The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired former NBA All-Stars Forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Center Theo Ratliff as well as Guard Dan Dickau from the Atlanta Hawks in return for Forward/Center Rasheed Wallace and Guard/Forward Wesley Person.

?Since John Nash and I came here last summer, we pursued a plan that would take character into account with talent, create cap flexibility while continuing to put a competitive team on the court,? said Trail Blazers President Steve Patterson.

?The community has been very clear in their message and we are listening. As we pledged to our fans and customers back in August, we want to build a competitive team on the court and one in which the fans can also be proud of off the court. Today?s trade is a reflection of that commitment,? said Patterson.

Abdur-Rahim, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward, is averaging 19.9 ppg (16th in the NBA) and 9.4 rpg (12th) while shooting 48.4% (18th) from the floor and 88.6% (7th) from the free throw line. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Ratliff is the NBA?s leading shot blocker, 3.1 bpg, and averages 8.3 ppg and 7.2 rpg. Dickau, a Vancouver, WA native, has appeared in 20 games this season, averaging 2.1 ppg.

A seven-year NBA veteran, Abdur-Rahim owns career averages of 20.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg and 1.1 spg in 583 games. The 27-year-old was the third selection of the 1996 NBA Draft by the then-Vancouver Grizzlies after a record-setting freshman year at California. He averaged 21.1 ppg, leading all freshmen in the country in scoring, and led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals.