The Golden State Warriors and Don Nelson finally have a center, but they still need one more big man to show up.
"I know that Chris Webber didn't want to be playing center anymore," said Rony Seikaly, acquired by the Warriors Wednesday in a trade with the Miami Heat for forward Billy Owens and the rights to Predrag Danilovic."Now he can move back to the position he wants to play. I'll take over the center position."
Nelson is hoping the addition of the 6-foot-111/2 Seikaly will help convince Webber, last season's rookie of the year, to end his holdout.
"We're still trying to sign him," Nelson said, "But now we have a legitimate center. And Web is a power forward, and he's my power forward. That should make him very happy."
Nelson said Owens "really wanted to stay here," but it was becoming apparent Nelson would run into problems finding playing time for Owens at the small forward position once Chris Mullin returns from a knee injury. Mullin is expected back in late December.
"I have an all-star at three with plenty of backup," Nelson said. "We just didn't have enough minutes to make people happy at three. Now we have two players at their natural position. And, we have a true center."
Seikaly said he jumped at the chance to join a team he considers a contender.
"To say the least, I'm ecstatic about my move to Golden State," Seikaly said. "I'm extremely, extremely happy. I couldn't ask for a better situation. I'll be with a team that has a chance to win the championship.
"The only team I wanted to go to was Golden State, because they're the team that needed me the most."
The Heat also received the rights to 6-foot-6 guard Danilovic, the Warriors' second round pick in the 1992 draft.
Seikaly, who missed most of the preseason with tendinitis in his left knee, said he's participated in full practices the last two days and foresees no serious problems.
For Nelson and the Warriors, Seikaly's addition - along with Webber's expected arrival - means training camp essentially starts all over again once the regular season begins.
"It screws everything up, but we were screwed up anyway without Web here," Nelson said. "This team is not going to get off to the start I had hoped. But we're going to stub our toes early, and hopefully not late."
For Owens, the timing of the trade was familiar. As a rookie, he was dealt to the Warriors from Sacramento on Nov. 1, 1991, the night that NBA season started. In three years with Golden State, he averaged 15 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
"Billy Owens is one of the most versatile players in the league," Heat partner Billy Cunningham said in a statement. "He's one of those special players who makes his teammates better."
Owens will be out for about two weeks after straining his left hamstring in an exhibition game.
Like Owens, Seikaly played at Syracuse before being the ninth player selected in the 1988 draft, the Heat's first. He has averaged 15.4 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in six years with Miami.