RE: wow! get this. Kenny almost went

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>]

Alex is right... the proposed Kenny trade probably only would have been done
if McCarty and Potapenko had been dumped as well. That would have gotten the
Celts under the cap. And the Orlando comparison is a good one, but as you
said, Orlando is a hot free agent spot. Boston isn't. Didn't happen anyway.
At least Kenny only has two more seasons (in fact, he'll probably have a
little value that last season because he'll hold a huge cap number for an
expiring contract--and some team desperate to get under the cap may offer
some honest to goodness warm bodies.

As for trading all three picks for a top-five pick... never happen. The
Bulls tried to trade 4&7 for a top-three pick last year and had no luck. The
Magic tried to trade 5, 10&13 for a top-three pick and had no luck. The
Celts, with picks 10, 13 and 28 (estimating) won't have any luck trading to
the top of the draft unless they part with Toine or Pierce. That's it.
They're lucky this looks like a deep draft. As for needs in the draft...
point guard, certainly, but I don't agree at all with a small forward. This
team desperately needs big people--center/power forward. But I never
advocate drafting for need. If the best player is a small forward, that's
who you take. But if it's a toss-up, take the big guys.

By the way, remember how dead-set everyone was against drafting Jake
Tsakalidis last June? Well, he's looking like a steal for Phoenix. He's
really coming on of late. He's huge, skilled and young. And he could have
been in Boston with a little foresight. Even if the Celts had been forced to
wait for him (which scared off everyone but Phoenix), would he have
contributed any less than Moiso? I'm not giving up on Moiso yet, but that
big, strong 7-footer sure would look good in green.

Mark