“I don't know how Wallace will work out, and there will be players that won't be able to make our roster. Another need is we have no low post game. He can do that. He is a scorer who is very difficult to stop. He can isolate and post up. He's as good as anybody. And you'll see he will have an opportunity to help us out. When Gary Trent comes back, I have one player who is a post up player. He give me a second (post up player).”
On the draft working out well:
“Yeah because everything worked out as we had hoped, and that never happens. Somebody always takes your guy, and you have to take theirs. In this particular draft, including Harvey, went according to (what we wanted).”
Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy on Strickland (via NY Times):
“He's primarly a defensive-rebounding type of guard. He’s really just a guard. We were very fortuntate that Latrell and Allan played all 82 games this year. I thought that we could upgrade. Erick will help push those two guys.”
On the competition at the guard spots after the transaction (via NY Times):
“People think there's a glut of guards that we have, but that's not really true. Charlie’s the only true point we have, and Chris is a 1-2 like Strickland. Latrell is at small forward. Obviously, there will be a fight for minutes, but that's just how it is. Competition is good for a team.”
On the Knicks needing to shore up their rebounding:
“You can't take care of everything in one night and sometimes you can't take care of something at all. I believe that Scott Layden and his staff are going to work on it. We know we need to improve our offensive rebounding situation.”
On Strickland (via NY Daily News):
“Obviously (Strickland) is coming off the bench for us.”
On giving up John Wallace (via Newsday):
“It's very hard to say good-bye to John Wallace. When you get something, you have to give something away.”
Images via Henny Ray Abrams/Getty Images & Glenn James/Getty Images
The 2000 NBA Draft is widely-regarded as the worst NBA draft class ever. I recently tried to “re-draft” this awful class, and let me tell you, it was exhausting. In the coming weeks, a few of the better basketball minds I’m surrounded by will be re-drafting the last 15 years of NBA Drafts with me. I’m pretty much just publishing these here on my blog so I don’t lose them. Let me know in the…
*Traded with Courtney Alexander, Hubert Davis, Christian Laettner, Loy Vaught and cash to the Washington Wizards for Calvin Booth, Obinna Ekezie and Juwan Howard.
