VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 27 -- The Vancouver Grizzlies Monday traded center Benoit Benjamin, their leading scorer, to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Eric Mobley and point guard Eric Murdock. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Murdoch was a first-round draft pick of the Utah Jazz in 1991 after starring at Providence.
He played in 75 games for the Bucks last season, averaging 13 points a game and leading the team with 6.4 assists and 1.51 steals a game. Murdock was averaging 6.9 points, 3.8 assists and 21 minutes a game this season. He became expendable Sunday after Milwaukee acquired point guard Sherman Douglas from the Boston Celtics for swingman Todd Day and center Alton Lister. The 6-foot-11, 257-pound Mobley was the Bucks' first round draft pick in 1994 out of the University of Pittsburgh. He averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds as a rookie last season and was averaging 1.2 points and 2. 2 rebounds this season. Benjamin, a 7-foot, 265-pounder, was leading the expansion Grizzlies with 13.9 points a game, 103 rebounds and 15 blocks in 13 games. Vancouver selected Benjamin from the New Jersey Nets in the expansion draft last spring. The 31-year-old Benjamin, the third overall pick in the 1985 draft, will be joining his sixth NBA team. He averaged 11.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 61 games last season for the Nets.
