Why they really had to renounce Fox and Conlon....

[JASPINDLER@aol.com]

I too had to scratch my head and wonder why the Celtics had to renounce both
Fox and Conlon in order to sign TK.  I suspected that it had something to do
with Radja, or perhaps Pitino thought Fox was asking too much.  Well it turns
out to be another screwup that we can blame on poor communications.  TK
signed his deal on Monday July 7th.  It was reported as early as the 3rd that
he was coming to Boston, but the real troubles started on the 5th, when
Knight himself was doing live radio interviews stating that he had a deal
with Boston, and was coming.  Apparently, the league office got word of this,
and insisted that the Celtics formally sign him the next business day. Boston
was trying to close the Radja situation, and stall the signing in order to
clear enough cap room to sign TK without having to sacrafice Fox and possibly
Conlon.  These kinds of games are fairly common practice and can work if
everyone agrees to keep quiet about it.  Credit goes to Steve Bullpett of the
Herald for getting the story.  Chalk this one up to poor communications and
the inexperience of Pitino and Wallace.  I would suggest the following as a
way to recover, but I am not sure that it is legal.  Find a team that is
under the cap that would be interested in Barros, Brown, Ellison or Minor.
Get that team to sign Fox to a deal and then trade him to Boston for the
player of their choice.  Maybe a win for both sides!!!