http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2775107
ATLANTA -- Veteran guard Anthony Johnson will begin his third stint with Atlanta Hawks after the Dallas Mavericks traded him for the Hawks' second-round draft pick.
[SIZE=-2]Johnson[/SIZE]
The 32-year-old Johnson previously played in 112 games with the Hawks from 1998-2000 and 2000-01, averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 assists.
"We're happy to be able to bring Anthony Johnson back to Atlanta," Hawks president Billy Knight said. "He provides us with another veteran presence, and brings a great deal of regular season and postseason experience to our club."
The acquisition of Johnson is another attempt by Knight to bolster the point guard position, where free-agent addition Speedy Claxton, who was signed in the offseason to a four-year, $25 million deal, has been a disappointment.
Claxton played only 21 minutes in the Hawks' 103-96 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday night. He was scoreless with two assists. Royal Ivey started at point guard and played only eight minutes.
Claxton missed 11 games in January with a sore left knee and has played in only 36 games for the season, averaging 5.7 points and 4.6 assists.
Johnson averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 assists in 40 games with Dallas this season. He also has played for Sacramento, Orlando, Cleveland, New Jersey and Indiana.
He scored a career-high 9.2 points per game for the Pacers last season. Johnson also averaged 4.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 75 games, including 53 starts.
Johnson scored a career-high 40 points in the playoffs last season against New Jersey and averaged 20.0 points in the six-game series.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2775131
The Portland Trail Blazers and Raptors have agreed in principle on a trade sending Juan Dixon to Toronto for Fred Jones in a swap of backup guards, ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported.
Dixon, 28, in his fifth NBA season, is averaging 8.9 points per game for the Blazers. Jones, also in his fifth year, is averaging 7.6 points. "He's excited," Beverly Jones, Fred's mother, told The Oregonian or Portland on Thursday about her son returning to his home state. "And it makes me happy he is coming home."
Both players have seen little of the court of late. Jones, in the first year of a three-year, $9.9 million deal with the Raptors, recently missed eight games with a dislocated finger on his right hand. Dixon did not play Tuesday against the Lakers and played eight minutes on Tuesday against Utah.
ATLANTA -- Veteran guard Anthony Johnson will begin his third stint with Atlanta Hawks after the Dallas Mavericks traded him for the Hawks' second-round draft pick.
The 32-year-old Johnson previously played in 112 games with the Hawks from 1998-2000 and 2000-01, averaging 3.6 points and 1.8 assists.
"We're happy to be able to bring Anthony Johnson back to Atlanta," Hawks president Billy Knight said. "He provides us with another veteran presence, and brings a great deal of regular season and postseason experience to our club."
The acquisition of Johnson is another attempt by Knight to bolster the point guard position, where free-agent addition Speedy Claxton, who was signed in the offseason to a four-year, $25 million deal, has been a disappointment.
Claxton played only 21 minutes in the Hawks' 103-96 loss to San Antonio on Wednesday night. He was scoreless with two assists. Royal Ivey started at point guard and played only eight minutes.
Claxton missed 11 games in January with a sore left knee and has played in only 36 games for the season, averaging 5.7 points and 4.6 assists.
Johnson averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 assists in 40 games with Dallas this season. He also has played for Sacramento, Orlando, Cleveland, New Jersey and Indiana.
He scored a career-high 9.2 points per game for the Pacers last season. Johnson also averaged 4.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 75 games, including 53 starts.
Johnson scored a career-high 40 points in the playoffs last season against New Jersey and averaged 20.0 points in the six-game series.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2775131
The Portland Trail Blazers and Raptors have agreed in principle on a trade sending Juan Dixon to Toronto for Fred Jones in a swap of backup guards, ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported.
Dixon, 28, in his fifth NBA season, is averaging 8.9 points per game for the Blazers. Jones, also in his fifth year, is averaging 7.6 points. "He's excited," Beverly Jones, Fred's mother, told The Oregonian or Portland on Thursday about her son returning to his home state. "And it makes me happy he is coming home."
Both players have seen little of the court of late. Jones, in the first year of a three-year, $9.9 million deal with the Raptors, recently missed eight games with a dislocated finger on his right hand. Dixon did not play Tuesday against the Lakers and played eight minutes on Tuesday against Utah.
