Randy Brown Signing Today

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

Wheeee...

Celts score a point: Make exception for free-agent Brown
by Mark Cofman
Thursday, August 3, 2000

Turned away in repeated attempts the past week to acquire free-agent
guard Tariq Abdul-Wahad, Celtics coach Rick Pitino and general manager
Chris Wallace wasted little time yesterday refocusing their attention in
the free-agent market.

The Celtics will sign Randy Brown to a contract today using the team's
$2.25 million salary-cap exception. They reached an agreement last night
with the 32-year-old point guard, who began his career in Sacramento and
played the last four seasons with the Chicago Bulls.

Reached by phone at his Chicago home, Brown confirmed he would be
traveling to Boston today to take a physical examination before an
official announcement is made. The Celtics' agreement with Brown comes
just one day after their last-ditch effort to work a sign-and-trade deal
with Denver for Abdul-Wahad fell short.

``I know they've been busy with a number of things, but I'm just excited
that things worked out for me and I'm going to be playing for the
Celtics,'' said Brown. ``Coach Pitino's style is a style I know I'm
going to enjoy playing. I know I can thrive in that system.''

Brown is expected to back up Kenny Anderson, who played all 82 games
last season but appeared to wear down on occasion. Brown's defensive
skills will make him a natural for Pitino's second-unit trapping and
pressing.

``Maybe I can add a few more years to Kenny's career,'' said Brown, who
is two years older than Anderson. ``I know what my role is coming in
there, and hopefully I'll be able to give the second unit a boost.''

Other than the mid-level exception Brown will receive, the Celtics knew
going into their free-agent hunt they had little flexibility. Their
payroll is hovering about $8 million over the salary cap.

But they explored a few interesting sign-and-trade deals, while holding
out hope an attractive free agent would slide into their hands. When the
dust settled from the first wave of signings this week, that didn't
happen.

``We had been on the same course for quite some time - knowing it might
not materialize into anything but a course we felt we needed to pursue
aggressively regardless,'' said Wallace.

``It was a pie-in-the-sky type of scenario where we were going after
guys who required major sign-and-trades. Or guys who, if the whole
market collapsed on them, we wanted to make sure we had recruited. But
that stuff was never anything we were ever the favorites to pull off.''

They almost pulled one off on Tuesday nonetheless, before walking away
from a sign-and-trade deal that would have delivered Abdul-Wahad. It
marked the second time in a week the Celtics nearly had the free-agent
shooting guard through a multi-team deal, but Abdul-Wahad finally ended
the suspense by re-signing with the Nuggets.

While Abdul-Wahad stayed in Denver, two other Celtics' targets at
shooting guard fell out of the market. Ron Mercer agreed to terms with
the Bulls, and Derek Anderson with San Antonio. Pitino and Wallace,
aware the free-agent market's pool of shooting guards has pretty much
run dry, immediately turned their attention on securing a backup point
guard.

Brown and Bimbo Coles were the front-runners all along.

``There was the one track we traveled, which involved sign-and-trades
and guys who possibly could have slid down because of the process,''
said Wallace. ``Then there's this track, in which we've been considering
guys who all along were targeted with the (mid-level) exception.''