Steve Bulpett: Antoine Walker and Lawsuits

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

Lockout News: David Stern is going to Aspen on vacation; Players Union
doesn't expect to have any talks until January....

Steve Bulpett on the Lockout: One agent-lawyer told him that if the
owners cancel the season, there will be a massive amount of lawsuits.
The threat of those, frightens both owners and players, because the
two sides don't know what the end result will be. So there's impetus for
any kind of makeshift season, just as long as there's a season.

Steve Bulpett on Walker's Contract: "When Walker hits the market next 
summer, the league says the cap will be at $35 million per team and
that a player with up to six years experience will be able to max out 
at an average of $11 million per year for the six, with a 10 percent
raise
for the seventh."

However, Bullpet notes, that if Walker were to sign with another team,
the seventh year raise would be only 5 percent rather than
the 10 percent he would receive with the C's.  Bulpett also notes,
that the C's had no desire to trade Walker, and no deals got close.
It was just a matter of Gaston not wanting to shell out for a
Garnett-type contract, which hje won't have to do when the new
agreement takes effect.
Ray