Insider on the Baker trade

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

I've copied the text from ESPN Insider's story on the Baker rumor below.
They indicate the C's also have discussed Brian Grant, who also owns a
terrible contract. When healthy, he's a better player than Baker, but he's
not healthy often. And he's not a center (at least Baker could play center),
so where does Grant play? The positive to Grant is he is a
rebounder/defender first and a scorer second. Baker is a scorer first and
rebounder second. Defender falls somewhere around fifth or sixth on his
list. Anyway, it sounds more and more like this one has real legs. Oh, for
that Croshere/Tinsley deal instead...


Can the Celtics land a big-time power forward? 

It looks like the Celtics' free-agent woes could be wiped out with one big
deal. 

Unable to re-sign Rodney Rogers
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=1280>  because of the
luxury tax, the Celtics must find a way to replace him through a trade. Over
the past few weeks the team has talked with the Pacers about Austin Croshere
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3182>  and the Heat
about Brian Grant
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2631> . But in the
end, it looks like they may just settle for a local boy. Five papers, the
Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Seattle Times, Seattle Post Intelligencer and
Tacoma Tribune, are all reporting that the Celtics and Sonics are seriously
discussing a swap of Kenny Anderson
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=393>  and Vitaly
Potapenko <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3106>  for
Vin Baker <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=1279>  and
either Shammond Williams
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3277>  or Earl Watson
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3549> . 

The Times claims that the trade is close to happening and could be completed
by this weekend. The Herald characterized the rumor as mainly a Sonics
creation and seemed to think that it wasn't as far along. 

Whatever deal the Celtics pull off, it looks like they will move Anderson in
an attempt to upgrade their frontcourt. Anderson has one year left on his
contract, making him attractive to teams like the Sonics and Heat that are
still trying to find ways to clear more cap space for the free-agent bonanza
of 2003. 

It doesn't hurt that Anderson is coming off, perhaps, his best season as a
pro and several veteran teams are desperately searching for someone to run
the point. The Pacers like Jamaal Tinsley
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3528> , but feel he
isn't ready to be a playoff point guard. The Heat have only Anthony Carter
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3396>  under
contract. The Sonics still have Gary Payton
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=259> , but he may be
the next to go if they can move Baker for Anderson. Payton is looking for a
fat contract extension and the Sonics, who just forked over major cash to
re-sign Jerome James
<http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3279> , can't afford
it. The Warriors, T-Wolves, Bucks, Knicks and Heat all have major interest
in Payton.