Celtics/ Sonics deal official

Who will run the point in Boston? Erick Stricland is a good defensive minded backup point but by no means is he a starting caliber PG. Bad move on Boston's part.

 

here cbs sportsline version
The Sonics found a taker for Vin Baker.

The recalcitrant 6-foot-11 forward/center is headed to the Boston Celtics with guard Shammond Williams in exchange for point guard Kenny Anderson, injured forward/center Vitaly Potapenko and Joseph Forte, the little-used player who came to Boston as the No. 21 pick in the 2000 draft.

Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss confirmed the trade, though the club won't hold a press conference to announce the trade Monday out of deference to the Ted Williams tribute being held at Fenway Park. The Sonics have a 4 p.m. ET news conference to announce the trade.

Seattle acquired Baker in a three-way deal that sent Shawn Kemp to Cleveland and Terrell Brandon and Tyrone Hill to Milwaukee in the summer of 1997. Baker was an All-Star that 1997-'98 season with the Sonics, helping the team to a 61-win season.

But his play deteriorated the second half of that season and continued downhill through the lockout season. There were off-court problems, weight gain, lazy defense and a loss of confidence that was compounded by the seven-year, $86.6 million contract he was surprisingly rewarded with before the 1998-99 season.

His erratic play had him in and out of the lineup, with myriad injuries cropping up as well.

For the first five seasons in the NBA, the 30-year-old Baker averaged 18.5 points and 9.2 rebounds. Those numbers have since dropped to 14.3 points and 6.5 as the Sonics went from a perennial playoff team to making the postseason only two of the past four seasons.

The Celtics, who lost in the conference finals to the New Jersey Nets after not making the playoffs for six years in a row, are gambling Baker, who along with Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker will make the maximum salary, will become revived playing near his hometown of Old Saybrook, Conn., and against much lighter interior competition in the East.

Boston balked at including Eric Williams, whom the Sonics preferred than Potapenko, for a number of reasons, including only two years left on Williams' contract compared to three for Potapenko. Potapenko also had major knee surgery last season and isn't expected to play until midseason at the earliest.

Anderson, who will be turn 32 in training camp, gives Seattle some depth at point guard with unhappy superstar Gary Payton not receiving the extension he has requested before his contract runs out in July of 2003. Anderson also will be a free agent after this season.

It continues the trend of a lot of head scratching going on in Seattle these days.

Insiders were stunned when the Sonics re-signed 7-1 Jerome James to a three-year, $14 million deal before they got things squared away with unrestricted budding star Rashard Lewis. Sources say Lewis is infuriated by the Sonics lowball offer, reportedly for $46 million when he made it clear the $90 million range was what he was looking for.

His response is a visit to Dallas where the Mavericks would love to throw the $4.545 million mid-level exception at him for three years, with maximum money to follow, unless the two teams can agree to a sign-and-trade.

The Sonics also apparently will not match the three-year $4 million offer sheet signed by backup point Earl Watson with the Memphis Grizzlies, and Olumide Oyedeji, a little used center, signed with Orlando, as the transformation of last year's 45-37 squad continues.

The Celtics will follow suit by not re-signing forward Rodney Rogers, and the addition of Shammond Williams, who is an exceptional shooter but a dubious ballhandler and passer, will serve as a replacement in the perimeter game and, they are hoping, at point guard.

Forte, 21, played in just eight games as a combo guard for the Celtics.

 

I would expect to see Forte have increase minutes, and I would also expect Vin Baker to get 15 and 10 next year in the Leastern Conference.

 

I wouldn't be too surprised if the Celtics try to pull off some kind of trade for a decent pg. I don't have any idea whom they might be able to trade though. Maybe a draft pick or somthing along with Walter McCarty for a Rod Strickland or Greg Anthony type.

 

SHIP MOOCHIE OFF TO BOSTON ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

As a diehard Celtics fan, I think I'll have to tone down my Baker bashing...

Maybe coaching could reduce his playing weight and force him to play with his back to the basket. While he has a very consistent shooting touch and can handle the ball out to the perimeter, he has lost his aggresiveness inside and no longer puts the ball to the floor. This means that while he can play away from the basket, he lacks the quickness to guard most 4s and even some of the quicker centers...

Awful trade for Boston. I'm aware that triangle offenses can sustain three scoring options with neither a dominant center nor a point guard to break team defense and find the open man, what about defense? Kenny Anderson is one of the best point guards in the league in terms of clogging passing lanes, a valuable asset to one of the best halfcourt defenses in the league. Without him, the Celtics will need to run some sort of box and one, with a mobile body like Pierce harassing the perimeter and a banger like Baker patrolling the middle (that doesn't sound very good, does it? ...

