Celts pull back on Fort deal, Fort may take exception

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

This is not good.  Fortson said he's looking at all the options.  It sounds
like we may lose him for nothing.  The writer of this article must not be
aware that the Celts just signed Randy Brown, according to the last
paragraph.
Josh
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
KNICKS BEGIN FORTSON ROMANCE
By MARC BERMAN
Danny Fortson missed his morning flight from Fort Lauderdale to La Guardia
last night. Hence, he won't meet with the Knicks' coaching staff and brass
until today at Purchase College.
And today the real recruiting begins. The Knicks have one day to convince
the 24-year-old rebounding specialist it is worth signing for the $2.25
million exception to play in New York rather than the woebegone Warriors,
who will not appear on national TV this season.

"Anything's possible at this point, I'm looking at all options, all angles,"
Fortson told The Post last night. "I don't rule out anything."

It is believed all the Knicks have to do is tell him they view him as their
starting power forward and Fortson will strongly consider signing for a
one-year discount. (Next season the exception balloons to $4 million).

Asked if he believes he can start for the Knicks, Fortson said, "Understand
one thing about me, I'm very confident in my own abilities. I believe I'm a
good-enough player to start almost anywhere. But I'm not the coach. Anywhere
I go I plan on trying to contribute big-time. I'm not intimidated by New
York at all."

Fortson rejected the Knicks' offer for the $2.25 million exception Monday
after trade talks between GM Scott Layden and the Celtics broke down. All
month, Raymond Brothers, Fortson's agent, insisted his client will not sign
for the exception, that somehow Fortson will be involved in a sign-and-trade
that will allow him to be paid bigger bucks - at least $4 million per.

Brothers had claimed in a worst-case scenario, Fortson would return to
Boston, which offered him a multi-year deal worth more than $4 million per
on July 1. However, the Celtics, amid budget constraints, have now removed
that offer from the table, leaving Fortson with no fallback.

Fortson visited Oakland two weeks ago, but playing for a championship
contender is important to him.

"It definitely has a lot to do with it, I love to win," Fortson said. "But
it doesn't mean I can't go to Golden State and be a great player either."

Last season was disappointing for Fortson, who missed the first two months
with a stress fracture and couldn't crack the starting lineup, playing
behind Antoine Walker, whom Rick Pitino molded in Kentucky and still
believes can become an NBA superstar.

"For a young guy like me, I need exposure, I need to play," said Fortson,
who still scored 7.6 points and hauled in 6.7 rebounds in just 15 minutes
per game. "Say what you want about my stock going down, but everybody knows
if I had a full season what the results would've been."

Fortson is a natural fit for a Knick team craving offensive boards. The 6-7,
260-pound bull led the league in offensive rebounds in 1999 with Denver.

"He's unique in that he loves to rebound," Layden said yesterday. According
to sources, this meeting with the Knicks could well be a strategic
negotiating move designed to bring the Celtics back to the bargaining table
for a sign-and-trade.

By allowing speculation to leak that Fortson may consider signing for the
$2.25 million exception, the Celtics could become worried they'll lose him
for nothing. The budget-strapped Celtics are asking for $3 million - the
maximum allowable in a trade - in a Fortson deal with the Knicks.

Celtic coach Rick Pitino is also on record as saying the Celtics are now
focused on obtaining a backup point guard for Kenny Anderson after striking
out on acquiring shooting guards Tariq-Abdul Wahad and Ron Mercer. Chris
Childs happens to be one of the better backup point guards in the league. So
a deal could still happen.