FA center

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Seven million a year for Geiger is a lot of money but he's done a very good job
for the Hornets as a starter, and that seems like the way the market is heading
nowadays. You figure Ike Austin might command more than that and there are some
questions about whether he can repeat his play early in the season. If Geiger
can negate the huge inside advantage that most teams have had against the
Celtics, then he'll be worth it because they'll win many more games. 

I believe that Pitino will pursue Ratliff as well but I wouldn't be so sure
he'd come cheaply. Philadelphia will surely try hard to hold onto him and I
think he's grateful that Larry Brown bailed him out of Detroit. I am sure that
any other reasonable free agent centers will be approached by Pitino also.

Drafting a center (Doleac is the probably the best we could do) or trying to 
sign Stewart (who probably won't leave Sacramento) is a longer-term proposition.
Knight, after showing potential early in the season, has disappeared. I think
he and Minor are candidates to be traded with the first-rounder for cap space.
It will be quite some time until DeClercq develops enough to be a reasonable
defensive presence against real centers. It seems like Geiger, at 28, is
entering his prime.

Adding Vin Baker would be very tough in terms of the salary cap unless we are 
willing to not sign Walker to his extension (which would put us way over), and 
also clean serious cap room somehow (say, by trading Mercer). This also depends
on the collective bargaining agreement staying the same. I don't think this
is feasible. 

Alex