Mavs trade for Antoine Walker...

[PLANT]

DALLAS (AP) -- The Dallas Mavericks bulked up an already strong offense Monday, acquiring All-Star forward Antoine Walker from the Boston Celtics in a five-player trade.

The Celtics agreed to take center Raef LaFrentz and the four years remaining on a $69 million, five-year contract signed before last season.

The Celtics also get Jiri Welsch and Chris Mills, players the Mavericks got in an offseason trade that also brought Antawn Jamison from Golden State, and Dallas' first-round pick in 2004. The Mavericks will get guard Tony Delk from Boston.

"It's not every day that a 27-year-old All-Star becomes available," said Donnie Nelson, Dallas' president of basketball operations. "We feel we've got one of the most versatile coaches in the league. To add a player of Antoine's ability just gives [coach Don Nelson] more options to work with."

Nelson struck the deal with Danny Ainge, who became Boston's head of basketball operations in May. The two are close friends, with Nelson having been an assistant to Ainge in Phoenix.

Between his jobs with the Suns and Celtics, Ainge was a TV analyst and he said on the air he did not like Walker's game. Since joining Boston, he's said he had no intention of trading Walker.

Now Walker, a three-time All-Star who averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last season, goes from playing alongside one high scorer in Paul Pierce to being joined by four: Dallas' nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley, plus Jamison, who was added in August.

The Mavericks, the NBA's highest-scoring team the past two years, have upgraded a roster that won 60 games and reached the Western Conference finals last season. It also counters the changes made by fellow Western Conference opponents San Antonio, Sacramento and the Lakers.

"Dallas likes to take chances and make things happen. They're on the cusp of winning a championship right now," Ainge said. "I can't sit here and tell you that we're an NBA championship team right now. I just don't see that. But I'm not satisfied winning 44 games."

 
  G Tony Delk
F Antoine Walker  
  C Raef LaFrentz
F Chris Mills
F Jiri Welsch
1st-round pick in 2004  
Walker has size (6-foot-9, 245 pounds) but can run the offense. His dribbling and passing skills make him the prototype "point forward" coveted by Mavs coach Don Nelson.

Walker led the Celtics in assists the past three seasons, and he and Pierce combined to average nearly half of Boston's points during that span.

"We see Antoine as a triple-double guy," said Donnie Nelson, the coach's son and an assistant coach. "I know in some form or fashion at the end of the game you're going to see the Big Three and Antoine Squared."

Donnie Nelson said Nowitzki will get more minutes at center. Shawn Bradley and Danny Fortson, also acquired in the Golden State trade, will help man the position. Eduardo Najera could play there, too.

Delk will be a backup swingman, with Travis Best still the primary relief for Nash. Nelson said Delk may be able to provide some of the intangibles lost when Nick Van Exel was sent to Golden State.

"He's not afraid; he's tough and experienced," Nelson said, referring to Delk. "He's got a knack for making big shots and big plays."

LaFrentz was acquired from Denver at the trade deadline two seasons ago, then re-signed last summer. He was mostly a disappointment last season, averaging just 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds.

The Mavericks had coveted Welsch in their trade with the Warriors but were willing to give up on the project to upgrade their roster now. The 6-foot-7 swingman from the Czech Republic was a first-round pick last season but saw limited time as a rookie with Golden State.

The oft-injured Mills was seen as a trading chip from the time Dallas acquired him. The forward played only 112 games the past four seasons but has a big contract that expires after this year, which will help the Celtics clear room under the salary cap. He hasn't played this preseason.

[7even]

mavs gunna get bigg........

[AWS SS 88]

the yankees of the nba lol

[pappy]

yup the bulls r makin the playoffs in the east

[Smooth]

yup the bulls r makin the playoffs in the east

Yeah Id say the bulls have a good shot at makin the playoffs this year... Raptors are gonna be back in the playoffs this year too, best believe that...

and yeah that was a good game between the bulls and raps tonight, Bulls took it by 3...

[The Big Bad Ass]

Celtics are retarded. This trade was ASS.

[pappy]

yup the bulls r makin the playoffs in the east

Yeah Id say the bulls have a good shot at makin the playoffs this year... Raptors are gonna be back in the playoffs this year too, best believe that...

and yeah that was a good game between the bulls and raps tonight, Bulls took it by 3...

mark my words raptors aint makin the playoffs

[Don Jacob]

DAMN this is a BIG  trade


good for dallas and HORRIBLE for the celts who are one of the ONLY teams in the east able enough to compete with the nets......nets are the new buffalo bills of the millenium  i guess

[The Big Bad Ass]

nets are the new buffalo bills of the millenium  i guess

LOL! Good comparison.

[IKON]

the mavericks will win a ton of regular season games but they will faulter in the playoffs like always, they get more offense but what they really need is defense, also this gives them this lineup

Steve Nash
Michael Finley
Dirk Novitzky (if thats how u spell it)
Antoine Jamison
Antoine Walker

think about it, lots of people were talking about how the lakers are gonna share the ball with Kobe, Malone, Payton and Shaq BUT how is Dallas gonna share the ball? too many scorers on one team, aka the second coming of the Portland Trailblazers, none of those players are known as good defenders at all, just scorers and thats basically dallas game plan every game, lets outscore our opponent

hmmm interesting how this is gonna turn out, especially since the lakers play dallas on opening night

[Primo]

horrible horrible trade..Being a boston fan i always get screwed in sports.lol we always have pretty good teams but end up screwin it up.

[Smooth]

yup the bulls r makin the playoffs in the east

Yeah Id say the bulls have a good shot at makin the playoffs this year... Raptors are gonna be back in the playoffs this year too, best believe that...

and yeah that was a good game between the bulls and raps tonight, Bulls took it by 3...

mark my words raptors aint makin the playoffs

Yo yo Tommy i'll guarntee the Raps will make the play offs... Kevin O'neil has them playing amazing... way better then old ass Lenny Wilkins

[mikeOG]

antoine walker's a ball-hogging, 3pt clanker  ....but getting Raef LaFrentz in exchange with his big contract makes this a dumb deal for boston..add in tony delk and the mavs got a bit better. maybe the mavs loading up to make another trade?

[The Big Bad Ass]

antoine walker's a ball-hogging, 3pt clanker  ....but getting Raef LaFrentz in exchange with his big contract makes this a dumb deal for boston..add in tony delk and the mavs got a bit better. maybe the mavs loading up to make another trade?

Has to be with Howard, Jamison, Walker and Dirk all being allstar caliber PFs

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Fucked up for Boston, what a shit trade. Dallas seem to be getting better each year, just a case of how they will perform defensively, with such an offense orientated team.