Bill Walton: Mercer Trade - No Win Situation For The Celtics

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

Seems like the Celtics have improved their present cast, and picked
up a valuable tradeable commodity for the future. If that's a no win
situation, I'm should Pitino will be happy to engage in a few more
of them....
    
    MSNBC
    Bill Walton    
    <snips>
    CELTICS MADE A TOUGH CALL ON MERCER
The Boston Celtics didn't want to meet Ron Mercer's asking price, 
so they shipped him, Popeye Jones and Dwayne Schnitzus to Denver 
for Danny Fortson, Eric Washington, Eric Williams and a first-round 
draft choice.
It was a no-win situation for Boston. The ownership had made it clear to 
Rick Pitino that they were going to stay within the salary cap and not 
spend lavishly on free agents. Mercer had every right to demand the maximum, 
and the Celtics had every right to take a pass.I was a big fan of Mercer, but he wasn't going to get to the superstar level 
in Boston. I always felt he had a lot of Jo-Jo White in him; spectacular one night, 
average the next. The Celtics do get more much-needed toughness up front 
from Fortson and Williams, but they still need that one breakthrough superstar. 
The first-round pick the Celtics received (which can be exercised over the 
next three seasons) could decrease greatly in value as the Nuggets improve.