AROUND THE NBA

The Chicago Bulls finally made their long-awaited first move of the off-season, sending guard Brent Barry to the Seattle SuperSonics for guards Hersey Hawkins and James Cotton.

Barry, 27, averaged 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 37 games last season. He is the second shooting guard picked up by the SuperSonics in recent days, joining free-agent acquisition Vernon Maxwell. Hawkins, 32, is an 11-year veteran who had career-low averages of 10.3 points and 2.5 assists. Cotton, 23, played only 10 games last season because of a strained hamstring and averaged 2.5 points.

The SuperSonics also signed free agent guard Shammond Williams to a three-year contract.

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Free agent forward-center Mark Bryant signed a two-year, $4.2 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bryant, 34, averaged 9.0 points and 5.2 rebounds last season with the Bulls. . . . The Delta Center, declared structurally sound despite shattered windows and holes in the roof from a Wednesday tornado in Salt Lake City, will be closed for six weeks while undergoing $5 million in repairs, owner Larry Miller said. . . . The New Jersey Nets signed 7-foot-7 center Gheorghe Muresan, the league’s tallest player, to a one-year contract. Muresan, 28, hasn’t played for most of the last two seasons because of injury.