Mavs, Nets Swap Nine Players

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The Dallas Mavericks made another major trade Monday night, this one a nine-player deal that sent Jim Jackson and All-Star Chris Gatling to the New Jersey Nets for center Shawn Bradley.

The Mavericks also traded Sam Cassell, George McCloud and Eric Montross to the Nets. New Jersey also sent guards Khalid Reeves and Robert Pack and forward Ed O’Bannon to Dallas.

The Mavericks traded their top four scorers - Jackson, Gatling, Cassell and McCloud. Those four averaged 62 of Dallas’ 93.4 points per game.

Previously this season, Dallas traded Jason Kidd to Phoenix and Jamal Mashburn to Miami.

Monday’s deal, believed to involve more players than any NBA trade in the past 25 years, was announced shortly after the Nets left Cleveland following a 108-101 loss to the Cavaliers. The 7-foot-6 Bradley did not record a single rebound in 32 minutes against the Cavs. He leads the NBA in blocked shots.

“We are very excited about this deal, especially considering we are acquiring players in Shawn Bradley and Robert Pack,” said Mavericks general manager Don Nelson, who has obtained seven players in his first 10 days on the job.

With the deal, Dallas now has no players remaining from last season’s roster. Samaki Walker, drafted last June, has the longest tenure of any current Mavericks player.

Walker, activated from the injured before Monday’s game at Vancouver, gave the Mavericks the NBA required minimum of eight dressed players.

Walker played 15 minutes, and four Mavericks played more than 40 minutes as Dallas defeated the Grizzlies 100-95.

A.C. Green, acquired from Phoenix in the Kidd deal, led the Mavs with season highs of 21 points and 15 rebounds. Michael Finley, who arrived in the same deal as Green, added 21 points.

Orlando loses; Hill in limbo

Glen Rice scored 40 points Monday night to lead the Charlotte Hornets to a 124-110 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic and embattled coach Brian Hill.

Anthony Mason finished with a season-high 28 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists for Charlotte.

Orlando, which lost its fifth straight, was playing one day after a broadcast report that Hill’s relationship with his players has deteriorated to the point that he may be fired. Magic general manager John Gabriel, who was at the game, denied that Hill’s dismissal was imminent.

“There is no timetable,” Gabriel said. “We’re just going to look at a number of issues.”

Still, the Orlando Sentinel reported in today’s editions that sources say Hill will be fired today or asked to resign.

So far this season, five NBA coaches have been fired or resigned - Washington’s Jim Lynam, Vancouver’s Brian Winters, Phoenix’s Cotton Fitzsimmons, Denver’s Bernie Bickerstaff and San Antonio’s Bob Hill.

Rodman wearing thin

Some love Dennis Rodman’s outrageous acts. Others have grown tired of Chicago’s cross-dressing power forward.

Put Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon in that latter group.

“He needs to be ignored, but the media can’t get enough of him,” Olajuwon said. “That shows the direction we are going.

“This is what young children see. They think that’s cool. He’s influencing kids. He’s corrupting society, and we’re giving him the opportunity to do it. He’s getting the endorsements. He’s capitalizing on it. It’s disgusting.”

Horry out six weeks

The Los Angeles Lakers have learned that starting forward Robert Horry will join center Shaquille O’Neal on the sidelines until at least the beginning of April because of an injured left knee.

Horry has a medial collateral ligament sprain in his knee and will miss at least six weeks.

Pacers accept gift from Raptors

Reggie Miller hit three free throws after being fouled with one-tenth of a second remaining to give Indiana a 105-103 win over Toronto at Indianapolis.

Miller, who finished with 25 points, took the last-second, off-balance 3-pointer with his team down 103-102.

When Doug Christie was whistled for the foul with less than a second to play, Toronto coach Darrell Walker argued vehemently, grabbed the ball from referee Monty McCutchen and spiked it on the court. He was charged with a technical foul and ejected.

Miller hit the technical free throw to tie the game, then sank two of three foul shots from the Christie foul.

Cleveland’s Terrell Brandon had a game-high 22 points, seven assists and seven rebounds against New Jersey.

Charles Barkley scored 21 points and Hakeem Olajuwon led an early second-half charge as the Houston Rockets beat the visiting Atlanta Hawks 127-98, handing the Hawks their sixth consecutive loss.