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RE: Twan rearing his ugly head



I think it boils down to two things, some thinking LeFrentz is a good
addition for "this" team and feeling his contract is reasonable like myself
and Sean who disagrees with that.  That will just have to play itself out as
Sean has said as well.

The second issue is if Walker could have brought more in trade then or later
as he contract expired.  The theory that his contract is more valuable as it
got closer to expiring would, I believe, be true if he did not have an opt
out.  But he did.  If he were to opt out, which I doubt but who knows for
sure, the value of his cap space is only if it brings us under the cap by
the same amount or as much as LeFrentz's contract.  It would not have.  So
it would not have brought any value.  This is the same problem with trying
to trade him.  The new team takes a lot of risk that he walks, but less then
if the C's were to bench him for refusing to play the new style.  Would any
package of players and picks been as good as Dallas offer?  That's the
multimillion dollar question.

This is where the theory of NBA logic you refer to is flawed.

Walker's contract gave all the leverage to Walker.  Another failure from the
Pitino era.  Walker's outspoken comments on how the offense was going to be
run this year was just an example that he isn't coachable.  His comments
about how upset he was going to be if he did not get the "respect" of a max
term/money contract showed why he had to be removed from the team.

So the reality of NBA logic had to be, move him now for the best deal you
can get so he doesn't rip your "soon-to-be-new" team apart because he feels
"disrespected".  Remember, after the trade, Walker stated that sending him
to a potential championship level team was an act to sabotage his career.
This guy is a wack job.  I never imagined he was so bad.  The nonsense he is
starting in Dallas may make him the next Ron Mercer if his next contract is
low enough to just waive him when he becomes a headache.

Plus I do not believe that the C's expected or planned to cut Baker this
year.  If Walker didn't opt out this year having both contracts off the
roster this year was not a valid consideration from a cap standpoint.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

<Jim



-----Original Message-----
From: Sean Giovanello [mailto:sgiovanello@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 8:56 AM
To: Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx; jahill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Twan rearing his ugly head


***
Something you never explain, Sean, is just what other trade was out
there
that was better than what we got?
****

Right before the season started?  Probably nothing.  There are very very
few deals available at that time of year.  So, we were dealing at the
wrong time of year, unless you truly believe that Toine was such a
cancer he had to be dealt immediately.  If that's the case, why wasn't
he dealt over the summer?

My point in all of this is simple NBA logic.  As a players contract
comes closer and closer to being up, his contract gets more valuable.
Ideally, Walker could have been dealt before the deadline this year and,
if not, during the offseason or next season at the deadline.  At each
point, IN THEORY, his contract becomes more valuable as a trading chit.
I am not claiming omnipotence or farseeing abilities here.  I am just
using NBA logic here.

***
If Walker opts out this year which I think is 50-50 after listening to
his radio show last night, the Mavs like the Cs would get nothing for
him.
***

We would get nothing except shedding a max contract - 14 million dollars
per annum!!!!  Considering its looking like we have been amazingly lucky
shedding Vin to then lose Antoine for nothing as you say would be
amazing luck.  Where would it have left our cap to take Walker and Baker
off?  Fundamentally, we have a disagreement over rebuilding here.  I
think the way to rebuild is to create cap flexibility, which we really
have not.  I think creating some space lets you be a player in almost
anything going on in the NBA - draft, free agency, and trades.  If he
opted out, and even in light of his comments last night, I do not think
it likely, its not a bad thing.  The argument from this view would be
that if he opted out we would clear some major cap room, not be saddled
with Raef's escalating deal (which I think pays him close to the max the
last two years), and so forth.  We would not have Jiri and we would not
have Atkins.  We would not have the first rounder.  However, I think
most teams would follow the course I have laid out rather than what
Danny has done.

I fully admit I might be wrong.  Nothing is certain in life.  I don't
really have a side here.  I liked Toine, but knew he was going to be
traded.  I think he would have had more value down the road, but that
being said I like Jiri on this team.  I just think the longer this deal
goes (unless we get insanely lucky on this pick) that we will be saying
it might have been better to keep Cyber Toine for a few more months
rather than take Raef.

-----Original Message-----
From: Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx [mailto:Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2004 7:28 AM
To: sgiovanello@xxxxxxxxxxxx; jahill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
celtics@xxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Twan rearing his ugly head

Something you never explain, Sean, is just what other trade was out
there
that was better than what we got? If Walker opts out this year which I
think is
50-50 after listening to his radio show last night, the Mavs like the Cs
would
get nothing for him. If he doesn't opt out, why do you think a better
deal is
out there, even for the Mavs? Look at what we got for Mills expiring
deal,
Atkins and a no. 1. Yeah, the Blazers got more for Wallace's contract
but he is
better than Twan.....

DJessen33

<< I think its highly unlikely that he will - but if there were a guy
who
 would do it, I think it would be Antoine.

 I don't agree with you on Raef, but time will tell which of us is
right.
 I just think his talent doesn't justify his salary and that if I recall
 correctly due to the way his contract is structured his salary is not
an
 even 10 per season, but goes up each year.

 I like what we got in return - my point was just that we (as in the
 Celtics and their fans) value that stuff a lot more than Dallas did.
 Mills meant very little to Dallas cause Cuban has a lot deeper pockets
 and is willing to dip into them.  For the draft pick, there are
probably
 a lot of teams who wouldn't be wild about the 27th pick in the first
 round - Danny thinks he can get something or use it in a deal to net
 something back.  If he does, excellent.  For Dallas, its not that big
of
 a deal.  For Jiri, I am not sure he will be a above average NBA starter
 - but it looks like he might be just what this team or any team needs
 --> a smart, heady player with some skill and some toughness.  I don't
 think he is the answer, but he is certainly a piece of the puzzle to
 building a winning team here.  Again, for Dallas, they already have
that
 and thus he goes to being a key cog here versus a minor bit part there.
 None of this is my attempt to run down the extras in this deal - I just
 don't agree with Raef coming back due to a) his contract b) his skills
 and c)the idea that getting rid of cap space and financial flexibility
 for anything less than a true star is bad business in the NBA... >>


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