It doesn't sound good on Rogers...

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Here's Shira Springer's story on yesterday's negotiating session with
Rogers' agent. It doesn't sound good at all. There are two points in this
story that I really don't like: 1. The Celts are letting Rogers hit the
market. Their best chance was to get him locked up quickly. They blew it. 2.
They're focusing now on Strickland and Blount. Ugh. The team just doesn't
need Strick. It's simple numbers. And Blount can't play. So they're wasting
the little available funds they have on two guys they really don't need. Why
not wait and see how the market shakes out and put that money toward guys
they could really use. If they don't sign Rogers, they'll certainly need a
big man who can play (read: not Blount). Nothing but bad news in this
article, from my perspective.

Mark




With the official opening of free agent negotiations yesterday, optimism
gave way to reality and practicality. Nowhere was that more apparent than in
the guarded comments of Celtics general manager Chris Wallace and James
''Butch'' Williams, the agent for Rodney Rogers.
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Following a 31/2-hour meeting in Durham, N.C., both parties agreed more work
must be done before free agent forward Rogers can extend his stay in Boston.
Wallace and Williams also added that the substance of the lengthy
conversation was about what they expected for the first day of the free
agent period, describing the re-signing of Rogers as an ''ongoing process.''
But Williams had said the Celtics would get the first shot and, if their
opening bid was strong enough, the only shot at Rogers. Apparently, the
Celtics' starting offer was not high enough to stop Williams from testing
the market. Now, he will listen to offers from other teams, while continuing
to talk with Boston.
''I not going to say whether I'm ecstatic or pleased,'' said Williams. ''We
had a conversation. We covered what I thought we were going to cover. It's a
process. I don't want to downplay what [the Celtics] have done, but we are
going to listen to other offers. Then, I'm going to weigh everything out,
sit down with Rodney, and make a decision close to the 15th. I still say
Boston is where we want to be and I'm guardedly optimistic.''
When asked if he was optimistic after meeting face-to-face with Williams,
Wallace paused and carefully considered his response. The GM knew from the
beginning that free agent talks would be difficult because of luxury tax
considerations, and that agreements seldom are reached in a day. Going the
distance to Durham was, in some ways, a continuing recruitment of Rogers.
''How to classify it?'' said Wallace. ''There's obviously an interest from
both sides and there's a good deal of work that remains to be done. I think
that's a fair assessment. It's about what I expected. We just continue
talking, that's all it is. There's no real sophisticated process. More of
what the other teams are capable of doing will come out over the next few
weeks.
''Most of the time I've spent with Butch Williams in the past has been
convincing him that Boston is a good place for Rodney both on and off the
floor, what our intentions were with Rodney basketball-wise, getting through
those type of issues. Now, we're getting into the financial ramifications of
the situation and that's basically just beginning. He is also looking at
what the market holds for Rodney and there is interest in him, particularly
from Miami and Philadelphia. Toronto is calling in. It's more of an Eastern
Confernce interest, than a Western one, but there is interest.''
While other teams will look closely at the Celtics' five free agents,
particularly Rogers, Wallace will remain internally focused. The general
manager wanted to start at the top of the list with Rogers, who averged 10.7
points and 4 rebounds a game in 27 games with the Celtics after coming over
from Phoenix. Today, he will begin conversations about contract numbers with
the representatives of Erick Strickland and Mark Blount, who stand Nos. 2
and 3 on the team's free agent priority list.
While Strickland may duplicate the role played by Tony Delk, he has the
confidence of coach Jim O'Brien. Strickland plays with physical abandon, and
brings a defensive intensity that O'Brien wants. Blount has size (he's 7
feet) and concerns about injured Vitaly Potapenko (left anterior cruciate
ligament surgery) in his favor. Potapenko has said he expects to be back for
the start of the regular season, but returning from major knee surgery
always raises questions.
According to Strickland's agent, Raymond Brothers, four teams are seriously
interested in signing the guard.