Chad Ford Comments On The Baker Situation

[wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Baker one strike away from getting cut? Vin Baker's latest relapse with alcohol was revealed when the Celtics suspended the troubled forward on Tuesday. By Wednesday, details about Baker's agreement with the Celtics were starting to emerge and it doesn't look good for Baker. According to several sources with knowledge of the agreement and an excellent Boston Globe report, Baker, the Celtics and the Players Association signed off on an amendment to Baker's contract that essentially gives him three strikes before the Celtics can step in and terminate his contract. 
Baker must be tested daily for the consumption of alcohol by an independent doctor jointly selected by the two sides. Baker's recent slip-up was his second strike, according to the Globe. A third strike could result in the termination of his contract, which, after this season, still has two years and $30.375 million to go. 
While the Celtics are saying publicly that they are all pulling for Baker and haven't seriously discussed voiding his contract, given the nature of Baker's illness, another relapse isn't out of the question. As tragic of an event as that would be for Baker, who was the feel good story of the year at the start of the season, dumping Vin from the books would give the Celtics the financial flexibility team president Danny Ainge has been craving. 
If the Celtics were to get him off the books before the start of the 2004 season, Boston's payroll would drop to roughly $40 million, or five million under the projected cap for 2004. Had the Celtics not traded for Ricky Davis, they would've been closer to nine million under. While not enough to sign a marquee free agent, the salary flexibility would give Ainge the ability to pursue good free agents, something the team has been unable to do the past few seasons. 

(Well since they were planning to sign a Mid-Level free agent any ways,
Baker or no Baker,  I'm not sure Chad is accurate in his comments.
If Baker departs from the Celtics, the big question is whether Ainge will 
maneuver things so that they're significantly under the cap in 2005
to go after Nash or Kobe or Shareef?)