Baker, Wesley, Fox

[DENNIS_SMITH@HP-Waltham-om3.om.hp.com]

Item Subject: cc:Mail Text
     >Date: Wed, 21 May 1997 16:00:46 +0100
     >From: "Jeff Tepper" <jaytee@itasoft.com>
     >Subject: Re: anyone see Chanel 68 sportstalk last night?
     >
     >
     >Sounds good, but how are we going to get Baker?  He's not a free 
     >agent until after next year, so we would have to trade something to 
     >get him. And it can't be just draft picks either because we would be 
     >over the salary cap with Bakers salary (around 3.75 million).  We 
     >certainly couldn't get him and still resign Fox and Wesley......
     >
     >The other thing they said on channel 68 last night is that we won't 
     >be able to resign both Fox and Wesley.  It will most likely either be 
     >one or the other, or maybe even neither of them.  
     
     Baker has expressed his desire to play for Boston for a while.  This 
     must be known around the league by now.  Because he is a free agent 
     next year, the Bucks are in a bind.  They need to trade him now or 
     lose him next year.  The problem is what team is going to trade for 
     him if they are also going to lose him next year!  Answer, none.  So 
     if the Buck were smart they should make a trade with Boston.  I would 
     like to see this trade involve Dino.  I would not use either first 
     round pick in this trade, we have the upper hand.  It would have to 
     involve another player, however, because of the trade resistions 
     (salaries must be within 20% of each other).  As for signing Fox and 
     Wesley we can sign them for whatever we want using the Larry Bird 
     clause.  We definitely need to sign Wesley he is a proven point guard. 
     If you look on ESPNnet Wesley is rate #22 right behind A. Hardaway in 
     the NBA player rating, the only Celtic to make the list.  He is a 
     valuable player!  What the Celtics need to do is sign a FA first then 
     negotiate Wesley contract.  Hopefully he will sit tight and not demand 
     too much money.  We don't need another large, long term contract.  Fox 
     on the other hand is expendable because of the glut a SF.  It too bad 
     because he has stepped it up this past year and was one of the best 
     defensive players in the league.  I hope they work something out.