Re: Rumors

["Jeff Tepper" <jaytee@itasoft.com>]

- ----------
> From: JLyell <jlyell@concentric.net>
> To: Celtics <celtics@igtc.COM>
> Subject: Rumors
> Date: Thursday, June 19, 1997 10:56 PM
> 
> Don Leventhal's latest pre-draft report has the Celtics taking Mercer or
> Battie at 3 and possibly trading the 6 or taking Mcgrady.  He says if
> Stackhouse is gone Mercer could go at 2.
> 
> He states that Mcdyess, Smith, Kemp, Stackhouse, Pippen , Jayson
Williams,
> The Davis boys , Baker & Big Dog, and both Dino Radja & Eric Williams are
> all trade possibilities.
> 
> We could see some heavy activity early next week.
> 
> Anyone see a possible package of Barros & Williams or Radja to Indiana
for
> one of the Davis' ?

It would be a good trade for us, but is Bird is willing to do it?  You
mention below that Travis Best is being mentioned in trades.  Maybe we
could work him in also and that would be a great solution to our point
guard problems.  He's from Springfield, MA and i'm sure he would love to
play in Boston.  Plus, Best only makes about 2/3 of a million a year.  Both
the Davis' make over 5, so we'd be getting a big salary.  Granted they are
quality players, but we wouldn't want to get ourselves further into cap
trouble than we are now.  A trade involving Dino would be the best case
scenario because we'd make out about even salary-wise.

> It seems teams definitely trying to move next years free agents before
they
> lose them.

Well, they either have to trade them, sign them to an extention, or they
risk losing them for nothing.  I think everyone knows about how good next
year's free agent class is projected to be, and i don't think that teams
will be getting full market value for a guy who is only under contract for
one more season.  Those type of players are valuable to teams that are
currently playoff contenders and need one more player to get them from
being a team that is good enough to make the playoffs to being a team that
has a legitimate shot at winning the title.  It doesn't really make sense
for us to trade for a guy like Pippen who is only under contract for one
more year, because those types of players won't want to play in rebuilding
situations, and if we got them they would play for a year, and then take
the money from a team like LA or New York and run.  
 
> The latest news is that the Lakers have offered Elden Campbell to
Vancouver
> for the #4 pick.  This is somewhat confirmed by the Lakers attempting to
> sneak in Mcgrady this week.  Can you imagine how outrageous a lineup of
> Mcgrady, Bryant, Eddie Jones & Shaq could be ?  Or is Jerry West bringing
> in Mcgrady knowing Pitino likes him, and really wanting a  Ron Mercer,
> Battie or more likely Billups to drop to 4 ?

4 would be too high to take McGrady, so i'm guessing that they want Billups
or Battie.  They already have Eddie Jones and Kobe so Mercer really doesn't
fit in there.  Since they're trading a big guy i could see them getting
Battie to play PF, and that addition gives them a solid front line.  Van
Exel is still young enough and good enough to run the point for them, so
they woudn't have much use for Billups right away.  Battie is the guy they
could really use, but i would hope to think that the celtics wouldn't let
him fall to #4.
 
 
> With Brent Barry & Bill Fitch not on the same page, we should move Brown,
> Minor or Barros for Barry.  Barry still has a lot of potential , can play
> both guard positions, and has good size.  Imagine a lineup of :
> 
> Barry
> Mercer
> Mcgrady
> Walker
> Dale Davis
> 
> or 
> 
> Barry & Eisley
> Mercer
> Walker  & Fox
> Davis
> Baker
> 
> 
> Although Dale Davis & Baker are not true centers, I could live with
either
> of these.

Barry is a good player, but he's one of the guys in that class that will be
free agents at the end of next year and either we would lose him or we'd
have to resign him for considerably more than he makes right now.  I think
that we could do better elsewhere.

Jeff