EWill to be moved for cash savings?

[Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx]

Back to Celtics. Cs may have to consider moving EWill to save money? It would 
certainly open up things for Jones and Kedrick...

DJessen33

<Bet on Garnett testing free agency in '04
        
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

    
Editor's note: As he does every week during the regular season as part of "<A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/archive?columnist=stein_marc&root=nba";>
The Stein Line</A>," ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein gives his take on things 
in "Slams and Dunks."
Fearless Prediction Time ...
    >    
Kevin Garnett will want to explore free agency, just like Jason Kidd and Tim 
Duncan.  
No matter how much the <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=min";>Minnesota Timberwolves</A>' moves have pleased <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3007";>Kevin 
Garnett</A>, and word is he definitely does like them even though he hasn't publicly 
addressed the moves yet, I fearlessly predict that there will be no KG contract 
extension between now and next July.
Apologies to all my friends in Minny, but I'm fearlessly predicting that 
Garnett will opt for free agency in July, even if you could guarantee right now 
that the Wolves finally reach the hallowed hardwood of Round 2 in the playoffs.
That doesn't necessarily mean he's going to leave Minny. That doesn't change 
the fact that Garnett has been as proud of playing for "Sota," as he calls the 
place, as anyone could reasonably expect, given the Wolves' 0-for-7 history 
in the first round and the thin teams he has been repeatedly asked to carry.
It simply figures that Garnett, as we just saw with <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2625";>Jason Kidd</A>, will want to 
exercise his right to look around and be wooed and explore how another team or 
two operates. Kidd talked seriously with San Antonio and Dallas, and <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3173";>Tim 
Duncan</A> had the same inclination in the summer of 2000, flirting with a move to 
Orlando the first time he was a free agent.
It's just a warning, Wolves fans ... albeit a warning team insiders indicate 
is in line with Garnett's thinking. Even with the most talented roster in 
franchise history, and even though the incumbent team always has a huge advantage 
when it comes to keeping a free agent, it's going to be a long 12 months in 
Sota waiting to see if Garnett re-signs. Just as it was for skittish Nets fans, 
and just as it was for fearful Spurs fans before them.

Virtually all of the main free agents are off the board, but there is at 
least one more scramble to monitor between now and training camp. The trade market.
The new game finds teams like Phoenix, which is well into luxury-tax 
territory, peddling a last-year contract like <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=829";>Tom Gugliotta</A>'s to teams with 
significant salary-cap space, such as Utah and Miami. By most estimates, the Suns could 
save $28-33 million in salary and luxury-tax penalties (and rebates) if they 
can convince, say, the Jazz to take on Googs.
    >    
Keon Clark is one of the Kings' big men who may be headed to Utah or Miami. 
The appeal in such a scenario for the Jazz would be the number and quality of 
future draft picks it could extract from the Suns to absorb the final year of 
Gugliotta's contract ($11.7 million). The widespread availability of 
high-salaried veterans with a year left on their deals is a big reason why Jazz vice 
president Kevin O'Connor has scoffed at the notion that he will have trouble 
spending the league-required minimum of $32.9 million in payroll next season, in 
spite of Utah's struggles to land free agents.
If Utah or Miami elects to participate in such a trade, the idea is to fill 
out the roster for this season while stockpiling a pick or two for the future 
and, most importantly, preserving flexibility for another run at free agents 
(or more of a blockbuster trade) next summer. The hangup in any deal will 
inevitably deal with the draft picks Utah or Miami is offered.
"You don't think the luxury tax is effective?" one West executive said. 
"Teams are throwing picks at those teams so they can (facilitate trades to) avoid 
the luxury tax. And you know how much we all covet picks."
Golden State is another potential trade partner with last-year players to 
peddle: <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=1293";>Chris Mills</A> ($6.6 million), <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3019";>Bob Sura</A> ($6.3 million) and <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3178";>Adonal Foyle</A> 
($4.4 million). Of course, the Warriors have been trying to move those players for 
months, in an attempt to create the salary-cap space that would have enabled 
them to hang onto <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3540";>Gilbert Arenas</A>.
With Arenas just days away from formally joining Washington, it could be 
Sacramento that tries to hook up with Utah or Miami to move out a player or two. <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3256";>
Keon Clark</A> ($5 million) and perhaps <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2674";>Lawrence Funderburke</A> ($3.6 million) are 
available, after the Kings' recent three-team trade with Indiana and San Antonio 
netted them <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3305";>Brad Miller</A>'s new $68 million contract.
Houston could likewise ease its tax burdens by moving <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=281";>Glen Rice</A> ($9.6 
million) to a team with cap space, and Memphis has two last-year contracts (<A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2646";>Wesley 
Person</A> at $7.7 million and <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3186";>Brevin Knight</A> at $5 million) to pitch in hopes of 
either reducing next season's payroll or landing a bulky center.


