Salt Lake Trib article on Danny/Mailman

[Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx]

Not sure if the Salt Lake Trib article was posted yet....

DJessen33

Malone-Lakers rumor hot 



    
By Phil Miller 
The Salt Lake Tribune 

    Karl Malone may be headed to the Lakers, and no amount of green -- in his 
paycheck or on his uniform -- is likely to convince him otherwise. 
    Malone is so intent on winning a championship, he is willing to accept 
the NBA veteran's minimum salary of $1.5 million from the Lakers, the Los 
Angeles Times reported Friday, citing "sources with knowledge of conversations" 
between Malone and the team. That would allow L.A. to use its midlevel salary-cap 
exception to sign a free-agent point guard, probably nine-time all-star Gary 
Payton. 
    The idea of playing alongside Payton, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, 
and for coach Phil Jackson, is so enticing that Malone apparently has rejected 
a strong sales pitch from Danny Ainge to finish his Hall of Fame career with 
the Celtics. 
    Ainge took over as executive director of basketball operations for the 
NBA's most storied franchise last month. He met with Malone at exactly 10 p.m. 
MDT on Monday night, the moment the 18-year veteran became a free agent, The 
Tribune has learned. 
    When Malone's response was enthusiastic, Ainge flew to southern 
California on Wednesday to discuss the Celtics' interest with Malone and his agent, 
Dwight Manley. Because the Celtics' payroll exceeds the salary cap, Ainge's offer 
presumably was for the midlevel exception, expected to be roughly $4.8 
million. 
    Ainge, in Utah with his family this weekend, could not be reached for 
comment Thursday or Friday, but he told the Boston Herald on Friday night that 
Malone apparently has concluded he doesn't want to play for an Eastern 
Conference team. 
    "We had a really good conversation. I think Karl was very receptive to 
the possibility of playing for the Boston Celtics. It was something that 
interested him, and it definitely interested us," said Ainge, who played for Boston 
from 1981-89 and won two championships with the Celtics. "But I think he 
realized that he really wanted to stay in the West. That's what it came down to as 
far as our chances to get him." 
    The Lakers' chances to get Malone appear secure, if the longtime Jazz 
forward is serious about earning almost $18 million less than he did last season 
in Utah. O'Neal has reportedly OK'd making the Mailman a teammate, but Manley 
said Friday that "this is still a very fluid situation, and Karl has made no 
decisions." 
    According to the L.A. Times' sources, his decision may depend upon 
Payton's willingness to make a similar, though less extreme, salary sacrifice to 
join a virtual all-star team in Los Angeles. Payton may be offered the midlevel 
exception, a hefty cut from the $12.6 million he earned with Seattle and 
Milwaukee last season. Payton is expected to meet with Lakers general manager Mitch 
Kupchak this weekend. 
    If Payton chooses to seek more money elsewhere, the newspaper said, 
Malone might do the same. 
    Also still in the running, Manley said, are the Jazz, who outlined their 
position for their all-time leading scorer in a Thursday meeting in Manley's 
office. "We listened to what they had to say," Manley said of his and Malone's 
get-together with Utah vice president for basketball operations Kevin 
O'Connor, "and Karl is considering them along with everyone else." 
    The pool of suitors is larger than anticipated, Manley said, though he 
declined to name other teams or confirm the Times' story. "There are more people 
interested than we thought, and people are more aggressive about 
[negotiations] than expected," Manley said. 
    "Some options are very clear, and some we need more information about," 
he added. "We're going to review everything we've heard with Karl this weekend, 
and try to identify exactly what options he has." 
    And then make a decision? Not so fast, Manley said. "The process is 
moving along, but I can't say when it will be finished," the agent said. Free 
agents cannot sign contracts until July 16.