Philly's 1st rounder kicks in '03 for up to 5 years and is lottery protected

[CeltsSteve@AOL.com]

C's deal for 76ers forward
by Mark Cofman 

Saturday, August 4, 2001

The Celtics aren't trying to corner the market on small forwards and shooting 
guards. It just seems that way.Their latest addition is small forward Roshown 
McLeod, acquired yesterday from Philadelphia with a future first-round pick 
in exchange for second-year power forward Jerome Moiso. The first-round pick 
acquired by the Celtics has a five-year window beginning in 2003, and is 
lottery-protected for the 76ers until the final year.

McLeod, 25, is entering his fourth NBA season. The 6-foot-8 small forward 
began his pro career with Atlanta and started for the Hawks for two seasons 
before moving on to the 76ers in last season's blockbuster six-player deal 
that landed Dikembe Mutombo in Philadelphia. He averaged 9.6 points and 3.4 
rebounds in 35 games with Atlanta and the 76ers last season.

``We've had an interest in Roshown since his first few years in the league 
with Atlanta,'' Celtics general manager Chris Wallace said yesterday. ``He's 
a shooter, and you know how much Obie (Celtics coach Jim O'Brien) likes 
shooters. He's especially good from medium range.``At the same time, this 
deal gives us the potential for more financial flexibility next summer. It 
pushes us a bit further back from the luxury tax.''

Translated, the Celtics are looking at a payroll dangerously close to the 
salary cap threshold next summer - with 10 players on the books for 2002-03, 
including Paul Pierce, whose maximum-salary contract kicks in. The Celtics 
also have second-year options to consider next year on the contracts of Mark 
Blount and Milt Palacio, which would escalate their payroll into the mid-$50 
million range.McLeod is a free agent after this season, while Moiso has 
another year left on his contract that would have been on the Celtics' books. 
If McLeod plays well this season, the Celtics could re-sign him and figure 
out another way to steer clear of the luxury tax while filling out their 
roster. If it turns out McLeod does not figure in their plans after this 
season, the Celtics simply set him free and ease their financial burden.

``I think Roshown is going to be a major contributor here,'' said Celtics 
director of player personnel Leo Papile, a McLeod fan since the player's 
college days at St. John's and Duke.

Said McLeod: ``The Celtics' style reminds me of the way we played at Duke. 
I'm geared to play that style, working for open shots with movement and 
screens. And even though I'll shoot the 3, I don't live and die by it. 
Offensively, my game is more 19 feet and in.''

Wallace was quick to point out that the deal was more a statement of McLeod's 
skills and the aforementioned financial considerations than it was a 
statement of the Celtics' disappointment in Moiso's development.

``Jerome came to us last year (in the draft) without a great deal of 
experience, and he's still a work in progress. But he's long and athletic, 
with promising talent. He played well for us (in the Shaw's Pro Summer League 
last month at UMass-Boston).''

Still, Moiso did not figure to play a prominent role with the Celtics this 
season.Backing up Antoine Walker, who often plays 40-plus minutes per game, 
and also behind Tony Battie, Vitaly Potapenko and Mark Blount on the depth 
chart, Moiso was likely headed for a second straight season without adequate 
playing time. His rookie season was all but a washout.

As for McLeod, he joins a parade of small forwards/shooting guards on the 
Celtics roster, including Pierce, Eric Williams and first-round picks Joe 
Johnson, Kedrick Brown and Joseph Forte. He provides insurance should either 
Johnson or Brown - projected as rotation regulars - struggle during their 
rookie seasons. McLeod has also shown he can handle himself as a power 
forward, making him that much more valuable on a team loaded on the wings.

The 76ers were busy yesterday, engineering another deal with Cleveland that 
landed Robert Traylor, Matt Harpring and Cedric Henderson in exchange for 
Jumaine Jones and Tyrone Hill.