http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs....57/1004/SPORTS
Maggette considering Celtics' offer
July 4, 2008
By Marc J. Spears Boston Globe
A day after talking with Celtics coach Doc Rivers, a longtime family friend, Clippers free agent forward Corey Maggette said he is seriously considering an offer to join the NBA champions.
Maggette said he is still in awe about being contacted by the Celtics and has been mulling over their contract offer as well as interest from several other teams.
The Celtics have made offers to their own forward, James Posey, and Maggette, but it's doubtful they can accommodate both. While there is no news regarding Posey, Maggette said he could be coming to Boston in the near future to visit with the Celtics. Free agents can't sign until Wednesday.
"I don't want to hold the Celtics up or (general manager) Danny Ainge," said Maggette in a phone interview. "I talked to Doc ... I'm not going to hold them up. I know they are still looking at James Posey. But I'm still weighing my options." Maggette averaged a team-best 22.1 points as well as 5.6 rebounds for the Clippers last season. The 6-foot-6-inch, 228-pounder played for Rivers in Orlando during the 1999-2000 season. At most, the Celtics can offer him the full mid-level exception (about $5.8 million).
Maggette said Rivers, his fellow Chicago native, called Wednesday.
"We shot the breeze," said Maggette. "He asked about my family. My mom went to the same high school (as Rivers). My family has known his family for a long time. I'm very comfortable with him."
Even with Maggette's scoring ability, he would be expected to come off the bench with Boston behind All-Star wing players Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Maggette said he would have no problems with a reserve role.
"I don't mind," he said. "If you want to win, you have to make sacrifices. With their caliber of players, that's what you have to do. Going to a championship team would be exciting to me. Going to a team that can win and has tradition is exciting."
The Clippers aren't expected to re-sign Maggette after they landed free agent guard Baron Davis Tuesday with a five-year, $65 million contract. But if Golden State gets Clippers free agent forward Elton Brand, the Clippers could have a change of heart regarding Maggette. Clippers owner Donald Sterling is a big fan of Maggette. Other teams interested in Maggette include the Spurs, 76ers, Warriors, Hornets, Magic, Jazz, and Cavaliers.
As for the Clippers' situation, Maggette said, "I'll know soon. If not, that's the nature of the business and I'll move on. If not, I'll definitely want to call to thank (Clippers) coach Mike Dunleavy and (GM) Elgin Baylor and let them know I appreciated my eight years there."
Maggette was a teammate of Celtics free agent guard Sam Cassell with the Clippers from 2005-08. They recently shared some Celtics talk.
"He said to come out to get a ring," Maggette said.
On the Posey front, agent Mark Bartelstein and the Celtics have declined to go into detail about contract terms. The Lakers, Washington, New Orleans, Cleveland, and Orlando are among the teams expected to be interested in Posey.
"There is a lot of interest," Bartelstein said. "We'll work through it and get to a conclusion."
Bartelstein added there was no news regarding another Celtics client, guard Eddie House. Meanwhile, the Celtics have been taking a strong look at backup centers.
They met with Hornets free agent Chris Andersen the past two days before he returned to his offseason home in Denver.
Andersen is still drawing interest from New Orleans, as well as Golden State and Houston. The Celtics are expected to contact his agent, Steve Heumann, early next week. Andersen plans to go to Las Vegas at month's end to work out with renowned trainer Joe Abunassar, who also handles several other NBA players, including Maggette and Kevin Garnett.
The Celtics worked out Pacers free agent center David Harrison and Timberwolves free agent swingman Kirk Snyder Thursday. The 7-foot, 280-pound Harrison averaged 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 12.8 minutes per game last season. Snyder averaged 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists with Houston and Minnesota.
"It's a great opportunity when the world champs call you to work out," Harrison said in a phone interview. "They see something in me. It's an honor to work out for them."
Friday, Boston is scheduled to work out Golden State free agent center Patrick O'Bryant, who recently met with the Heat. The 7-foot, 260-pounder was the ninth pick in the 2006 NBA draft and averaged 1.5 points. 1.2 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks in 4.1 minutes per game last season.
The Celtics' rookie free agent camp, which includes guard Gabe Pruitt, forward Glen Davis, and free agents, concludes at the team's Waltham training facility. Former Oklahoma State forward Aaron Pettway sprained his right ankle, and it's uncertain if he'll play Friday.
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Sorry if this has been posted before.
I guess this blows out my theory of him not wanting to play on a proven winner and not wanting to take a more limited role on a team.
If he doesn't mind sharing minutes and isn't going to want a max contract in a few years like that scrub Arenas, then why not.
The Celtics aren't likely to have much in the way of cap room in 2010. He'd have limited minutes and a backup role in Boston. No cap room in 2010 would limit the possibility of him getting a larger deal, either through signing a new deal or in a sign and trade deal. If he wants to sign a full MLE deal with the Celtics, then basically that will be his last big NBA contract.
WTH I hate the Celtics. They seem to be getting all the great guys.
What the . It's an honor to get a call from the Celtics? Man people are acting like they're the greatest team of all time. Spurs don't even get this kind of respect. When have you heard free agents talk about the Spurs like that? Wasn't Harrison the one that went bush league against us in the regular season threatening to kill Bonner?
And what's the BS about not wanting to hold the Celtics up? He doesn't want to hold the Celtics up, but it's OK to hold the Spurs up?
