No Love from Wal-TUH!

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Walter: Love affair over: Free agent McCarty vows days with C's done

by Steve Bulpett
Wednesday, July 9, 2003







You can still love Waltah. You just won't be able to love him as a Celtic
anymore.




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Walter McCarty said yesterday he is severing ties with the club after six
years in Green. A free agent for a second straight summer, McCarty was not
pleased by the fact the club is willing to offer him no more than the veteran
minimum.

And after a season in which he established himself as one of the league's more
versatile players, he believes the offers will be greener elsewhere.

``I won't be here. I can tell you that,'' McCarty said yesterday. ``I don't
know where I'm going to be, but we've had a lot of phone calls. A lot of teams
have expressed interest, but you know how this goes.''

McCarty understands interest levels can rise and fall depending on how the
free agents above him on the NBA food chain fall into line, but he is prepared
to move on under any circumstances.

``I know there are teams that say they're willing to pay me more than the
minimum, but even if they don't, I'm not going to play here,'' McCarty said.
``I'm going to play somewhere else. I'll go elsewhere and play for the minimum
if I have to.''

The Celtics wanted him to do that here, hoping McCarty would agree to the base
for players of seven years' experience ($876,000 - of which just $688,679
would count on the club's salary cap).

But the 6-foot-10 Swiss army knife played 23.8 minutes a game for the Celts
last season, averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds while handling a chunk of
the 3-point shooting load and various key defensive assignments (he even
started some at center).

``I just don't think that for what I've done for the team and for the
community I should be in this position where they'll only talk about the
minimum,'' McCarty said. ``I feel like it's an insult. I think I'm worth more
to this team on and off the court. I would think the way I played last year
would have shown them what I was worth, but I guess not.''

After coming in for the minimum last summer ($762,435), McCarty said he's
already taken one for the team.

``I took the hit on my contract last year to stay here,'' he said, ``but I'm
not going to get screwed this year.

``Last summer was different. I knew we had a good team and we could make a run
in the playoffs. And when I saw Rodney (Rogers) leave and Erick (Strickland)
leave, I knew that would open up an opportunity for more playing time. It was
also a time in my life where there was change (he got married) and I didn't
think that it would be a good time to be changing teams and all that. So I
took the hit and stayed here. I have no regrets about it, but I'm not going to
keep doing that.

``I just feel like I'm worth more, and I think I've proven that. I'm not angry
at anyone. They have the right to their opinion. For me it's about making some
money for my family (which now includes daughter Gabrielle) and getting an
opportunity to play.

``And I feel there's an opportunity out there for me to go play and be
appreciated.''

Celtics notes

The C's are more hopeful regarding their minimum offer of $688,679 to Mark
Blount. Personnel director Leo Papile and general manager Chris Wallace flew
to Boca Raton, Fla., to meet with the backup center Monday and made the pitch.

The club is still sorting things out and by rule cannot sign him until July
16.

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx

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