Providence Journal: Knight Deal To Be Anoounced Soon

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

        1.19.99 00:03:11
         
        Almost done deal: Knight for Battie

Boston's trade of center/forward Travis Knight
to the Lakers for pivotman Tony Battie will be
announced soon.

By MIKE SZOSTAK
Journal Sports Writer

The Los Angeles Lakers always said they liked Travis
Knight for the way he filled in for the injured
Shaquille O'Neal during the 1997 NBA season.

Well, Jerry West must like him a lot more than he does
Tony Battie, because Knight is L.A.-bound again.

Rick Pitino, who lured Knight to Boston with a
seven-year contract worth about $22 million, will trade
his 7-foot, 235-pound center to the Lakers as soon as
the NBA lockout officially ends and the league permits
player transactions.

The Celtics cannot comment on the pending deal, but a
source close to the club confirmed the move.

Battie is a 6-11, 240-pound center/forward who played
in 65 games for the Denver Nuggets last season. He was
traded to the Lakers last June for guard Nick Van Exel.

Battie, the fifth player selected in the 1997 NBA Draft
(after three seasons at Texas Tech), averaged 8.4
points and 5.4 rebounds for the woeful Nuggets.

Knight played in 74 games for the Celtics last season,
averaging 6.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. Pitino had hoped
that Knight would provide the defensive presence the
Celtics desperately need, but Knight proved to be a
7-foot 3-point launcher instead. He also proved to be a
huge salary cap liability.

Knight had attended Boston's voluntary workouts last
week, but was not present yesterday.

Chicago drafted Knight in 1996, but renounced its
rights. Los Angeles signed him as a free agent, and he
made the All-Rookie second team in 1996-97, averaging
4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 71 games.

In another player move, the Associated Press reported
last night that the Celts are close to re-signing
free-agent forward Popeye Jones to a three-year, $8
million deal.

Pitino made his first official appearance at Brandeis
yesterday. NBA officials allowed coaches to observe
workouts, so Pitino watched the Celtics scrimmage from
a balcony above the court.

Antoine Walker also made his first appearance since the
players and owners reached a new collective bargaining
agreement almost two weeks ago. Walker had remained in
Chicago last week because of bad weather and family
matters.

Other Celts at Brandeis yesterday were Andrew DeClercq,
Kenny Anderson, Dana Barros, Bruce Bowen, Greg Minor,
Ron Mercer and rookie Paul Pierce.

Pitino had hoped to start training camp today, but that
won't happen because the new agreement is still being
fine-tuned. Like an injured player, the start of camp
and player movement seems to have evolved to a
day-to-day situation.

During the NBA lockout, the league hinted that upon
reaching a new collective bargaining agreement, a
two-week signing period follwed by a two-week training
period would be sufficient to open the season. Nobody
suggested that it would take two weeks to put the
agreement on paper and have lawyers for both sides
study every bit of legal language.

The Celtics will probably hold morning and evening
practice sessions when the league says it's okay to
play. They are also planning open practices in four New
England cities, starting Saturday night in Manchester,
N.H. The road show will end at the Providence Civic
Center Feb. 1, the day after the Super Bowl. That
session is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. There will
be no charge, but spectators must have a ticket.
Neither the Celtics nor the Civic Center released
ticket distribution details yesterday.

The Celtics also plan to practice Sunday in the
FleetCenter and Jan. 28 in the Centrum in Worcester. No
details on those sessions were available yesterday.


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