Hardly anyone wanted to jump on the Spurs wagon, but it seems like everyone has no problem jumping onto the Celtics wagon.
I'm glad the Express-News has been able to score an interview with Maggette.
I really think after mulling over what his role would be on the C's (unless Ray Allen wants to become a 6th man ala Ginobili), he's going to seek greener pastures.
At least on the spurs he'd be a starter, and also have a chance at a bigger payday down the line like you said Marcus.
I was skeptical about Corey Maggette at first, but sounds to me like he's not a me-first type player like Gilbert Arenas. I'm confident he would find a niche on the spurs that both he and his teammates would be comfortable with.
Again I ask, how many minutes can Maggette realistically expect to play? For the same money, a chance to start and given greater opportunities to score and impact the game, I have to believe the Spurs would be a more favorable option than Boston?
I guess we'll see.
The league is full of "me-first"-type players. Gilbert Arenas is at the head of the class. I'm not convinced Corey isn't or hasn't, up to now, been one of them. With all the losing he's had over the past few seasons, he may be rethinking that approach.
On a side note, I find it interesting and amusing that Sam Cassell is also on the Maggette recruiting trail, when his own future in a Celtics uniform isn't secure...and you can certainly count Cassell into that "me-first" category of players. Odd for a veteran PG.
newsflash
Celtics are the greatest franchise EVER
The other not so small item is that Boston will likely not have the cap flexibility to be able to give him a large contract in 2010, if he is seeking a short term MLE deal which would allow him to hit free agency then.
And if he is, one would think he would want to enter free agency coming off a year in which he was starting and playing heavy minutes.
This Celtics "tradition" bull is ing the most pretentiously re ed I've ever heard. From Garnetts melodramatic, ty, corny ass interview with Bill Russell to the ass kissing media, it's just completely ridiculous. The media has kissed their ass more times in one year than they have the Spurs ass in a damn decade. It's just bull .
...which would drive his value up considerably. Spurs could be big players in the race to retain his services, assuming all goes well during his stint here. Also don't forget the impact of him possibly being a significant contributor on, what we all hope, will be another "odd-numbered year" championship team.
Can you say "cha-ching" again?
"I don't want to hold the Celtics up" is a hopeful tea leaf for the Spurs. It sounds like he may ultimately reject the Celtics.
But why no objective evidence (i.e., anything from Maggette or his agent's mouth) about the Spurs?
Boston has better beat writers.
I noticed that, too, although a San Antonio EN beat writer implied that the Spurs are atop Maggette's list. Um, after reading this Globe piece with live quotes, I beg to differ. Sounds like Maggette would jump at the chance to play for the Cs.
Let's keep hoping!
Yeah, I blame the media for me hating the Celtics. That stupid ass Russell interview was dumb and pointless.
i thought the c's wanted posey first. I honestly think getting CM would hurt their chances next year. A. He would come off the bench B. Posey was the perfect compliament last year, played great D and hit huge 3's anyone that saw the finals saw what that guy did. Honestly, with no posey, i think the lakers go up 3-2 going backto boston and maybe win it. I guess if posey signs earlyto another team, the c's will put the pressure on CM, but usually the top free agents sign first and it goes from there, i would think CM would sign before posey would.
This is becoming way too dramatic for my taste.
From Maggette's perspective, the only other team he should seriously consider (if he cares about winning a championship) is Boston. But from the Celtics' perspective, if they sign Maggette, it means giving up Posey, which is actually a downgrade in defense. Both can be capable scorers as reserves, and the C's don't need another scorer.
The Spurs really are the best place for Maggette. No team can offer him a decent chunk of money and the best possibly fit in terms of the team's needs and his skillset.
CIA Maggette.
Boston would be stupid to let go of Posey.
why would you let someone go, or walk when they won you a championship. if you look at it, posey is just as valuable to the championship team as Ray Allen was
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printe...,3978355.story
Meanwhile, the Warriors have a contingency plan to land another Clipper if Brand declines their offer, the sources said. Golden State is expected to join a number of teams to lure free-agent forward Corey Maggette, who opted out of the final year of his Clippers contract on Monday.
The Philadelphia 76ers, according to the sources, may also bid for Maggette, who led the Clippers in scoring last season, averaging 22.1 points. The Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz are also in the running.
Maggette on Thursday sounded almost certain that his Clippers career had come to an end.
"If they really wanted to do something they could have done something in the beginning," Maggette said. "It's just a business. I was traded my first year in Orlando and I learned early about how the business side of basketball is. It's about business and making business decisions. And that's the process of basketball right now. There's no bad blood or hard feelings."
As for his many suitors, Maggette said he was in no hurry to make a choice and that he has talked with Boston Coach Doc Rivers and current Celtic and former teammate Sam Cassell.
"Boston is really good," he said. "You've got a lot of great players there That's a great opportunity. San Antonio is something that's very interesting. So we'll see what happens. I'm not keeping anybody off the list. You never know."
hmmm..... let them have maggette. i like posey on the spurs anyway.
we're a better fit, but obviously Boston is interesting for him too..
we'd give him a starting spot, but Boston would have him coming off the bench..you have to consider that when you're talking about a guy like Maggette..
Posey would be a bad addition for us IMO our main flaw is offense..scoring droughts, lack of variety..Posey doesn't help us at all, he just adds more defense, which is something we don't need..
I would be disappointed if we signed him..
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