Re: sweetney + 2 NY trade ideas

["Berry, Mark S" <berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This has to be what Ainge is holding out for. The Sweetney talk is dead now
because he signed his deal. That's over. If the teams are still talking,
this has to be the gist of it. There are no pieces to the Knicks roster that
make sense otherwise. The only answer is the Celtics are trying to dump
Baker in the deal and the Knicks are weighing whether or not Antoine is
worth that. For a team with a limitless checkbook and no regard for the
luxury tax, he certainly is. They'd clearly be getting the best player in
the deal.

But I wouldn't be surprised to see the actual deal including either Kurt
Thomas or Latrell Sprewell (with Sprewell probably going elsewhere as part
of some three-team deal). 

If it was going to be a straight Antoine trade with the Knicks, it would
have had to include Sweetney. That's the only way it makes sense for the
Celts. But Antoine and Baker is another story. Then you take less, but the
ultimate gain is the immediate flexibility next offseason, when Kobe,
Garnett and probably Elton Brand and Lamar Odom all become unrestricted free
agents. Now, that doesn't mean you get any of those guys-teams with cap
space are finding out this offseason that it isn't always easy to lure
players away. But it gives you a chance.

On last night... 

Thanks to everyone for posting the reports from the game. The reports are
encouraging on Banks. The thing that's so hard to gauge, though, is just how
it will translate. The Celtics are especially difficult because they run a
real basketball system during the summer, but then revert to the
Pierce-Walker take-turns offense in the regular season. I hope it changes,
but with the current roster, let's just say I'm not holding my breath.

The news about Kedrick is less encouraging. Sounds like his stats were
deceptive. Kedrick is running out of excuses.

--- --- ---

Mark P. wrote:

Sweetney can't be be traded (according to RealGM) until Dec. 15 since he was
just signed.

If New York is really hot to get Walker I wonder -- as someone mentioned
earlier -- if we couldn't use the Walker trade to rid ourselves of Baker's
contract. Something like:

Boston: Walker + Vin Baker

New York: Ward + Othella Harrington + (old friend) Travis Knight + McDyess
(+ #1 pick?)