Who else will be active before the season starts? Portland has been offering 
up <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3009";>Damon Stoudamire</A>, <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3274";>Ruben Patterson</A> and <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3131";>Jeff McInnis</A> with little success, but 
the Blazers' new front-office regime (Steve Patterson and John Nash) is 
expected to strike sooner rather than later, albeit with the intent to keep <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3006";>Rasheed 
Wallace</A>, <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3254";>Bonzi Wells</A> and <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3531";>Zach Randolph</A> as a core. Boston might have to 
consider moving <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3016";>Eric Williams</A>, another last-year contract guy whose departure to a 
cap-space team could result in $10-20 million in savings for the Celtics. New 
York, meanwhile, still seeks a center, and Scott Layden is said to have some 
interest in yet another Utahn for his collection. That would be Jazz center <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3030";>Greg 
Ostertag</A>, who's also in the final year of his contract.


The reason you credit Donald Sterling for his summer spending is that, even 
after letting <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3331";>Andre Miller</A>, <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3244";>Michael Olowokandi</A> and <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2638";>Eric Piatkowski</A> go for 
nothing, the Clippers' owner did spend more than he had to.
    >    
Clippers owner Donald Sterling should've gotten something for Michael 
Olowokandi. 
While true that the Clippers still figure to have one of the league's lowest 
payrolls even after the expected re-signing of <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3327";>Lamar Odom</A> -- if not the lowest 
payroll -- Sterling could have been stingier. He could have made it to the 
league's minimum salary-cap requirements simply by matching Miami's offer sheet 
to <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3324";>Elton Brand</A>, re-signing Odom to a one-year tender and then making a couple 
minor free-agent pickups on one-year deals. Or by trading a future pick for a 
Keon Clark-type, someone in the final year of their contract. He didn't have 
to hang onto <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3336";>Corey Maggette</A> or Andre Miller to reach the minimum.
Don't fret, though. There is still plenty of room to question The Donald, 
even as he spends like never before. For example: How soon before the Clips 
regret letting Kandi walk?
If rookie <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3709";>Chris Kaman</A> develops into a serviceable NBA center, the Clippers 
will survive without Olowokandi, who probably needs to start fresh elsewhere at 
this juncture to jump-start his career. More questionable, on the Sterling 
side, is why the Clippers refused a very good sign-and-trade offer from Memphis 
that likely would have netted Person and a future first-round pick. The Clips 
are said to have declined largely because they didn't want to help Olowokandi 
get a bigger salary from Memphis than he did from Minnesota. Me? I'd rather 
have the future first and a shooter to replace Piatkowski than lose Kandi for 
nothing.


No team is acing summer math like San Antonio.
Last summer, the seemingly innocuous dumping of <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3427";>Erick Barkley</A> to Chicago 
saved the Spurs well over $2 million net in luxury-tax payments they didn't have 
to make and luxury tax/escrow distributions they didn't lose. The champs wound 
up owing just under $200,000 in luxury taxes after winning their second title 
in five years.
Then this summer, the acquisition of four new players (<A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3260";>Rasho Nesterovic</A>, <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=830";>
Robert Horry</A>, <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3177";>Ron Mercer</A> and <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3415";>Hedo Turkoglu</A>) neatly consumed all but $15,000 of the 
Spurs' available cap space.
Then there are the omens that keep adding up. Assuming it can convince <A HREF="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=177";>Steve 
Kerr</A> to put off retirement and play one more season, San Antonio will also be 
able to make the claim that it has the two players -- Kerr and Horry -- who 
have combined to participate in the NBA's past 10 championships. Horry won rings 
with Houston in 1994 and 1995 and three with the Lakers from 2000-02. Kerr 
won three straight championships with Chicago from 1996-98, then two in the past 
five years with the Spurs (1999 and 2003). >