From: Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx
To: berrym@xxxxxxxxxxxx, Celtics@xxxxxxxx, Celticsstuffgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Dampier? Speculation from ESPN Insider
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2004 05:35:25 EST
Danny has to go as hard as he can after Dampier and Van Exel. They would make
an immediate impact. Van Exel would be the locker room and on the floor
leader. He would get the ball to the people when and where they needed it. This
would allow Banks to mature over time. Dampier would solidify the center spot and
give us a center who defensively could hold his own against Shaq. We would
immediately become one of the top teams of the East. The only thing lacking
would be power foward and Raef would fill that next year.
First, let's remember that Atlanta showed that if a team was willing to take
two of their big contracts, all they needed to get back is expiring contracts.
We don't have enough expiring contracts to get Van Exel and Dampier
completely clean. However, we come close.
Mills 6.6, Stewart 4.5, trade exception 3.6, Blount 1.1, James .6 would put
us within 15% of Van Exel 10.9, Dampier 7.8.
That is all expiring except for one extra year of Stewart and you don't even
have to pay Mills (insurance) or the exception. Now you are just adding draft
picks to get it done.
If they insist on Mihm, who I don't want to give up, instead of Stewart, you
would add JJ, Walta and Hunter and reduce the draft picks. But if GS
insisted on getting a young player back (Mihm) to get this done and you knew that
could keep Dampier, I would make this all day.....
Go for it Danny! The rebuilding would be complete except for the backup power
forward spot which you could fill with the MLE and or a draft pick....
I have to think that Dallas would be give up a Finley to get Dampier. But why
wouldn't they have done that with Atlanta for Ratcliff? Very interesting
times......
DJessen33
<< Around the league
Word is the Warriors are still trying to figure ways to kick Nick Van Exel to the curb. The bait, as it was a few weeks ago, is Erick Dampier. The problem is, there isn't another team out there with the type of expiring contracts or cap room the Warriors are looking for.
The closest could be the Celtics, who are trying to combine the expiring contracts of Chris Mills ($6.6 million) and Chris Mihm ($2.8) to convince someone to make a deal. That's enough to get Damp, but why would the Warriors give him up without also getting rid of Van Exel? Then again, this is the Warriors we're talking about. >>