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Hard-luck Celtics

Poor Rick Pitino didn't get much done for his Celtics this summer. In
his big move, he could not land free agent Tariq Abdul-Wahad, who is
staying in Denver. Instead, he went to the discard pile.

A few years ago, Pitino anointed Danny Fortson as a key figure in the
Celtics' rebuilding program. But Fortson played only 15 minutes a game
last season and wanted more money than the Celts could pay. That's how
Boston got involved in that four-way deal mid-week. They took on Robert
Pack, who has played only 65 games in three years, and John Williams,
who appeared in 25 games in 1998-99 and none since.

Both ex-Mavericks suffer from serious back problems, and Williams is not
expected to play again. So why did the Celtics take on the one-year cap
obligations? They wanted the first-round pick from Utah that went
through Dallas and $3 million cash feels good for an ownership that is
very bottom-line conscious.

Pitino noted that he did not want to see Fortson in a Knicks uniform,
and he said acquiring first-round picks is vital to a team that is
capped out for some time. Fortson made out--- $38 million over seven
years for a 6-7 power forward.