The Atlanta Hawks, short-handed at center following injuries to Al Horford and Jason Collins, signed 15-year veteran center Erick Dampier to a 10-day contract on Thursday.
Dampier, 36, bolsters the team’s roster for a tough stretch that begins with a game against Dwight Howard and the Magic tonight. The challenges continue with a game against the Miami Heat on Sunday and a visit to the Lakers on Tuesday.
The game against the Lakers is the first of a five-game road trip that also includes games at Phoenix, Portland, Chicago and New York.
Hawks coach Larry Drew said he needed another big body “particularly with the schedule the next couple of weeks being what it is.”
Horford, an All-Star last season, was lost for at least three months with a torn pectoral muscle last month. He might not return before the playoffs.
Collins, a backup center, sprained his left elbow last week. Collins, who has called the injury a “moderate” sprain, is expected to miss at least another week.
The injuries left Zaza Pachulia as the only true center on the roster. Ivan Johnson, a 6-foot-8 undrafted power forward, has been playing behind Pachulia but lacks the size to match up against centers such as Howard and the Lakers’ Andrew Bynum.
Dampier was selected 10th overall by Indiana in the 1996 NBA Draft. He has played in 972 regular-season games and 57 playoff games with Indiana, Golden State, Dallas and Miami. He appeared in 51 games last season for the Heat, averaging 2.5 points and 3.5 rebounds.
SEC to question Cuban
Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, has been ordered to appear at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today to face questions related to the agency’s insider trading lawsuit against him.
Cuban has been fighting for more than three years against SEC claims that he traded on confidential information when he sold his stake in Mamma.com, a Canadian Internet search company now known as Copernic Inc., just before it announced a private placement of shares. He’s scheduled to be deposed by SEC investigators at 9 a.m. at the agency’s regional office in Fort Worth, Texas.
Bird stays in Seattle
Sue Bird is returning to the Seattle Storm for an 11th season after agreeing to a multi-year deal with the only WNBA franchise she’s ever played for. The re-signing of Bird and backcourt mate Tanisha Wright was announced by the club on Thursday.
Snow signs with Mystics
Free-agent center Michelle Snow signed with the Washington Mystics. Snow is a 10-year veteran who has averaged 9.0 points and 6.4 rebounds for four WNBA teams.
