Walker, PJ Brown, Mashburn

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Some notes on the rumored Walker for PJ Brown and Mashburn trade.

1) According to onhoops.com, PJ Brown made $3.8M last year and is
signed through 2003. Mashburn made $4.4M last year and is signed
through 2001. If Mark Strickland is included, he is a minimum-wager
who is signed through the end of this season.

2) Dan Issel mentioned that Boston is hoping to pull the trigger
right after the lockout ends so that the Celtics can participate
in the free agent market. I would assume from this that any trade
would involve additional cap clearing. My prediction would be 
Walker, Minor, Ellison, and Barros for Brown, Mashburn, and
Strickland. Perhaps Riley would throw in one or more first round
picks since he never uses them anyways. And I can just imagine 
Pat Riley turning Ellison into another Ike Austin.

3) The money that would have been spent on Walker as well as any 
money saved in the trade will most likely go to some free agent 
center or power forward. This trade, however, would probably not 
clear enough cap room to sign a premium free agent but rather 
someone like Ratliff or Geiger. However, either Paul Pierce or 
Ron Mercer becomes expendable after this trade; they could be 
traded to dump cap room, pick up draft picks, and clear the way 
for a premium free agent. Or one of them could be packaged with 
other players and/or future draft picks to acquire someone like
Olowokandi.

4) PJ Brown is an excellent rebounder on the order of Walker and
an extraordinary defender. He will provide the Celtics with much
needed interior presence. Possibly he could play goalie for the
Pitino press. On the Heat, he was the fifth offensive option and 
essentially no offensive plays were run for him. In the final 
playoff game against the Knicks this year, he lined up at center 
in place of the suspended Mourning and scored 18 points and 
10 rebounds in the Miami loss.

5) Mashburn has the ability to put up many points while shooting
low percentages, much as Walker did this year. He's been plagued
by injuries over the past three years.

6) It's hard to imagine the Celtics competing with the Heat after
trading their best player for the Heat's third and fourth players.
But Orlando was contemplating a similar trade of Hardaway to the
Nets for Cassell and Gill.

Alex