Tue, Aug 22, 2006 at 12:00am

HARRINGTON RETURNS TO INDY

The Indiana Pacers acquired forward Al Harrington and center John Edwards from the Atlanta Hawks for a first round draft pick in 2007.

What does it give the Indiana Pacers
A top-tier small forward who was once a cornerstone for them, and now is again. Harrington will likely take over the Pacers' starting spot at small forward (or possibly power forward), while Edwards is a somewhat serviceable throw-in. Indy's first choice in the free agency pool was Peja Stojakovic, but he bolted for the Hornets. Harrington may actually wind up being a better player for them, as he's younger than Peja, plays better defense, and isn't nearly as injury-prone. He also fits in better the more fast-paced, open style Indy hopes to play.

What does it give the Atlanta Hawks
A very solid consolation prize for a player who was going to leave anyway. As a classic 'sign-and-trade' deal, this one yielded the Hawks a first-rounder in return for giving Harrington more money than he would have made if he'd just gone straight to the Pacers. The NBA's rules mandate higher salaries for players who re-sign with their own teams, so the Hawks did their part in helping Indy make Harrington happy, and got rewarded for it. Edwards wasn't really in their plans, so all-in-all it's a good deal for Atlanta, which has the emerging Marvin Williams to take Harrington's place.

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