Trade confirmed by Mark Cuban per AP

[Snoopy the Celtics Beagle <snoopy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

First, being somewhat nit-picky, I checked a few places online besides the 
Dallas Morning News, which requires a subscription anyway.  The latest 
sports news in the Boston Globe  states:

DALLAS -- All-Star forward Antoine Walker was traded by the Boston Celtics 
to the Dallas Mavericks in a five-player deal Monday.

Dallas is sending Raef LaFrentz to the Celtics along with Jiri Welsch and 
Chris Mills. Boston also will get Dallas' first-round pick in 2004. The 
Mavericks will get guard Tony Delk from Boston.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed the deal to The Associated Press, 
saying it was pending league approval. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss would 
not confirm or deny the trade.

Walker, who averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last season, will split 
time in Dallas with All-Star Dirk Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison.

Walker, 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, has played all seven of his NBA seasons 
with the Celtics after being drafted out of Kentucky following his 
sophomore season.

A good dribbler and passer for his size, Walker often was Boston's primary 
ball handler in recent years because his team was weak at point guard. 
Walker led the Celtics in assists the past three seasons.

He and Paul Pierce combined for nearly half of Boston's points during each 
of the past three seasons -- 51.1 percent in 2000-01, 49.8 percent in 
2001-02 and 47.6 percent in 2002-2003.

Walker had been the subject of trade rumors immediately after Boston's 
second-round playoff loss to New Jersey. But Danny Ainge, who was hired as 
the Celtics' head of basketball operations in May, said he had no intention 
of trading Walker.

Delk, a part-time starter for the Celtics, will give the Mavericks more 
depth at point guard behind All-Star Steve Nash and Travis Best, another 
offseason acquisition.

LaFrentz signed a $69 million, five-year deal before last season. Welsch 
and Chris Mills were acquired by the Mavericks in an offseason trade that 
also brought Jamison from Golden State


Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
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