Stern Supports Belkin’s Ouster

NBA Commissioner David Stern submitted an affidavit Thursday supporting the efforts by the majority of the Atlanta Hawk owners to remove Steve Belkin as the team’s NBA governor.

The majority of the Atlanta Spirit LLC group has requested that Belkin be replaced with Michael Gearon Jr., as NBA governor, the member of the group who must sign off on all trades.

The effort to remove Belkin, who owns 30% of the team, followed his refusal to approve the team’s attempted sign-and-trade deal for guard Joe Johnson of the Phoenix Suns.

The owners sought assistance from Stern after Boston judge Allan van Gestel granted Belkin’s request for a temporary injunction Tuesday. The judge instructed the majority of the owners to seek a ruling from Stern, saying that a precondition of any removal was the approval of the commissioner.

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The Orlando Magic waived guard Doug Christie, 35, after a disappointing season marred by injury and public squabble with team management.

The Magic still owes Christie $8.2 million for the final year of his contract but he can sign elsewhere. Christie was acquired in January from Sacramento for Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley.

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Guard Jeff McInnis, 30, signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Nets to back up Jason Kidd. Financial terms were not disclosed. ... Guard Jon Barry, 36, re-signed with the Houston Rockets for one year and $1.8 million. ... Sarunas Jasikevicius, a 29-year-old Lithuanian guard who spent the last seven years playing in Europe, signed a three-year, $12-million deal with the Indiana Pacers.