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 on 41.3% field goal accuracy. Over a nine-year career, Price has averaged 16.4 points and made 91% of his free throws.

Wallace, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, signed a three-year, $6.18-million contract with the Bullets on Wednesday.

“Signing Rasheed and getting Mark Price makes this a major day in Bullets’ history,” General Manager John Nash said.

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The Milwaukee Bucks got their first-round draft choice a lot sooner than they did last season. Shawn Respert, the eighth overall pick, signed a three-year deal with the Bucks. Coach Mike Dunleavy said the 6-foot-1 Respert, who played at Michigan State, will be helped by the fact he won’t miss training camp, as top pick Glenn Robinson did last year.

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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.

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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 officials a no-strike, no-lockout agreement like the one it reached with its players last October.

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 Azumah Nelson.

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

Fernando Piccio of the Philippines was taken off a life support machine and showed signs of improvement, five days after suffering head injuries in a bout near Brisbane, Australia.

Piccio, 22, was knocked out in the seventh round of an eight-round lightweight fight against Australian Selwyn Currie.

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 tonight at 7 at the Forum, followed by the U.S. men’s team against Japan.

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.

Names in the News

The New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Scott Niedermayer and extended the contract of high-scoring Stephane Richer. . . . 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. . . . John Lloyd defeated Tom Gullikson, 6-4, 7-5, in the over-35 tennis event at Thousand Oaks and will face Andres Gomez in the quarterfinals.