Basketball
NBA SIGNINGS: Derek Harper simply wanted to come home, and the Dallas Mavericks left the light on.
The free agent guard, traded to the New York Knicks in 1994 after spending his first 10 1/2 seasons with the Mavericks, signed Friday with Dallas.
The club would not confirm terms of the agreement, but it's reportedly worth $3 million over two years.
- Free agent center Lorenzo Williams signed a contract Friday with the Washington Bullets, who hope to benefit from his ability as a rebounder.
- The New York Knicks' renovation project added another plank on Friday with the signing of free agent forward Buck Williams to a multi-year contract.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers signed first-round draft pick Vitaly Potapenko, selected 12th overall, on Friday. The NBA rookie pay scale entitles Potapenko to a three-year deal worth $3,071,500. He'll earn up to $890,300 this year, with incremental raises the following two years.
- Ray Allen, the fifth pick in the 1996 NBA draft, signed a three-year contract Friday with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks acquired Allen in a draft day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Terms of the contract weren't announced.
RIDER ARRAIGNMENT POSTPONED: The arraignment of Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Isaiah Rider on minor drug and gambling charges was postponed Friday, and his lawyer said a plea bargain is under negotiation.
Rider, the Minnesota Timberwolves' leading scorer until his trade to Portland last week, was arrested twice in Oakland in recent months.
Hockey
COYOTES RE-SIGN MACIVER: The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed Norm Maciver to a multiyear deal Friday, avoiding salary arbitration with the free agent defenseman.
Baseball
CARTER CONTRACT: Joe Carter will get $6.5 million next season under the terms of his contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Carter also is getting $6.5 million this season, the Blue Jays' option year in a contract that wound up costing the team $25 million over four years.