Steve Bulpett: Battie, Schintzius In; Stewart, D. Jones Out?

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

                  Boston Herald

                  Knight center of trade talk
                  Celtics Notes/by Steve Bulpett
         
                  Tuesday, January 19, 1999

                  There is movement afoot in the Celtic pivot, where a
                  combination of transactions could send Travis Knight back
                  to Los Angeles and bring Dwayne Schintzius onto the
                  roster.
               
                  Sources last night said there is strong talk that Knight
                  will be going back to the Lakers in exchange for
                  second-year forward Tony Battie. The deal would
                  essentially take the remaining six years of Knight's
                  contract off the Celtic table, while adding the two years
                  Battie has left on his rookie pact. The Celts would get a
                  decent look at the athletic Battie, who fell out of favor
                  with his Denver bosses before being moved to the Lakers in
                  the Nick Van Exel deal.

                  The Lakers never wanted to let Knight go in the first
                  place last season, and they know he is a good complement
                  for Shaquille O'Neal.

                  As far as Schintzius is concerned, the goliath slipped
                  into Brandeis yesterday for some conditioning work and
                  shooting. His agent, Frank Martin, was quick to point out
                  that nothing has been settled with the Celts (other teams
                  are interested), but he added that much could be told by
                  whether the C's were able to swing another deal.

                  Schintzius, seeking to shed the label of
                  ``disappointment,'' has also shed several pounds. He
                  looked a relatively svelte 258 yesterday, and, in case
                  you're wondering, he's still 7-foot-3 and a quarter. He
                  took last season off to recover from right ankle surgery.

                  ``I'm just here working out and hoping to get a look when
                  the time comes,'' Schintzius said. ``I'm probably feeling
                  better than I ever have.
 
                  ``I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I think this
                  would be a great place for me. People told me that if I
                  came here, coach (Rick) Pitino was going to push me. And
                  that's fine with me. I need that.''

                  Toronto eyes Stewart

                  It seems the Michael Stewart express has stalled. The 6-10
                  center was headed yesterday to Toronto, and there was
                  acknowledgement from sources that the Raptors were
                  prepared to pay him more than the $1.75 million exception
                  the Celtics are.

                  There also remains hope within the Celts that Popeye Jones
                  will be signed. The money appears set (near the $1.8
                  million he made last year), but the length of the contract
                  has held up the process.

                  Don't look for Dontae' Jones to finish the last year of
                  his contract with the Celts.

                  ``I don't believe Dontae' will be on this basketball
                  team,'' Pitino said.

                  ``Right now I can't comment too much on it, but right now
                  I don't think he'll be here.''

                  Ouch, that hurts!

                  Pitino watched the scrimmaging yesterday from the Brandeis
                  balcony. Asked if he feared someone would pick up an
                  injury, he said: ``I don't see how they could get injured.
                  They're not playing hard enough or well enough to get
                  injured.''

                  On the players' overall fitness, Pitino added: ``I think
                  Ron Mercer looks in unbelievable shape. I think the rest
                  of the guys look pretty much as expected. . . . Paul
                  Pierce looks good also. I think you give these guys 10
                  days and they'll be in good shape.''