Sacramento interested in Walker?

[The Eye of the Q is upon you!]

I'm not too sure who is interested in Walker after all these years. We got him for the short term to make a last ditch run at the title this past spring with all the veterans. About all we got out of it was that Blount has no desire to compete in the big time and Walker and Pierce still lose their poise when things don't go their way. Given the direction the Celtics are going, I think those three players have to be moved so the team can grow more. I'm just not sure how much back they can bring. No way do I espouse trading away young players for veterans to fit in with Pierce and Walker.

[greenblood]

Q, i agree with you that Antoine needs to go, unless DA can get him a bargain price. I too am against trading away the young guys to find more expensive veterans to make a run at a title, which probably wouldn't happen anyway. Getting rid of Walker is easy enough, because he simply doesn't have to be resigned. Trading away Blount is near impossible, so lets not get our hopes up. Pierce, on the other hand is a trickier situation. Ainge could easily move Pierce, it's just a matter of getting equal value. I honestly believe, that unless one of those no brainer deals is offered, he should hold off trading Pierce until next summer. For one, as good as the young guys look, it's still unsure what they have, so why rush them along. If DA waits until next summer to pull the trigger, he will better understand what the team is lacking, and he may be able to get that need in a trade with Pierce. Also, if Pierce decides to be a model citizen this summer, his value will only increase, thus netting the team a better player in return.

[Celtic17]

AW needs to be gone now. I don't care how. S&T or not.
Paul has until Feb.
Let's see if he sees a good thing. If not, see ya.

I hope PP finds Doc's game.
AW, not...
Not a good fit - IMO. Gotta make the 4ft-ers. Let's not forget the TOs. Dribble...

[ferbo]

"doing a sign and trade involving Antoine would give the Celtics financially flexibility when the contract they traded for expires"

True---when you compare that to what it would be like to sign AW and keep him.

But if DA doesn't want his contract, then don't sign him. And DA is off the hook right now.

Now, if he gets a first-round draft choice back in the deal, then he would in essence be paying the salary on the guy coming back as a purchase price, unless the gu y can contribute.

So, I still don't get it. Sorry, I'm not being intentionally obtuse.

[greenblood]

I think that we are all over analyzing this financial situation. Getting an expiring contract in return for Antoine simply gives them flexibility next summer because they would not be committed to his multi-year deal. And like Derren said, they may be unloading another contract in the deal...one never knows with DA.

By not resigning Antoine, Ainge would decrease their payroll now, but it still would not be enough to make them players in the open market. And as I said in an earlier post, it would lower their luxury tax they must pay for being over the cap, which makes it more likely they could resign the young guys to bigger contracts in the coming years.

If they received an expiring contract, they may be able to unload that in a deal involving Pierce or another one of their big contracts during the season. It would also be nice to get something besides a short playoff run in return for the 1st round pick they gave Atlanta to aquire Antoine.

[Celtic17]

I like the idea of S&T.
Just don't sign and keep, I would rather, let go!

[DERRENMATTS]

Very good points, Q and GB. Moving pieces and going with the young generation may turn out to be the best move. In order to ensure the young guys have the optimal chance of turning into professionals, we need to get back high character vets who can show the young players the right way of conducting themselves on and off the court.

Just getting rid of the older pieces who are stuck in their ways may not be a smart move. What could happen is the young players having to learn a lot of things on their own, possibly stunting their growth, leading them in the wrong direction, and picking up bad habits. Pierce and Walker did not have veterans to teach them how to play the right way, and that is a big possibility of why they are the way they are now.

[ferbo]

InsideHoops links to a Post article saying that a Knicks sing-and-trade appears to be very unlikely.

[Roadrunner]

I can not see Danny trading Walker to a divisional team. Ex: NY. Besides, there are not many players I would want from the Knicks.

[ferbo]

If I'm DA, after what I judge to be lackluster performances in Vegas by both AJ and Perk, I'm more interested in resigning AW.

We can spin Vegas lots of ways: lack of PG depth, DW getting hurt, concentrating on working players not yeet "established," etc. But bottom line is that neither had a single dominating game. And lots of other big guys did.

So at th is point, I think it foolish to count on either being anything like an impact player out of the starting 5. And still a developing player off the bench.

Therefore, I'm looking to resign AW and for Blount to bounce back.

DA is wanting him at the mid-level exception.

CAPOLOGISTS: What would be the consequence of paying him more like $8 million rather than the $5 million?

Or maybe something like a $10 million, one-year contract? (Know there would be baseball parallels, but can't think of any NBA, other than the guy PHoenix signed---Danny Manning---who got hurt during that "one-year deal---wink!wink!)

[Ossric]

well ferbo, Walker would never sign a 1 year contract, even if it's for 10 million. Simply because of the Manning example that you used, if he gets hurt badly, he doesn't have any insurance for future seasons.

Also, think about Bickerstein or whatever the name of his agent is. If this would happen & Walker would get seriously hurt, Bickerstein can kiss his career as an agent goodbye.

[ferbo]

It is not an uncommon thing in MLB. Guy ahs had some flat time, can't get multiple year for what he thinks he is worth, takes a one-year deal to redevelop his worth.

Indians did it with 2 guys this year: Juan Gonzalez (very cheap, most of it incentive---he has been injured for several years---and again) and Kevin Millwood, who is working out well for the team, and should propel him to a good contract at year's end.

There is some risk both ways, but a potential bonanza both ways.

[DERRENMATTS]

But there's a difference in the example you mentioned, Ferb. Juan Gonzales has a history of injuries and has been in the twightlight of his career for a a good portion of the new millenium. He needs to get whatever contract he can get. Its more about taking what's available rather than waiting for an optimal option to present itself.

Walker is not in the same situation as Juan Gone. Walker can still get himself a good sized contract with the duration he's looking for, but he and his agent needs to comb the horizon to find the best deal; whether it be through FA or sign and trade.

If Ainge offers a 1 year deal, and Walker accepts it, he's only prolonging the process for another year. He'll be going through the same thing he's going through now, only a year later.

[cfoo]

What Derren said. Juan Gone is just collecting a paycheck. He is no longer a potential bonanza. Juan and Vin BAker would be a good comparison.

[DERRENMATTS]

How the mighty have fallen. Juan Gonzales was a guy who many thought could challenge Hank Aaron's homerun record. And Vin Baker was a big time player in the mid 90's, one of the premier PF's in the game.