Walsh Says Boston Can't Afford Croshere

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

http://www.starnews.com/sports/indianasgame/pacers/articles/0719_PACER.html

Walsh doubts Celtics could afford Croshere

Pacers Notebook: Boston has expressed interest in Indiana's free-agent
forward following his big season.

By Sean Horgan

Indianapolis Star

July 19, 2000

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics have gone public with their interest in
free agent forward Austin Croshere, but Indiana Pacers president Donnie
Walsh said he can't envision Croshere ending up there.

"I keep hearing about these teams that are interested in signing him,
like Atlanta, Boston and Houston, but none of them have the room under
the salary cap to sign him," Walsh said Tuesday while watching the
Pacers' summer league team fall 75-74 to the summer team of the Atlanta
Hawks. "They would have to do a sign-and-trade with us and I haven't
heard from any of them."

Croshere was quoted locally during the NBA Finals as saying Boston --
only 30 miles from his alma mater of Providence College -- is an
attractive possibility if things don't work out with the Pacers.

That was enough to leave Celtics president and head coach Rick Pitino
salivating at the prospect of Croshere in a Celtics uniform.

"I think he's very high on us and we're very high on him," Pitino said.
"He loves Boston. We're not really looking at trades. We're looking at
the open market and Croshere's the most serious conversation we've had."

The Celtics, however, are locked into long-term lucrative contracts with
Antoine Walker, Kenny Anderson and Walter McCarty that make it unlikely
they could offer more than the $2.25 million middle-class exception --
far less than Croshere's representatives are said to be seeking.

Dan Fegan, Croshere's California-based agent, did not return phone calls
Tuesday.

The Pacers, who could exceed the salary cap to re-sign Croshere, are
trying to determine Croshere's true market value following his break-out
season, as well as figure out where he fits into the scenarios necessary
to bring back as many of the team's six free agents as possible.