BRIEFLY\NBA rocked by six big trades.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

Tim Hardaway, Christian Laettner and Billy Owens were the biggest names to move Thursday on one of the busier NBA trading deadline days in recent years.

Six deals involving 19 players were completed, with the Miami Heat making three trades.

The Heat added forward Walt Williams, forward-center Chris Gatling and guards Hardaway and Tony Smith.

The Atlanta Hawks acquired Laettner from the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Toronto Raptors picked up Sharone Wright from Philadelphia.

The biggest non-trade involved the Portland Trail Blazers, who failed to deal disgruntled guard Rod Strickland or forward Clifford Robinson. Strickland was suspended for one game by the Trail Blazers after he stormed off the court during warmups Thursday night.

Miami made all three of its trades within two hours of the 9 p.m. EST deadline. The Heat picked up Hardaway and Gatling from Golden State for power forward Kevin Willis and guard Bimbo Coles, then acquired Williams and Tyrone Corbin from Sacramento for Owens and Kevin Gamble. Miami also added Smith from Phoenix for rookie Terrence Rensher.

"Today obviously was a day that I felt was coming all along if we had the opportunity to improve the position of this team," Miami coach Pat Riley said. "It was a very difficult day for me personally."

FOOTBALL

Rocky Long, who spent the last five seasons as defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Oregon State, was named UCLA's new defensive coordinator. Long will also coach the Bruin's linebackers.

Last season the Beavers ranked third in the Pacific-10 Conference in total defense.

In addition, UCLA head coach Bob Toledo has named Marc Dove as the team's secondary coach. Dove was the defensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota the last four years.

Oilers owner Bud Adams, Gov. Don Sundquist and Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen announced that the Tennessee city has met the goal of selling $77 million in permanent seat licenses.

After losing out to the Chicago Bears in the pursuit of free agent linebacker Bryan Cox, the St. Louis Rams cried foul. Rams general manager Steve Ortmayer accused Cox's agent, Clifford Brady, of steering Cox to the Bears and misleading the Rams' front office. He also accused Brady and the Bears of prematurely working out the deal.

TENNIS

Notching her second win in her comeback, Jennifer Capriati defeated Austria's Barbara Schett 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 at a WTA tournament in Essen, Germany. The 19-year-old American showed lots of spunk, rallying from a 4-0 deficit in the first set, then winning it on the tiebreaker.

Boris Becker and Michael Stich of Germany will skip the Olympics to concentrate on Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and Marc Rosset of Switzerland might not be in Atlanta, either.

Becker and Stich won the 1992 Olympic doubles title for Germany in Barcelona and Rosset captured the gold medal in singles.

"If I say 'I don't care,' I might shock you," Rosset said. "I don't look six months ahead. There is plenty coming ahead of the Olympics."

BASEBALL

Former Oakland Athletics owner Charles O. Finley, who could be as cantankerous as he was flamboyant, was buried in Merrillville, Ind., surrounded by his family, friends and two of the players he loved most.

"Charlie Finley was contentious and outspoken, but when times caught up with his thoughts, he became an innovator and creative," Reggie Jackson said after the funeral service. "His ideas were great. He was tough, he was never easy to work for. Very tough but fair."

The Boston Red Sox say they're no longer interested in pursuing free agent Darryl Strawberry. "We're comfortable with who we have at that position," said Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette.

HORSE RACING

A series of 46 stakes races for 3-year-old horses is underway. The formation of the series to run from Jan. 1 to the Travers Aug. 24 at Saratoga was announced by the Thoroughbred Racing Associatons and the Triple Crown Challenge. It will include the Santa Anita Derby. Five races already have been run.

The three featured races in the series will be the Triple Crown events of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Cigar, the 1995 Horse of the Year, has a stone bruise to his right front foot. Cigar is nominated to the Gulfstream Park Handicap March 2, but his next scheduled start is the Santa Anita Handicap the same day.

ETC.

Broward County commissioners agreed to sign a letter of intent with the NHL for the Florida Panthers to play in a new arena. The agreement signals another step toward moving the Panthers from the Miami Arena, which they currently share with the NBA's Miami Heat.

"We've created a framework we think for a deal that will enable a hockey team to stay in South Florida . . . Broward County," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. . . .

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PHOTO

Photo (1) LAETTNER (2) STRAWBERRY