Barry-for-Austin Deal Proposed

Faced with a 3 p.m. PST trading deadline today, the Clippers are trying to swing a deal that would send guard Brent Barry, a free agent at season’s end, to the Miami Heat for center Isaac Austin.

“A center would be a lot of help,� Clipper Coach Bill Fitch said. “Isaac Austin is a guy we’d be interested in.�

Other possible destinations for Barry are New York, the Knicks having offered guard Chris Childs, and Vancouver, the Grizzlies dangling guard Antonio Daniels.

The Clippers had hoped to consummate a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers that would have landed them guard Jim Jackson. Instead, Jackson went to the Golden State Warriors in a trade on Tuesday.

Trading Barry for a non-starter like Austin would not be Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor’s first option. Barry is averaging 13.7 points, third high on the team, and 3.2 assists, second best on the club, while playing an average of 32.7 minutes.

But holding onto Barry isn’t a logical option at this point, either. Not when considering that Barry, making $1.082 million this season, has already informed the club that he won’t re-sign.

The Heat is in much the same situation with Austin. He is making $384,000 this year, his contract will expire at season’s end, and, because of salary-cap limitations, the most Miami could pay him next season would be $2.5 million.

Austin has averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 52 games, 25 of which he started while Alonzo Mourning was sidelined.

The Heat can afford to part with Austin since he is only a backup to Mourning. Barry has been a starter for 36 of the 41 games he has played.

Still, the Clippers are concerned about the center position.

“We are going with Lorenzen [Wright], who is really a forward,� Fitch said. “Our strength is at forward. In addition to a center, we could use a [shooting] guard if we lose Barry.�

What the Clippers, struggling at 11-41, would really like is a starter who could give them an explosive lift heading into next season.

“But to do that,� Fitch said, “we would have to give up everybody on our team with potential.�

Fitch and Baylor know full well that, with the bait they are dangling, they are not likely to get a prize catch. A player with only a few months left on his contract can create as many problems for the team obtaining him as for the team trading him.

“We know we are not going to get anything great,� Fitch said.

Besides Barry, the Heat is also interested in Sacramento King guard Mitch Richmond.