first moves

[Mark Piotrowski <markp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Re: exemption - he said he does not have an open checkbook and would 
> consider it irresponsible to spend $4MM that would really cost you 
> $12MM, even if it was his own money, however he did say that 
> spending $4MM to get a player worth $10MM is a different thing.
I hope this means that Danny won't spend the mid-level exemption for 
a mid-level player (i.e. Gary Trent, Raja Bell -- btw both players 
i'd love to nab w/ $1Mil exempt), but that he'll spend it to get a 
above-average NBA starter, who will be forced to accept a pay cut 
(like Travis Best last year and Eric Strickland the year before) 
because of teams scared to pay the lux. tax.

I hope too this means:  Juwaan Howard (or to a lesser degree PJ Brown).    Why?

1.  Signing Howard gives us insurance should Battie (who I think 
should stay our starting Center) go down for any extended period.

2.  More importantly it gives the Brain Trust (goodbye "D" in BDT) 
the leverage & flexibility to seriously explore forcing Walker to the 
3 or trading him.  I am not one of the 
"Dump-Walker-for-a-Vintage-Fred-Roberts-Jersey" folks, but DO think 
he's our only chance at improving -- either by forcing him to accept 
a real PG or by Trading him for talent upgrades (see previous Walker 
Trades post).

I think part of the problem right now is neither of those are really 
possible unless you add a legit PF.  Walker can rightly, imo, say 
"well if i play the 3 who's going to play the 4?"  Remember neither 
Bird, McHale, or Vin Baker are walking through that door.  And if we 
trade Antione you almost have to trade him for a big man -- as 
opposed say for a top-flight point guard -- or

I'm not saying that Howard is a better PF than Walker.  i wouldn't 
trade for him straight up -- all things being equal.  I'm saying that 
Howard does some of the things Walker does well as a PF at a lesser 
cost -- which gives us some more flexibility to improve in other 
areas.

Also, from all I've read about him, Howard is "good people", i think 
he got a bit of a rep b/c of the insane contract he got, but I 
remember reading some articles about him going back to school in the 
summers and he sounded like a solid man.

Why it might be possible -- although probably not likely:

1.   I don't believe anyone will offer him anything more than this. 
If for no other reason than to punish him for his $100 mil contract 7 
years ago.  So we're on essentially equal footing with other teams 
(though if I were he maybe Lakers, San Antonio or Orlando are nice 
prospects).

2.  What might help us is that I think he and Antoine are at least 
friendly as part of the Chi-town NBA fraternity (although Jalen Rose 
(his Michigan teamate) was recruiting him in the press to come home 
to Chicago during the season) and wouldn't he like the chance to play 
Center in the East, play for a contender and even be part of the 
equation that puts us over the top?

- mark
excited about Ainge, kicking NJ's butt tonight and (as always) the offseason