``We've been talking to all of these teams for months,'' Brown said. ``It was like they went for the prettiest girl at the prom, then all of a sudden they settled on us.''
The Warriors had to settle on someone by tomorrow's 6 p.m. trading deadline, because Smith would have been gone by July 1 if they hadn't.
The 6-foot-10 all-American from Maryland, who averaged 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in 49 games this season, had made no secret of his desire to return to the East Coast.
Smith, a native of Norfolk, Va., grew up 20 minutes from Sixers guard Allen Iverson, who was ecstatic about the trade.
``I've known him since I was 13 or 14 years old,'' Iverson said after the 76ers beat Cleveland last night. ``We've been friends ever since. We've always talked about playing together. Now it's going to happen.''
Shaw, 31, a 6-6 nine-year veteran guard, is averaging 6.4 points and 4.4 assists this season. He improved the deal because he's capable of playing both the point and shooting-guard spots.
``It's a trade we've been talking about for a while,'' said Billy King, the Sixers' vice president of basketball administration. ``And recently watching how Coach [Brown] has used [Iverson] some late in the game, and knowing that Brian can play the one or the two, we feel this will take this team in a great direction.''
The Sixers obviously believed that Jackson and Weatherspoon couldn't.
Jackson was third on the team in scoring (13.3 points), perhaps the Sixers' second-best defender (behind Theo Ratliff), and a consummate professional. His lack of athleticism and propensity for turnovers made him expendable.
The Spurs inquired about Jackson as late as yesterday morning, after spurning the Sixers because of interest in Sacramento's Mitch Richmond, the Clippers' Brent Barry and Toronto's Doug Christie. But nothing was worked out.
