Seattle Expected To Announce Trade Today

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Source: Sonics will trade Baker to Celtics

Frank Hughes; The News Tribune

After four very long and sometimes arduous years, it's over.

The Seattle SuperSonics are expected to announce today that they have
traded power forward Vin Baker to the Boston Celtics, according to a
league source, bringing to a close one of the most painful and
disappointing eras in team history.


It was unclear late Sunday night when the sides agreed and which players
were involved in the deal.


Last week, when the discussions began, the Sonics were going to send
Baker to the Celtics for forward/center Vitaly Potapenko and point guard
Kenny Anderson. Two other players, guards Shammond Williams for the
Sonics and Joseph Forte for Boston, also may be involved.


Also, the Sonics reportedly were angling for the Celtics to include Eric
Williams instead of Potapenko, who had knee surgery in May and missed
the playoffs. Potapenko's availability for this season is in question,
plus his contract is one year longer than Williams' contract.


The trade, which should be given to the league once the NBA offices open
in New York this morning, ends what has been a disastrous stay in
Seattle for Baker, who came to the Sonics in 1997 in a three-way deal
that sent Shawn Kemp to Cleveland.


Baker played well that season, helping the Sonics win 61 games and reach
the second round of the playoffs. But he struggled in a 4-1 second-round
loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, and his career never got back on track.


After the lockout of 1999, Baker arrived in camp overweight and his
production dropped off by more than five points and almost two rebounds
a game.


But when his contract was up that summer, the Sonics, after much
internal debate, issued Baker a seven-year, $87 million deal.


He never lived up to it. He never lost the weight or got into top
condition, he did not hustle on defense, he failed to rebound and he
often drew the ire of fans, who booed him on several occasions and
constantly ripped him on local radio talk shows.


After the 2000-01 season, Baker and the Sonics mutually agreed to split.
But Seattle couldn't find anyone willing to take on Baker's contract,
which yielded few results on the court.


Until now.


The Celtics, the Eastern Conference finalists, are a team that shoots
more 3-pointers than anybody in the league, but they have no interior
presence except 6-7 forward Paul Pierce.


Baker, who has longed to go home to play - he is from Old Saybrook,
Conn. - can offer Boston a player who demands a double-team in the
less-rugged Eastern Conference.


For the Sonics, the trade is positive from several standpoints.


First, Baker had become a cancer in the locker room because of his
unwillingness to commit to defense, his demand for offensive touches and
his salary, which teammates resented.


Also, Anderson, who must be included in the deal to make the trade work
under the rules of the salary cap, has a contract that is up next
season.


Anderson makes $9.185 million this season, and when that comes off the
Sonics' cap, along with the $13.079 million contract of Gary Payton, the
Sonics will have as much as $10 million to go into free agency next
season, where they want to pursue New Jersey point guard Jason Kidd.


It is unclear how this deal is going to affect the Sonics' ability to
re-sign forward Rashard Lewis.




Here's the deal


The Sonics will send Vin Baker to the Celtics for Vitaly Potapenko and
Kenny Anderson. Seattle's Shammond Williams and Boston's Joseph Forte
could also be included in the trade.


(Published 12:30AM, July 22nd, 2002)