Mavericks Get Jamison in Nine-Player Trade

The Dallas Mavericks finally made a major off-season move, acquiring Antawn Jamison in a nine-player trade with the Golden State Warriors.

The Mavericks also got Danny Fortson, Jiri Welsch and Chris Mills from the Warriors for Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson, Evan Eschmeyer, Popeye Jones and Antoine Rigadeau.

The 6-foot-9 Jamison has averaged 20.2 points a game in his five NBA seasons, and has been the Warriors’ top scorer the last four seasons.

“This makes us bigger and younger and more versatile,” said Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations. “It’s a move that makes sense not only in the short term, but it keeps us healthy three or four years down the line.”

Van Exel was the Mavericks’ leading scorer off the bench last season. During the playoffs, when Dallas advanced to the Western Conference finals before losing to San Antonio, Van Exel averaged 19.5 points.

Jamison is going into the second year of his $80-million, six-year contract.

The Mavericks also acquired Fortson, who averaged 11.7 rebounds in 76 starts in 2001-02 before playing in only 17 games last season.

Van Exel helps alleviate the loss of Gilbert Arenas, who joined the Washington Wizards after the Warriors didn’t match a $65 million, six-year deal for the restricted free agent.

The Warriors also acquired Johnson, a 16-year NBA veteran, who was Golden State’s captain when he played there in 1993-94.

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The Denver Nuggets expect to sign guard Jon Barry this week, General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. Barry, 34, spent the last two seasons with Detroit. He also played for the Lakers and averaged 6.9 points for the Pistons last season.

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Vickie Johnson scored 18 points and the Liberty held the Houston Comets scoreless over the final 2:10 to post a 67-64 victory at New York in front of 13,547,

The Comets, who entered with victories in nine of 11, slipped 1 1/2 games behind the Sparks for first place in the West.

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Motor Racing

The struggling CART racing series is considering a buyout offer from an investor group that would purchase the remaining public shares of the company and take it private.

Indianapolis-based CART said in a statement that Open Wheel Racing Series offered about 50 cents a share -- or $7.4 million -- for all the outstanding stock and that the company is negotiating with the investor group.

Open Wheel Racing Series is a newly formed holding company whose investors include CART car owners Gerald Forsythe, Kevin Kalkhoven and Paul Gentilozzi.

The group’s purchase offer is far less than what CART shares have been trading for on the New York Stock Exchange. The company’s stock closed Monday at $1.30 per share.

Kalkhoven, through a spokeswoman for his PK Racing team, said the purchase offer was fair because of the amount of money the group would need to invest in the series to keep it operating.

CART reported last month that it did not have the money to ensure a 2004 season.

Two-time defending IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. is leaving Panther Racing when his three-year contract expires at the end of the season. Hornish, 24, did not say whether his new team will be in the IRL, NASCAR, or both.

“The opportunities I’ve been given are too good,” he said.

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College Basketball

Lawrence Roberts, Baylor’s leading scorer and rebounder last season, said he’s transferring to Mississippi State.

Roberts, a junior forward, became the first returning player to leave following the school’s self-imposed probation over major NCAA violations uncovered during the investigation into the disappearance and death of player Patrick Dennehy.

Junior guards John Lucas III and Kenny Taylor have asked for their release, as have sophomore forward Tommy Swanson and junior college transfer Harvey Thomas. Incoming freshman Tyrone Nelson is now going to Prairie View A&M.;

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Tennis

Michael Chang lost in the first round of the TD Waterhouse Cup at Commack, N.Y., as South African qualifier Rik De Voest won, 6-2, 6-3. Chang, 31, will close out his career at next week’s U.S. Open.

In another opening-round match, seventh-seeded Younes El Ayanaoui defeated Fernando Verdasco, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-0.

Eighth-seeded Ai Sugiyama fought through three sets and beat Lisa Raymond, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, in the first round of the hard-court Pilot Pen tournament at New Haven, Conn.

Ukrainian Tatiana Perebiynis took the place of Alexandra Stevenson, who withdrew because of a right shoulder strain shortly before the match, and beat wild-card entry Ashley Harkleroad, 6-1, 7-6 (3).

Miscellany

An Indonesian cyclist died from head injuries after a group of racers collided with an oncoming passenger bus during a national competition on Java island, a news report said today.

Yana Rochdiana, 20, died in a hospital. The accident happened during the second stage of Tour D’ISSI, a 908-mile race that began Sunday, about 125 miles west of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Criminal charges won’t be filed at Orlando, Fla., against two of Ted Williams’ children who were accused by their brother-in-law of forging a note stating the slugger wanted to be frozen after death. A laboratory analysis of the note determined that Williams’ signature appears to be genuine.

Lindsey Pluimer, a 6-foot-3 center who helped San Clemente High win three consecutive Southern Section Division I-A girls’ basketball championships, has committed to UCLA. She averaged 21.8 points last season and was selected all-state.