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"If you are confused by what Rick Pitino is doing with all of these
moves, we
will try to clear up the situation a little. The Celtics boss decided
after the
draft, we understand, that he had three players he could develop for the
future: Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer, and Chauncey Billups. Also, that
someday he would need big bucks under the salary cap to get the
"superstar." With the way the prices for talent are going to skyrocket
in the
next few years (Kevin Garnett turns down more than $100 million), Pitino
knows he needs big bucks to get this kind of player. In order to do
that, he
had to dump the contracts of Dino Radja et al, who had no value anywhere
else and could not be used as part of a trade package. Most of the new
players he has brought in have reasonable salary numbers and could be
used
in a trade package. The only one he is stuck with is Pervis Ellison,
whom no
one will take. So the theme is a young team built into an overall salary
structure that will allow movement for the star player when
the time comes. Don't count out Pitino taking another run at Scottie
Pippen
when he becomes a free agent next year."

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Mike Dynon