Mon, Jul 26, 2004 at 12:00am

MAVS, SONICS, EXCHANGE BACKUPS

The Dallas Mavericks acquired center Calvin Booth from the Seattle SuperSonics for forward Danny Fortson.

What does it give the Dallas Mavericks
A shot-blocker who might turn back the clock. Booth is a star by no measure, but he did play the best basketball of his career in an earlier stint with Dallas. After a late-season trade to the Mavs in 2001, Booth at times looked like the second coming of Bill Russell. He even hit a key bucket in the playoffs to earn himself temporary folk-hero status in Big D, but left the next season for bigger bucks he earned by leveraging his Dallas heroics. Booth didn't do much over the next three seasons in Seattle, so maybe a return to the Lone Star state will re-energize his middling career. With nothing but rookies and journeymen under the hoop, the Mavericks hope so.

What does it give the Seattle SuperSonics
A rebounding demon who does little else. Think of Fortson as a younger Dennis Rodman, minus the piercings, neon hair, and defense. It's not uncommon for Fortson to go a full game without scoring from the field or blocking a shot, but it's also not uncommon for him to grab double-digit rebounds. In 2003-04 he averaged a whopping 19.2 rebounds per 48 minutes played- -more than such luminaries as Kevin Garnett (16.9), Tim Duncan (16.3), or Ben Wallace (15.8). If he were a regular, he'd likely lead the league in rebounding but also personal fouls (he averaged a mind-boggling 11.4 per 48 minutes). Whatever the case, at least the Sonics now finally have some of the rebounding help they've needed for years.

Fantasy impact

Player focus

Dallas Mavericks

Calvin Booth F/C

Seattle SuperSonics

Danny Fortson F/C