Reed has promised he would either sign Coleman or trade him by the deadline.

Reed signed Coleman.

Then what about the question of the Mets ever having signed Coleman?

The Cardinals have made an offer, Bry said, and the Philadelphia Phillies also are believed to be among the teams trying to sign Coleman.

Butler was declared free as of Dec. 7, 1990, two days after the Mets signed Coleman.

Casciola also dismissed the notion that there was added pressure to sign Coleman because of the Nets' dearth of power forwards.

Demille then signed Coleman to a movie contract in March 1925.

Those statements probably infuriate the Nets' owners, who signed Coleman to a lucrative contract that still has four years remaining at an average of $7.5 million a season.

When they signed Coleman before the 1991 season, the Mets viewed him as their offensive catalyst.

The Nets are trying to sign Coleman to a long-term deal before he exercises his right to become a free agent.