Agony of waiting

[Alex Wang <awang@mit.edu>]

I remember Mark writing earlier this week about the trading deadline
driving him crazy. I'm starting to feel tense about it myself. I was
going to write an article about possible directions that the 
franchise could take, like Paul alluded to (blow it up, wait for
the guys to grow, trade for veterans) but it seems pointless with
less than 24 hours to go before the deadline.

The main reason why you make a trade now instead of in the offseason
is to have deals which include guys from the rookie class of '97,
or other expiring contracts. Otherwise, you have more flexibility
with draft-day moves and guys having better base-year status.
I'd like to see the Celtics make a run at Derek Anderson, either
now or in a sign-and-trade during the offseason. If they were
interested in Tony Battie before, maybe they still are to some
degree, and we throw in our 2000 first-rounder, which is looking to 
be a decent lottery pick if we don't improve. It's a gamble, though,
because he could leave as a free agent; and who knows the effect
on team chemistry, too, with another contract-year guy. If he's the
player that pushes us into the playoffs and we re-sign him though,
he'd be well worth it.

Alex