Re: Three way for Baker?

[Josh Ozersky <josh_ozersky@yahoo.com>]

Bskball says the following: VINNY TO BOSTON STILL
ALIVE- Sources in Seattle say that Wally Walker is
stepping back from his comments about no sign and
trade for Vin Baker. Walker said that a number of
teams have presented offers to him, and that he is now
considering options if Vin were to indicate to him
that he wants to leave. The Boston Celtics have
contacted the Chicago Bulls in the last week to see if
they would consider a 3 way deal thast could include
Antoine Walker, although my Boston sources say it is
more likey to be Ron Mercer and Pervis Ellison, than
the reported Ellison, Walker package. The deal would
send Mercer and Ellison to Chicago, Toni Kukoc would
then go to Seattle, with Vin Baker coming to Boston. I
had heard as many as 3 Celtics could be headed out if
a deal can be made, you could also see Dana Barros
thrown into the deal for Seattle. This is an
unconfirmed rumor, given to me through sources close
to, but not in any of the teams. More as I get it.

Mercer and Ellison for Baker seems to good to be true,
but then Seattle trading Baker for Toni Kukoc also
seems ludicrous.  This has a funny smell too.  BTW,
May's remark about Battie seems totally stupid and
unfounded, and sounds like a flippant afterthought.



--- Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> Here's a question: Will Fat Vinny set the IV record
> at Camp Pitino?
> Jackie MacMullan isn't high on Artest, but the
> Celtics staff and Jersey
> Red loves him.  Let's not forget about Tony Battie -
> May seems awfully
> cocksure about him exiting stage left very soon. 
> And you know Il Duce
> would love to foist Kenny on someone. These are the
> basketball end times
> Sweet Lord Jesus........
> Ray
> 
> 
> > Subject: three way for Baker?
> > Date: Sat, 24 Jul 1999 10:58:00 -0400
> > From: "Thomas Murphy" <tfmiii@worldnet.att.net>
> > To: "Celtic list" <celtics@igtc.com>
> > 
> > Now THIS is the rumor I've been expecting to hear!
> > 
> > NBAtalk has a rumored three way deal with the
> Celts, Bulls, and Sonics.
> > http://www.nbatalk.com/rumors.shtml
> > 
> > It just seems so logical for the three teams
> involved. The details are
> > sketchy but it would seem to involve Walker and
> possibly Pervis going to
> > Chicago, Kukoc going to Seattle (along with who?
> Mercer and Barros?) and
> > Baker and Ron Artest coming to the Cs.
> > 
> > That seems like a lot to give up for Baker (28
> years this Fall) but the
> > trade is in some sense for Rick Pitino's present
> (and the present team's
> > chemistry) in exchange for the *potential* future.
> The cap numbers should
> > work out (Kukoc $4.5 mil, Barros $3.5 mil, Mercer
> $2.0 mil for Baker's $9.0
> > mil).
> > 
> > Chicago can take Walker's base year comp salary
> because they are so far
> > under the cap. Walker's presence makes Kukoc
> expendable. Krause (who -
> > unlike Pitino - is not under the gun to make the
> playoffs this season)
> > would have to be pleased to get a hometown stud to
> play alongside Brand for
> > the price of a number one pick and an aging piece
> of the last dynasty.
> > 
> > As many on the list have noted Kukoc doesn't seem
> a good fit for Pitino but
> > would seem an excellent fit for Westphal on an
> aging team that needs to try
> > and get over the hump before Payton jumps ship.
> That was the logic behind
> > the Magette for Grant swap. From Seattle's POV
> getting two starters (if
> > Mercer is included) - one with championship
> experience - for the price of
> > one has got to be tempting, particularly when they
> already have Horace
> > Grant for the dirty work, Detlef Schrempf weighing
> his options, and agile
> > seven-footer Stepania looking to get some minutes.
> Those three should pick
> > up a good deal of the slack entailed by the loss
> of Baker. Mercer, Kukoc
> > and Barros would be perfect for the run-and-gun
> style that Westphal coaches
> > and would give the Sonics a level of flexibility
> (sliding Payton to SG,
> > Mercer to SF, Kukoc to PF?) they sorely lacked
> last year.
> > 
> > The Cs would add Baker who along with Potapenko
> and Battie should by and
> > large solve their four and five problems. Baker's
> ability to slide to the
> > five should render the Riley/Schintzius combo moot
> and free Battie to play
> > most of his minutes at the four, his natural
> position. Pierce stays at the
> > three, his natural position, although he is
> available to slide to the two;
> > Artest is groomed as the future SG but initially
> getting minutes at both SG
> > and SF; and Barros's departure opens up space for
> Turner and Damon Jones to
> > both remain on the roster (whoopee?). SG remains a
> big Q - will it be a
> > chance for Minor to start? I tend to doubt it. I
> would look for them to
> > offer Jon Barry (30 years old) starter's minutes
> and the $2 mil exception
> > or perhaps throw in another body (Popeye? Minor?)
> in exchange for Hersey
> > Hawkins (33 years this Fall). Both Barry or
> Hawkins would lend a degree of
> > veteran stability to the position (without the
> need to feed shot attempt
> > egos) thereby enabling Pitino to groom Artest for
> the position. (From what
> > I've heard - thanks for the reports guys! - Adrian
> Griffin doesn't have the
> > outside shot to start at the two). The Cs also -
> when viewed strictly in
> > terms of the present - add by subtraction since
> they give up their two
> > major shot-hogs, both of whom we're heaving it up
> in the low 40s%, and
> > replace them with a far more reliable inside
> option in Baker (career - 50%)
> > as well as more shots for Pierce and Potapenko.
> > 
> > Now THIS would represent a major shake-up that
> should place the Cs in a
> > much better position to make the playoffs this
> coming season.
> > 
> > Best wishes - Tom Murphy
> 
> 

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