I had projected the Celtics as a top-two team in its conference next season. Now they're unlikely to advance in the playoffs with a lethargic and recalcitrant Baker.

* * *



Oh my God...

 

I would think Delk will run the point. I suppose he is capable enough. What's his contract look like?

 

Delk makes anywhere from 2 to 4 mill, I forget what it is. Anyhow, I bet Bos goes hard after Travis Best.

 

That's what I wanted to post, kidrock8.

But I'll back that up: maybe trade Delk for Best (salaries very similar). Get some playing time for Kedrick Brown (? - #11 draft pick last year). I would hope a second deal is in the works for Boston.

Antoine Walker plays a lot of point forward, too.

 

Tony Delk is capable of being a starting point guard. I mean he's not a great starting PG, but he's alright for now. I remember when he had that 53 point game against the Kings. That was one heck of a performance.

 

as a sg. he's not really a pg at all. just a short sg.

I guess I'm one of the few that think this is a decent move for boston, at least player-wise. Baker had a pretty good year until he got injured. He was pretty good in the playoffs. and he's tall. There's definitely a good chance of him putting up respectable numbers, ala Coleman last year, esp considering it's the East.

Kenny's game has really eroded imo. First year in a long time that he's been decent at all. His worth is much greater as an expiring contract. Shouldn't be too hard to find a pg that can do what he did on the floor, maybe even more effectively. Best would be a huge upgrade.

 

This move has me questioning what Boston officials are smoking. What do they plan to do with Baker? start him at the 4 and move Walker to 3? Bring him off the Bench? Or move him to the 5 while keeping Walker at the 4? The last move sounds the best but then what will they do at the point. Anderson did a good job of holding the team together and being a leader. Who will fill in? Delk and Strickland are backups. I'm dissapointed to see a team that seemed on the way up go down.

Here's an idea since they are in the stupid trades mood, why don't we give them some guys for Pierce!

 

Baker can play center in the Eastern Conference. Boston's banking on Baker returning to his Milwaukee form when he averaged about 20 and 10. I hear returning closer to his Connecticut home/roots may help his depression and lack of work ethic. If that happens (a BIG IF), then Boston can be the next Eastern Conference team to lose in the finals

A very big risk on Boston's part, Baker's salary bigger than his a$$.

 

I think that this is a good move for the Celtics. They just didn't have anybody outside of Pierce and Walker who could score last year consistently. Hopefully Baker would return to his "old" self, but even if he doesnt he is an upgrade over what they had at the 5 or 4 if they move Antoine over.

 

What all the trade bashers are idiotically forgetting about, is that the season does not start until another 3 months. For you simple minded people, that means the Celtics roster is not etched in stone. I would imagine that the Celtics front office will continue to explore other avenues of tweaking their roster.

Thank you for you time.

 

All you need to know is that Baker averaged 19 ppg last year against East opponents.

Is Bos losing ANYTHING at all by dumping an overpaid piece of trash in Potapenko, and an aging, mediocre PG in Kenny Anderson?

 

Their only true point guard who had his best season in 5 years last season.

Deals aren't that easy to make in the NBA this season, especially not in free agency. This trade came from the same team that offered Rodney Rogers, their own free agent, $1 million a season to stay because they were so close to the luxury tax.

The Celtics have traded away all of their tradeable commodities other than Kedrick Brown, and even he carries little value right now. They can't get a point guard without tearing up their roster or going over the luxury tax, and neither is going to happen.

So, I'd say people have a lot of points to trash Boston on - unless, of course, J.R. Bremer is the answer. Which, of course, he's not.

 

Potapenko is pretty awful, but I would take Joseph Forte over Shammond Williams any day. Forte has an excellent shot of the dribble, hass pretty good range, can pass pretty well and is apt at getting steals. Williams can score... but lacks point guard skills and doesn't play defense.

Kenny Anderson is one of the most underrated defenders in the league - and his resurgence was the sole reason (well, the mid-season trade helped) the Celtics had the third best record in the Eastern Conference last season. He knows his role well: he positions himself well into passing lanes, keeps teammates under control, knows when to demand the ball and shoots within 18 feet. He is an definite starter on most teams, his only major setbacks being size and knee injury - though he's around Baker's age, his contract expiring next season.

I wouldn't trade him for Baker straight-up if it were possible, unless Baker took initiative and accepted a smaller role.

Numbers mean nothing...