Re: Notes from the Globe

[peter delevett <pdelevett@amcity.com>]

Hm. I could see how they'd be floored by $30 mil -- that's even less than Joe
H theorized. I mean, $5 million a year is nothing to sneeze at, but if he sees
himself in the same category as Kittles or Finley, they make around $52
million, so maybe $60 mil was a start-high opening point. What was the max he
could have received, $72 mil? So at least we know (or think we know) that he
wasn't asking for that. (Anderson reportedly is seeking $60 mil too, and IMO
has less reason than Mercer to demand it.)

I'm a little surprised the Celtics wouldn't feel he was worth anything close
to Kittles/Finley money. Allen Houston is around that neighborhood too, as I
recall. I'm sure Denver will give him that. Which just reiterates my belief
that the Celtics didn't want Mercer back at any price; that they felt he
couldn't coexist with Pierce and Walker (or Pitino?) and needed a rebounder
instead. I'm sure they could have done $50 million if they'd wanted to --
that's $8.3 mil a year, which falls well under Gaston's alleged "allowance" to
Pitino. I'll bet Mercer would have gone for that.

David A Wickerham wrote:
> 

> San Francisco Chronicle had quotes from Mercers agent (Tevester Scott?)
> who said the Celtics offered $30 million (first offer).  Mercer wanted at
> least $60 million, according to Scott.  Interestingly, the Chronicle also
> mentions that Derek Anderson was traded to the Clippers because the
> Cleveland didn't think they could meet the demands of Master P.
>