More Info

["JLyell" <jlyell@concentric.net>]

Here is some more info.  Any ideas on any free agent that Pitino might be
interested in ?  Brian Grant ?  Laphonso Ellis are the only 2 decent ones
that I can think of and both are coming off major injuries.





Celtics send Eric Williams to Nuggets


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NBA Chat

DENVER -- Denver and Boston, the busiest NBA teams this off-season, got
together Thursday and completed a deal that sends Celtics forward Eric
Williams to the Nuggets for a pair of future second-round picks.

Speculation is that the Celtics traded Williams to clear salary cap space
to sign another free agent, and the Nuggets were happy to oblige. Williams
is scheduled to earn $949,600 next season, the last year of his three-year
contract.

"We're extremely pleased to obtain such an outstanding young player," said
Allan Bristow, the Nuggets' vice president for basketball operations. "Eric
is very athletic and gives us an offensive lift as well as an aggressive
defender."

The 6-foot-8 Williams was one of the top players on the disappointing
Celtics last season, averaging 15 points and 4.6 rebounds in 72 games. He
scored at least 20 points 17 times, including a career-high 31 points
against Philadelphia in March. 

Boston's first-round choice in 1995 out of Providence, Williams averaged
10.7 points as a rookie and was named to start in the NBA Rookie Game,
where he scored 15 points. 

In exchange for Williams, the Celtics received a 1999 second-round pick,
which Denver obtained from Orlando in a draft-day trade that sent center
Jason Lawson to the Magic for guard Eric Washington. Boston also gets
Denver's 2001 second-round pick.

The trade was the fourth by the Nuggets since the season ended. Denver also
acquired forwards Johnny Newman and Joe Wolf and the rights to forward
Danny Fortson from the Milwaukee Bucks for center Ervin Johnson. 

In another draft-day trade, Denver acquired the rights to Bobby Jackson
from Seattle in exchange for the rights to James Cotton.

The Celtics have been even busier than the Nuggets. Boston, which had two
of the top six picks in the draft, took Colorado point guard Chauncey
Billups at No. 3 and Kentucky swingman Ron Mercer at No. 6.

The Celtics signed free agents Travis Knight, Andrew DeClercq, Tony
Massenburg and Bruce Bowen, waived forward Dino Radja and renounced the
rights to nine players, including Rick Fox.