Re: Vin Baker

[Warwick <giants@eisa.net.au>]

Heres the salary status for both teams...

Boston Celtics

Player                  Pos  Ht  Wt    B-day   98-99 Salary/Contract
Status
Kenny Anderson ........  G  6-1  168  10/9/70   $5,845,000
Dana Barros ...........  G  5-11 163  4/13/67   $3,500,000
Greg Minor ............ F-G 6-6  230  9/18/71   $2,520,000
Pervis Ellison ........ F-C 6-10 242   4/3/67   $2,420,000
Travis Knight .........  C  7-0  235  9/13/74   $2,400,000
Ron Mercer ............ G-F 6-7  210  5/18/76   $2,034,000
Andrew DeClercq ....... F-C 6-10 230   2/1/73   $1,440,000
Antoine Walker ........  F  6-9  245  8/12/76   $2,216,000
Walter McCarty ........  F  6-10 230   2/1/74     $975,000
Dontae' Jones .........  F  6-8  220   6/2/75     $814,000
Bruce Bowen ...........  F  6-7  200  6/14/71     $507,000
Paul Pierce ...........  F  6-7  220 10/13/77  unsigned 1st round rookie
(Dino Radja ... $2,500,000  released, still against the cap)

Tyus Edney ............  G  5-10 152  2/14/73  free agent  [$400,000]
Reggie Hanson .........  F  6-8  195   4/3/67  free agent  [$272,250]
Popeye Jones ..........  F  6-8  250  6/17/70  free agent  [$1,886,538]
Zan Tabak .............  C  7-0  245  6/15/70  free agent  [$950,000]

Seattle Sonics

Player                  Pos  Ht  Wt    B-day   98-99 Salary/Contract
Status
Gary Payton ...........  G  6-4  180  7/23/68   $8,715,000
Vin Baker .............  F  6-11 250 11/23/71   $4,264,000
Jim McIlvaine .........  C  7-1  264  7/30/72   $4,200,000
Hersey Hawkins ........  G  6-3  200  9/29/66   $3,644,000
Detlef Schrempf .......  F  6-10 235  1/21/63   $3,333,000
Aaron Williams ........  F  6-9  225  10/2/71     $500,000
Vladimir Stepania .....  C  6-11 236   8/5/76  unsigned 1st round rookie
Rashard Lewis .........  F  6-10 215   8/8/79  unsigned 2nd round rookie
Jelani McCoy ..........  C  6-10 237  12/6/77  unsigned 2nd round rookie

Greg Anthony ..........  G  6-1  180 11/15/67  free agent  [$272,250]
James Cotton ..........  G  6-5  220 12/14/75  free agent  [$242,000]
Dale Ellis ............ G-F 6-7  215   8/6/60  free agent  [$1,920,000]
Stephen Howard ........  F  6-9  250  7/15/70  free agent  [$272,250]
Jerome Kersey .........  F  6-7  225  6/26/62  free agent  [$500,000]
Nate McMillan ......... G-F 6-5  210   8/3/64  free agent  [$3,500,000]
Sam Perkins ........... F-C 6-9  260  6/14/61  free agent  [$3,370,000]
David Wingate ......... G-F 6-5  187 12/15/63  free agent  [$570,000]

Boston Celtics key weakness - big man
Seattle Sonics key weaknesses - center, swingman backup

I'd assume a deal that the Sonics *would* pursue would be...

Vin Baker - $4,264,000
Jim McIlvaine - $4,200,000
Total - $8,464,000

For

Antoine Walker - $2,216,000
Travis Knight - $2,400,000
Greg Minor - $2,520,000
Total - $7,136,000

It would basically take the Celtics out of the free agent market and
would also
give the Sonics a solid start to rebuilding, losing their heaviest cap
baggage
and giving them 2 young players and a malcontent who could hurt some
teams in
the western conference known more for a free open flowing game than its
hard
nosed defense with teams such as the Lakers, Suns and others being fast
break
organisations.

It wouldn't be worth it for the Celts.

On the other hand, the hiring of George Karl  in Milwaukee gives a great
benefit
for any team looking to land a half decent starting center. That player
of
course being Ervin Johnson. Does anyone remember the broken relationship
between
Karl and Johnson after the Sonics were knocked out of the playoffs that
year?

Unless of course Karl wanted to keep Johnson and that was one of the
decisions
that Karl didn't approve of (including the now infamous handling of the
Shawn
Kemp trade!)

Cheers,

Warwick