"The Warriors' injury situation worsened with word from (Eric)Musselman that rookie shooting guard Mickael Pietrus will miss three to five games because of a sprained left ankle sustained in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's opener against the Dallas Mavericks."

Van Exel, dealt in the nine-player trade that brought Antawn Jamison from Golden State to the Mavs, wanted to know that he was on the trading block. Van Exel, arguably the Mavs' playoff MVP last season, said Cuban should have let him know he was. After the trade was made, he said the least Cuban could have done was call him. Van Exel said both Don and Donnie Nelson did.

"It was (Dallas president of basketball operations/assistant coach) Donnie (Nelson) and Saint," Cuban said before the Warriors' season opener against Dallas. "Any deal that big, the owner's going to have to give the blessing in the end. What made that deal different was that it died down for a while, then happened quickly."

The Warriors learned Wednesday that shooting guard Jason Richardson and power forward Troy Murphy will join fellow starter Nick Van Exel on the sideline for next week's regular-season opener against the Dallas Mavericks at the Arena in Oakland.

The Warriors received more bad news on the injury front Wednesday when it was learned Murphy, the team's starting power forward last season, won't practice or play for at least two weeks. Murphy, who is suffering from plantar fasciitis in his right foot, was examined by orthopedic specialist Robert Chandler in Los Angeles and was told to further rest the foot.

Van Exel, who has missed the past two exhibition games because of what the team called a sprained left knee, went to Dallas over the weekend to get a second opinion from Mavericks team doctor T.O. Souryal. After the meeting, Van Exel decided to go ahead and have the arthroscopic surgery, which was performed at the Park City Surgery Center.

It looks Sacramento Kings forward Chris Webber and Golden State Warriors guard Jason Richardson will likely be suspended for the start of their respective seasons.

NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik did not go into specifics during a Monday conference call.

"Having been convicted or having pled guilty, it is likely that Mr. Richardson and Mr. Webber will be suspended at the start of the season," Granik said.

"The Golden State Warriors exercised the fourth-year contract options on guard Jason Richardson and forward Troy Murphy on Friday."

Warriors guard Nick Van Exel is currently out with a sprained left ankle but that injury might be something else that might require surgery.

He is meeting with Mavericks team physician T.O. Souryal on Monday to get a second opinion on the ankle.

Van Exel said he has a a loose bone chip in the back of the knee that tightens it up.

"I'm not really concerned, just that if I have to have surgery, I'd rather get it done as soon as possible so I can get back quick," Van Exel said after watching practice. "If it's going to take rest and it will go away, then that will be good. But I don't know what's going to happen. I'm not concerned because I don't think it's season-ending or anything like that. I don't think it will be any more than three weeks. I'm just guessing, three or four weeks. But you never know how things are."

The Golden State Warriors announced that they have picked up the fourth-year contract options on guard Jason Richardson and forward Troy Murphy.

"We're excited to have Jason and Troy in the fold through the 2004-05 season," general manager Garry St. Jean said. "We think both of these young men are going to be very special players and will be the key to our future success."