Magic Trades Ellis, Manning to Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks added veteran experience to their young, talented nucleus on Thursday by acquiring forward Danny Manning and swingman Dale Ellis from the Orlando Magic in a trade for forwards Chris Gatling and Armon Gilliam.

The trade was the fourth major deal in August for the rebuilding Magic, who barely resemble the team that tied for the Atlantic Division title last season.

For Orlando, the deal removed two older players and replaced them with two whose contracts will be up after next season.

The deal also moves four well-traveled players, each with at least eight years of experience and four previous teams on their resumes. Ellis and Manning were both acquired by the Magic in off-season trades with Seattle and Phoenix, respectively, and hadn’t played a game in Orlando. A two-time all-star and the first overall pick in the 1988 draft, Manning, 33, averaged a career-low 9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season. Ellis, 39, averaged 10.3 points as a reserve last season for the SuperSonics. Gatling, 31, averaged a career-low 5.7 points last season with the Bucks and New Jersey Nets. Gilliam, 35, averaged a career-low with 8.3 points per game last season.

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Guard William Avery, taken 14th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the June draft, signed a three-year contract with the team. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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The Seattle SuperSonics signed 6-foot-4 guard Fred Vinson to a one-year contract. Vinson, 28, averaged 15 points per game and shot 45% from three-point range for the SuperSonics’ summer league teams.