Celtics must be thinking of cap

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Celtics must be thinking of cap

Ainge must work with strict budget

By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 7/1/2003

ith the futures game played out at last week's NBA draft, teams can start to
pursue established talent through free agency. Teams may begin negotiating
with free agents today, though they cannot sign players until July 16. But for
most franchises, including the Celtics, free agency is a waiting game that
will last well into the summer.



Like most NBA organizations, the Celtics are over the salary cap and want to
keep payroll costs down next season, making them especially wary of luxury tax
implications. As a result, Boston will not use the available mid-level
exception of $4.95 million. So, director of basketball operations Danny Ainge
and his staff will watch to see where the big names go for the big money.
Then, the Celtics will court players who fit their needs for far less cash in
an effort to fill out what likely will be a 13-man roster.

According to Ainge, Boston either will sign free agents to veteran minimum
contracts or work out sign-and-trade deals. But given the Celtics' proactive
pursuit of Marcus Banks on draft night, it's clear Ainge will work the phones
to get a player the team can use.

''Sitting back is not my style,'' said Ainge. ''Since 10 o'clock where I'm at
right now in Utah, I've been on the phone all day long with different teams
and my own staff. We've been talking a lot, going through all the different
options that we've already gone through over and over again. But teams are
starting to talk sign-and-trade.

''There's a lot of possibilities right now. I'm preparing for different
things. There's some free agents that I like, but we're not in the ballpark
for the big-name free agents, unfortunately.

''We're trying to get guys that want to come to Boston because of the
opportunity that they might have, certainly not because of the money that we
have. Those aren't the guys that are costing millions and millions of dollars,
but maybe a $1.4 million that might want to come play for us for the
minimum.''

The two biggest names among eligible free agents this summer are point guard
Jason Kidd and power forward Jermaine O'Neal. Then there are veteran
superstars like Karl Malone, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton, and Scottie Pippen.
But like last summer, free agents enter a buyers' market, where few teams are
far enough below the cap to offer contracts worth significantly more than the
mid-level exception. San Antonio, Denver, Utah, and the Los Angeles Clippers
are among the lucky few. Kidd plans to visit the Spurs next week, while O'Neal
has told Indiana officials he also will explore his options in San Antonio.

Ainge put athletic point guards, small forwards, power forwards, and centers
on the Celtics' wish list, though he did not want to divulge names of players
in whom he was interested. There are a couple of names that come quickly to
mind, such as Antonio Daniels and Erick Strickland. Walter McCarty and Mark
Blount, two of the Celtics' own free agents, also would fit. Ainge said that
he would sign McCarty and Blount for veteran minimums today if he could.

But both McCarty and Blount are looking for offers greater than their
respective veteran minimums and Ainge doesn't blame them.

And while Ainge works at continuing to shape the roster for next season
through free agency, reports of serious trade talks between Boston and New
York surfaced in the New York Daily News yesterday. One deal had Antoine
Walker going to the Knicks for Latrell Sprewell. Another rumor had Walker
going to New York in a possible three-team trade. Ainge discredited the
reports.

''It's definitely not true, any of it,'' said Ainge. ''I don't care if it's
from the New York Post or the Boston Globe. I have serious talks with
everybody, but there's nothing close to happening. What is a serious trade
talk? If it's where you exchange ideas, I've had many serious trade talks, but
nothing that has been close to happening. Nothing is close to happening with
Antoine.''

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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