Re: Adrian Griffin and The Answer

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

Well, Warwick is right on this one. If Turner or Griffin
makes the team, it will be as a minimum contract player. Bowen can
probably get a somewhat better deal than the minimum since he has
two years of tenure with the Celtics - I don't know how this rule
(Early Bird) has changed. My guess is he would actually get the 
veteran's minimum as a three year veteran, since I think the one
game in Miami counts as a season for these purposes.

I'd like to see Clack play in Europe with his rights retained by
the Celtics if Griffin is the more polished player right now.

My guess is that the Celtics use their two exceptions on a midcareer
locker room leader and role player type, around age 30, and a younger
veteran with unfulfilled potential.

In other news, I was reading about Derek Anderson who wants $50M. 
The thing about any of these guys in their second year including
Battie and Mercer is that their leverage is more limited nowadays.
Every rookie class after theirs presents much better negotiating
terms for the teams - especially right of first refusal in the 
fifth year. That is probably why the Celtics are so unwilling to
shell out big bucks for Mercer. They could probably get a decent
older player for the exception, or a decent younger player through
the draft, which is now much more appetizing - maybe a three point 
specialist to open up the floor - instead of paying Mercer $50-60M. 

Something that we haven't discussed much was the proposed trade
of Mercer for Antonio Davis. Davis has four years left on a 
7 year, $38.5M contract so other players would have been included 
to make the contracts match. I'm not sure who else the Pacers would
want other though, except Battie possibly. They definitely could use
some more athleticism on that team and Mercer would provide that.
As for the Celtics, it seems to indicate that Pitino is quite serious
about moving Antoine to 3 and Pierce to 2. Pitino has mentioned that
one of his goals for Pierce was to lose a few pounds and add 
quickness. Has he shown signs of this in the summer league?

Alex

Alex

> You can't sign anybody to anything if you're over the
> cap.  That's why they call it the exception.  It's a
> good question.  Presumably we are saving the 2 M
> exception for a veteran.  Any news?
> 
> 
> --- Warwick <giants@eisa.net.au> wrote:
> > Josh,
> > 
> > We could sign him to a rookie minimum contract.....
> > 
> > Warwick
> > 
> > 
> 
> _________________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>