Walker Might be More than a Rent-A-Player for Atlanta

Playing on a subpar roster in Atlanta, Antoine Walker might be on his way for a season in which he averages 20 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. If Walker brings the kind of leadership the Hawks are hoping for, he could be hard for the Hawks to part with.

General manager Billy Knight has called Walker the kind of player he would like to have going forward, but it won't be easy.

Walker makes $14.625 million this season in the final year of his contract and would almost certainly have to take a pay cut to remain. It is highly unlikely that any other club would give him a contract worth as much as the Boston Celtics did several years ago.

One alternative would be to deal Walker during the season or after, possibly in a sign-and-trade deal. There is now a strong chance that both the Hawks and Walker would want to continue their relationship.

Via Atlanta Journal Constitution

Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks

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Fortson Files Lawsuit Against Vecsey, Colangelo

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, through a report published in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, is reporting that Sonic Danny Fortson has filed a defamation lawsuit against Phoenix Suns chairman and CEO Jerry Colangelo, the New York Post and its columnist Peter Vecsey.

The suit is related to comments made by Colangelo last season towards Fortson, labelling the strong forward a "thug," as well as saying "I want him out of here." Colangelo's characterization was televised and published in many newspapers as well as the statement. The comments stemmed from a hard foul then-Maverick Fortson had committed against then-Sun Zarko Cabarkapa, leaving the rookie with a broken wrist. Fortson was ejected and suspended for three games over the incident.

Vecsey is included for a Nov. 30 column he wrote in which he criticized the league's response to Fortson's foul. He called Fortson a "vacant lot," said he engaged in "attempted murder" and called him a "gangsta or a wanksta."

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Fortson seeks damages of more than $15,000 as well as the expense involved in the suit and "other relief the court may deem appropriate."

Via Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Oklahoma City, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks

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Mavericks' Avery Johnson Retires, Named Dallas' Lead Assistant Coach

Dallas Mavericks guard Avery Johnson will announce his retirement tomorrow to become the team's top assistant coach, he told ESPN's Marc Stein. In what was possibly the league's worst kept secret, Johnson has been all but named the Mavericks' successor to head coach Don Nelson and intended on spending the season on the injured list as a player to focus on coaching.

The NBA offices in New York, however, strongly encouraged Dallas to come clean and remove Johnson from the active roster. Johnson said he had no intention of playing this season unless an emergency demanded it.

In a related move, the Mavericks' President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson will relinquish his duties as the team's top assistant bench coach to focus exclusively on his role as the head of the team's basketball operations staff.

The Mavericks, with the league's largest staff of assistant coaches with 11, will keep Johnson, Del Harris, Charlie Parker and Larry Riley on the bench with Don Nelson this season.

Rolando Blackman, Paul Mokeski, Brad Davis, Greg Dreiling, Hubert Davis, Gary Boren and Don Kalkstein remain on board in player development roles.

Via ESPN

Dallas Mavericks

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