Celts still possibly dealing with Knicks

["Josh Farber" <nbaj2k@home.com>]

Well I guess the Celts are still looking at a potential sign and trade with
the Knicks.  They are trying to send Fortson and Cheaney to NY for Childs
and 3mil.

How exactly does that 3 mil fall into play, anyone know?
Can we use the 3 mil to sign someone?

Anyone, what do ya think?

As long as the Knicks don't convince him to take the 2.25 mil exception!
Josh

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FORTSON CALLING ON KNICKS TODAY
By MARC BERMAN
Still hoping to salvage the summer, the Knicks invited rebounding specialist
Danny Fortson yesterday to New York.
Fortson, the free-agent Celtic power forward, will arrive today and meet
with the Knicks' brass and coaching staff. "Danny will visit with us and it
will give him a chance to spend time to get to know us," GM Scott Layden
said last night.

Fortson is the third player - all power forwards - to visit the Knicks
during the free-agency period, following Portland's Brian Grant and
Washington's Aaron Williams. Williams visited the Knicks Monday and is
available for the $2.25 million exception.

Fortson is considered the Knicks' best option after Grant, who left
yesterday on a plane with his wife Gina to vacation for possibly 12 days in
Jamaica. Grant, who visited New York last month, may decide on a pristine
beach in the Caribbean whether to join the Cavaliers - the frontrunners. The
Knicks are longshots.

With the Knicks and Boston reaching a stalemate on sign-and-trade talks on
Monday, the Knicks will try to convince Fortson to sign for the $2.25M
exception.

Layden offered Fortson the exception Monday after talks with the Celtics
broke down but was turned down. Raymond Brothers, Fortson's agent, has said
all month Fortson he will not sign for the exception, that he'd rather
return to Boston for more money.

Layden is expected to still negotiate with Boston GM Chris Wallace, who has
asked the Knicks to include $3 million along with Chris Childs in a package
for Fortson. The Knicks don't appear willing to put in that amount of cash
unless they get a quality player in addition to Fortson in return instead of
throw-in Calbert Cheaney.

Although the Knicks are Fortson's first choice, he visited Oakland two weeks
ago and "fell in love" with Golden State. The Warriors have since been
trying to work a three-way deal with Boston and Chicago. Seattle has also
jumped into the Fortson pool.

Fortson is only 24 - four years younger than Grant. Grant is the clearly the
more high-profile player, having been on championship contenders in
Portland, but some scouts believe Fortson devours rebounds as consistently
as Grant.

Two seasons ago with Denver, Fortson averaged a double-double (11.7 points,
11.1 rebounds), finishing fourth in the league in rebounding, first in
offensive rebounding. The Knicks were last in the league last season in
offensive rebounding.

But Fortson's stock dipped in Boston last season. Projected as their
starting power forward, Fortson missed the first two months with a stress
fracture and never could crack the starting lineup when he returned because
Rick Pitino stuck with playing Antoine Walker at power forward and surprise
rookie Adrian Griffin at small forward.

Still, in the 13 games Fortson played 20 minutes or more, he averaged 13.7
points and 11.8 rebounds. For the season, he averaged 7.6 points and 6.7
rebounds in just 15.6 minutes per game. Over the past three seasons,
counting players with a minimum of 150 games, Fortson is ranked second to
Dikembe Mutombo for rebounds per 48 minutes - at 16.4.

Problem is, he's hardly as mobile and quick as Grant and that's why he never
really fit in with Pitino's pressing club. It is, too, why Fortson wants a
change and is intrigued by the Knicks' grinding style. Plus, his idol is
Patrick Ewing.

Monday's Williams' visit gave the Knicks optimism that they won't come away
empty-handed in their power-forward search. Layden declined to comment on
whether he offered Williams the exception yesterday but it seems he should
wait for the Fortson visit to play out.

"We thought it went well," Layden said. "We felt we had a good meeting. I
get the impression he has interest. He had a good visit."