AROUND THE NBA

As expected, the Utah Jazz held a news conference to announce that Karl Malone had signed a new four-year deal. Malone’s agent, Dwight Manley, said it’s worth $66.5 million, with an immediate payment of the NBA maximum salary--$14 million--next season.

Malone, 36, signed Saturday at 9:01 p.m. PDT, just after the NBA’s one-month moratorium on free-agent signings and trades came to an end.

Malone’s new deal includes an exemption from a standard clause in NBA contracts that typically prohibits players from “dangerous activities” such as skydiving or riding motorcycles.

Malone’s love of Harley Davidsons has been well publicized. For years, he has regularly driven his motorcycles to games at the Delta Center. The new contract grants him permission to ride his bikes.

*

Keith Van Horn, the cornerstone of the New Jersey Nets’ future, and Jamie Feick, the surprise of last year’s disappointing season, reached agreements on new multiyear contracts.

The Nets rewarded Van Horn for leading the team in scoring in his first two seasons by giving him an NBA maximum-length, six-year contract extension valued at roughly $73 million. The deal will keep him under contract until 2006.

Feick averaged 6.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in 28 games, getting the bulk of the playing time after Jayson Williams broke his leg. The Nets gave Feick their $2-million exception.

*

Toronto and Indiana finalized a trade that was agreed to during the NBA draft, with the Raptors acquiring veteran power forward Antonio Davis for 18-year-old Jonathan Bender. The trade was agreed to on June 30--the night of the NBA draft, when Bender, from Picayune (Miss.) High School, was selected fifth overall. . . . The Philadelphia 76ers re-signed point guard Eric Snow and small forward George Lynch. . . . Guard-forward Adrian Griffin, the most valuable player in the Continental Basketball Association last season, agreed to terms with the Boston Celtics. . . . The Detroit Pistons are expected to sign free-agent small forward Michael Curry to a five-year, $12-million deal, according to the Detroit News. Curry played for the Pistons before spending the last two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s expected to receive the team’s $2-million exception. Jud Buechler is also expected to sign a two-year deal with the Pistons, using the team’s $1.1-million exception. . . . Center Oliver Miller, who began his NBA career with Phoenix in 1992, signed a one-year contract with the Suns.