NEW ORLEANS - The Hornets signed Rodney Rogers to a one-year contract on Tuesday, addressing the possibility that Jamal Mashburn may be hobbled by a knee injury next season.
Hornets coach Byron Scott, who also coached Rogers in New Jersey, said the 6-foot-7 forward likely would start at small forward if Mashburn remains sidelined with knee problems.
"It's a relief because it's a situation we've been trying to solve for the last month or so," Scott said. "If the Mash situation doesn't get better, then that's probably who you'll be looking at."
The Hornets announced both the Rogers deal and the signing of their second-round draft pick, Tim Pickett of Florida State, who also got a one-year deal. Financial terms were not released.
An 11-year veteran, Rogers declined to exercise an option on the final year of his contract with the Nets and became an unrestricted free agent.
The Nets already had lost two key players from last season - Kenyon Martin to Denver and Kerry Kittles to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rogers averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in his two years with the Nets. He played in 69 games last season, starting 15.
The deal is a homecoming of sorts for Rogers, who played in college at Wake Forest.
Pickett averaged nearly 17 points for Florida State last season, hitting about 41 percent of his 3-point attempts.
HAWKS-MAVERICKS DEAL: All-Star forward Antoine Walker is headed to Atlanta in a four-player deal with Dallas, according to media reports. Jason Terry and Alan Henderson will be sent to Dallas in exchange for Walker and Tony Delk when the deal is finalized today, according to ESPN.com, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Dallas Morning News.
The Hawks also will receive a future first-round pick.
The NBA office was closed Tuesday, preventing any trade from being completed until today or later. Hawks general manager Billy Knight was in Las Vegas for a rookie camp and could not be reached for comment. The Mavericks did not return calls seeking comment.
BOBCATS: Free-agent point guard Omar Cook signed after playing for the team in a summer league. Cook started the final five games of the Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue, averaging 5 assists (tied for the league lead), 2 steals (ranking third) and 3.7 points.
CAVALIERS: Free agent forward Robert "Tractor" Traylor is returning for a second stint with the team, the Associated Press reported. Traylor will be in Cleveland today for a physical, and as long as he passes, he'll sign a one-year deal, according to the AP. KNICKS: The team signed second-round pick Trevor Ariza. He averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds during his only season at UCLA. LAKERS: Free agent Slava Medvedenko signed a two-year contract. The 6-10 forward averaged career highs in points (8.3), rebounds (5) and assists (0.8) last season.
WIZARDS: Kwame Brown had surgery on a broken bone in his foot, which he injured while playing in a pickup game last week, and is expected to be ready for training camp, Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld said.
The Wizards also signed forward Michael Ruffin. He started 23 games, averaging 2.2 points and five rebounds with the Jazz last season.
