Vecsey Has The Celtics In The Lead for Van Exel

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

I doubt it will happen, but it does make sense. Improve
the PG position and dump contracts. Thanks to PSC for mentioning it....

                 In fact, I have it on infallible authority the Celtics
have
                  entered the bidding and already have Nugget GM Kiki
                  Vandeweghe leaning in their direction. Sources tell me

                  they're prepared to swap Kenny Anderson, rookie Joe
                  Johnson and Randy Brown for Van Exel and Calbert
                  Cheaney.

                  Then again, Boston will not consummate the deal unless

                  Little Nicky agrees to forfeit the final two years
($26.56
                  million) of the five remaining ($60M total) on his
contract,
                  as he has indicated he's willing to do. Advisors, such
as
                  former agent Tony Dutt (perhaps because he, too,
losses
                  substantial money!) are adamantly opposed. We'll see
                  (trading deadline is Thursday) if he lives up to his
statement
                  that, "The money doesn't matter."

                  That Van Exel (apparently) enthusiastically embraces
the
                  idea of giving up so much scratch weighs heavily in
his
                  favor. It demonstrates how serious he is about leaving
the
                  Rocky Mountain Horror Show to play for a winner -
which
                  pretty much eliminates the Knicks, I guess, for those
who
                  wish to press petty details.

                  On second thought, I'd be extremely wary of anybody
loopy
                  enough to surrender 26 million of anything (FYI: In 13
NBA
                  seasons, Vandeweghe, who averaged more than 20 points
a
                  number of times, pocketed a total of $8.8M), much less

                  stone cold cash.

                  Van Exel's insane salary stance reminds me of the old
                  Groucho Marx line: "I wouldn't want to belong to any
club
                  that would have me as a member."

                  If you can get beyond such lunacy and his hardcore
                  background (father is incarcerated, mother was shot
five
                  times last year), and do your homework, you find Van
Exel
                  is difficult (killing his team and his value with his
constant
                  gibberish to be traded) but not really a bad guy.

                  Reports that his teammates don't like him are
nonsense.
                  They actually respect the hell out of him because he
has
                  their backs. Years ago, Van Exel told me to my face to
get
                  out of his because I'd written unkindly about Laker
                  teammate Elden Campbell. The ban lasted a season and I

                  respected him for it.