Price Goes to Bullets for First-Round Pick

Mark Price, a four-time all-star point guard and the NBA’s career leader in free throw accuracy, was traded Wednesday to the Washington Bullets for a first-round draft pick in 1996.

The Bullets, who had the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season, were seeking a high-profile, veteran point guard to run their talented front court that includes rookie Rasheed Wallace, second-year player Juwan Howard and third-year pro Chris Webber.

Price, 31, a 6-footer from Georgia Tech who was Dallas’ No. 2 pick in the 1986 draft, was acquired by the Cavaliers later that same day in exchange for a second-round pick in the 1989 draft.

In 48 games last season, Price averaged 15.8 points per game on 41.3% field goal accuracy. Over a nine-year career, Price has averaged 16.4 points per game.

The Lakers signed Frankie King, their only selection in the draft.

The 6-1 guard from Western Carolina finished second in NCAA scoring last season and was the 37th pick of the draft. He was the Southern Conference player of the year the last two seasons and averaged 26.5 points as a senior.

The NBA referees remain without a contract and the league is threatening to hire replacements. The labor deal expired last June, and the NBA has offered the refs a no-strike, no-lockout agreement like the one it reached with its players last October.

Hockey

The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Scott Niedermayer and extended the contract of high-scoring Stephane Richer.

Tennis

The tax adviser to Steffi Graf’s family was arrested on charges of providing false information to authorities for the tennis star’s 1993 taxes and failing to hand over certain documents for tax years 1989-92. Joachim Eckardt was arrested in the Frankfurt area.

Boris Becker, a doubtful starter because of a nagging back injury, beat Byron Black of Zimbabwe, 6-4, 6-3, in the first round of the $1 million Swiss Open in Basel, Switzerland. Becker, the top seed, was forced to pull out of last weekend’s Davis Cup semifinal in which Germany lost to Russia.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia recovered from a first-set loss to defeat France’s Guy Forget, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4, in the first round. Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia withdrew because of illness, forfeiting his match against Arnaud Boetsch of France.

Thomas Enqvist of Sweden easily defeated Todd Woodbridge of Australia, 6-2, 6-3, and Stefan Edberg of Sweden advanced against France’s Cedric Pioline, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

Top-seeded Alberto Berasategui of Spain was upset, 6-2, 7-5, by unseeded Magnus Norman of Sweden in the second round of the Sicily International in Palermo.

Boxing

Gabriel Ruelas will make his third defense of his World Boxing Council super featherweight title Dec. 1 at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Palm Springs. Ruelas will fight Azuma Nelson.

Danny Romero, whose injured eye is healing faster than expected, still intends to defend his IBF flyweight title on the same card against Tunisia’s Ferid Ben Jeddou. Romero lost a non-title bout to Willy Salazar on Sept. 8 in Las Vegas and fractured a bone inside his left eye.

Miscellany

Paul Hickson, Britain’s head swimming coach at the Seoul Olympics, was jailed for 17 years in Cardiff, Wales, for raping two women and indecently assaulting 13 while coaching them at school and college. Hickson, 48, whose 1988 Olympic swimming team captured three golds plus silver and bronze medals, was said to have committed a catalogue of sex attacks spread over a 15-year period while he ran swimming clubs in Norwich, England, and Swansea, Wales, before he became national coach.

The U.S. women’s volleyball team will play Canada and the U.S. men’s team will play Japan at 7 p.m. at the Forum.

The owner of the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets pledged to proceed with plans to build a new downtown Denver arena for the teams despite the collapse of a joint agreement with railroad tycoon and potential King owner Philip Anschutz.

The international soccer players’ union created last week by Diego Maradona and some other stars will not be recognized by the sport’s governing body, FIFA, the organization’s president said.

“FIFA only deals with national soccer federations, not with players. Therefore I cannot accept any of their grievances,” Joao Havelange was quoted as saying in a newspaper in Sao Paulo, Brazil.