Boston
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
The LA Clippers picked up Kenny Anderson off of waivers yesterday, ending speculation that he might rejoin the Celtics as well. Gary Payton should be waived by the Hawks today but his suitors are now having to take a number to get in line: reportedly Minnesota, Miami, Phoenix, and Denver all have interest in the aging point guard. As a reminder, virtually no one had interest in him at the beginning of the season, but with his spectacular play and leadership of the Celtics this season, his stock has done nothing but go up. It also doesn't hurt that the teams would be picking him up at the veteran's minimum once he clears waivers.
Boston has done a tremendous service to Payton, perhaps the best possible thing for him. Danny Ainge brought him in against some strong reluctance on Payton's part over the summer and the entire franchise has done nothing but be respectful towards him and his needs. They did not trade him to a lottery-team without apparently getting assurances that he would be waived. Being waived by today means he will still get his entire salary but will have his choice of which team to sign with.
There can be no better gift. If Ainge had tried to trade Payton, as he clearly did in trying to extract Baron Davis from New Orleans, he could not have gotten more options for Payton than he has now. Ainge could have, of course, chosen not to pressure the Hawks to waive Payton, or to waive him after today, in which case he could not join a playoff team, but he didn't. He did his best to do what's right by Payton.
Now it's time for Payton to decide what team he wants to join. His agent has said he is leaning towards a return to Boston, and Boston is probably the most likely destination. But if nothing else, Payton should use this time to gauge the interest of other teams for when he becomes a free agent this summer. He was in talks to sign a 2-year deal with Boston but if he can get a better bargain out of someone else, he should certainly pursue all opportunities.
Barring a major miracle, this will be Payton's last contract deal.
NEXT GAME
The Celtics (29-28, first in the Atlantic) take on the longtime rivals LA Lakers (28-26, third in the Pacific) TONIGHT, Tuesday, March 1. The Lakers are coming off an overtime loss to the Knicks and will be both tired and hungry. Wouldn't it be nice to see the Cs run them out of the building? Just like old times. The game starts at 7:30pm and will be broadcast on Fox Sports New England and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
You can still rename the Fleetcenter for a variety of dates if you win the auction. Yesterday's name was the sentimental and beautiful Boston Garden. Ah, the memories.
INJURY UPDATE
No injuries!!Justin Reedwas, in the words of head coach Doc Rivers, miraculously cured of his knee tendonitis and is now off the injured list.
Mark Murphy ofThe Boston Heraldwrites: The Celtics continue to monitor what might be a growing market for the services of Gary Payton. The former Celtics point guard, included in a trade to Atlanta for Antoine Walker [news] last Thursday, is expected to be placed on waivers by today's deadline. Payton then will be eligible for inclusion on a playoff roster. Though Payton's agent, Aaron Goodwin, has indicated that the 36-year-old veteran is leaning toward a return to the Celtics, his possible alternatives now are said to include Miami, Minnesota and Phoenix, which might have increased interest because of injured All-Star Steve Nash. Denver also entered the picture yesterday as a late bidder.
Mark Murphy ofThe Boston Heraldalso writes: The Celtics missed out on Plan B through the same process, however, when the Clippers claimed veteran Kenny Anderson off waivers yesterday for the veteran's minimum price of $1.4 million. Should their courtship of Payton fall short, the Celtics are considering the services of Jamison Brewer, a backup point guard waived by San Antonio this week following last week's trade with New York.Free agent point guard Randy Livingston also might be a possibility.
Mark Murphy ofThe Boston Heraldalso writes: According to Celtics managing partner Stephen Pagliuca, in the days that followed the trade, sales pushed at least 1,000 tickets per day over the daily average this season. Though tomorrow's game against the Lakers was expected to reach sell-out capacity by game time, the approximately 2,000 tickets that had been left were swept away by the Walker wave.
Kelly Dwyer ofCNN/SIwrites: Walker provides Boston with the sort of all-around derring-do they'll need to hold off a 76ers squad that suddenly lacks depth.Boston will take bad shots, turn the ball over and drive their opponents batty due to the inability to plan for such a helter-skelter style of play. Above all, the C's will be a lot of fun -- maybe not nearly as much as they were in Sunday night's classic against the Suns -- but a lot more than they were in the first two months of the season. That, in itself, is worth all the expiring contracts in the land.