Pierce is next - both sides have agreed to a max contract

[CeltsSteve@AOL.com]

With Palacio on, Pierce next up

Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett

Thursday, July 19, 2001

With Milt Palacio's signing now out of the way, the Celtics are refocusing
their offseason attention.

``Next on our plate is Paul (Pierce),'' general manager Chris Wallace said
yesterday after Palacio's new deal (two years; the second at the team's
option) was made official. ``We're talking every day a couple of times and
hoping to move that ahead rather quickly. We really want to get him signed up
long term.''

The sides came quickly to the agreement that Pierce would be getting the
maximum allowable deal under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, but
there are indications that some side issues need to be resolved -
traditionally such things as the club giving the player the OK to participate
in summer games and matters pertaining to public appearances for the
team.Pierce is under contract for the coming season and is eligible to sign
an extension for
as many as six years (no player can be under contract for more than seven
years at any one time). If Pierce is next up for the Celts, then it would
hard to picture Bryant Stith as a major priority. The free agent guard is
being offered a one-year contract and he is therefore examining his options.

``He's taking a look at the field a little bit,'' said Wallace, who said he's
still talking to Stith's rep, Jeff Austin.

With just one roster spot left in the 15 (12 active and three injured), the
Celts may be taking their time with Stith purposely. Khalid El-Amin has
raised some eyebrows at the Shaw's Pro Summer League. It's also possible the
club could do nothing and see what needs arise down the road.

``Obviously that's something we've got to consider,'' Wallace said. ``It's
going to be an interesting rest of the summer in free agency, because,
although we're not big players, from the outside looking in it seems there
are more players than there are jobs out there.''

Looking for a start

Palacio has veterans Kenny Anderson and Randy Brown with him in the point
guard mix, but he's conceding nothing when training camp comes in October. He
is looking to start.

``I think my thing coming into camp is that's what I'm going for,'' Palacio
said. ``I'm going for a starting position. I'm not going to go in thinking
that I'm a backup point guard or anything like that.``That's coach (Jim)
O'Brien's call, but I'm going into camp looking to start. I think I have to
because other guys are going to do the same thing. (O'Brien) told me he's
going to give me a fair shot. He told everybody he wants us all to be in the
best of shape coming in and that's what I'm working on. I'm going to be in
shape and I'm going to have a better outside shot.''

Palacio acknowledged he may have been able to get a better deal elsewhere (a
little more than $600,000 is guaranteed), but he chose not to ``because I
think this is a great situation for me,'' he said.

``I don't want to shop around and go out somewhere else and go for the money.
I feel that if I can stay here and prove myself, that's all I really
want.''Tonight's summer league session is sold out. The Celts have three
remaining games thereafter.

CeltsSteve

Bill Russell recently paid Havlicek the ultimate compliment, when he said
that if he were choosing up sides in an imaginary pickup game with all the
players in history, that John Havlicek would be his first pick.