DALLAS — The Mavericks traded forward Josh Howard and Drew Gooden to the Wizards on Saturday in a seven-player deal that sent Caron Butler and center Brendan Haywood to Dallas.
Howard was in his seventh season with Dallas, a span filled with promise and disappointment since being the 29th overall pick in 2003. Gooden, signed by Dallas last summer, will be going to his eighth team in eight NBA seasons.
It is a significant move for the Southwest Division-leading Mavericks (32-20), a deal announced just before the start of the Saturday night all-star activities in their home arena.
Dallas lost five of its seven games before the all-star break and play four games in five nights starting Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
“It makes us significantly better,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.
The Wizards (17-33) had already lost Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton when both were suspended last month by the NBA for the rest of the season. Both admitted to bringing a gun into the locker room after a dispute stemming from a card game on a team flight.
The Mavericks also get veteran guard DeShawn Stevenson and cash considerations from Washington.
James Singleton and Quinton Ross go to the Wizards to round out the deal.
Bobcats expect to be sold
DALLAS — NBA commissioner David Stern expects the Bobcats to be sold within 60 days. He’s just not ready to say if Michael Jordan will be the buyer.
Stern said if Jordan was the buyer, “that would be a good thing.”
Jordan is a minority investor in the Bobcats, but majority owner Bob Johnson has given Jordan control of the basketball operations.
Coach K refutes Nets rumors
DURHAM, N.C. — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski refuted rumors that the Nets were interested in him.
Krzyzewski said New Jersey had not contacted him, then had some one-liners at the expense of Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire and the Nets’ prospective buyer.
“The guy’s Russian, right?” Krzyzewski said. “You think he’d hire a Polish guy?”
After chuckling, Krzyzewski said: “No one’s contacted me, and if they do, I think ‘nyet’ would be easy for me to say.”
