McDyess seems to be steering into a U-turn

November 11, 2008|On basketball, Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff

The Celtics and 16 other NBA teams outside of Detroit are going to roll the dice. But once 30 days pass, expect coveted free agent forward Antonio McDyess to return where he is most comfortable and re-sign with the Pistons.

The Denver Nuggets, who just acquired McDyess in a trade with Detroit last week, yesterday bought out the last two years of his contract (worth $6.8 million each) for a little more than $6 million, according to NBA sources. Assuming McDyess isn't claimed off waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow but can't re-sign with the team that traded him, Detroit, for 30 days.

Such NBA powers as the Celtics, Lakers, Cavaliers, Hornets, Raptors, Rockets, and Suns are among those interested. However, an NBA source very close to McDyess said as of yesterday he plans on returning to Detroit, and many people close to him say they'd be shocked if he went elsewhere.

"I think he's going to Detroit," said Celtics guard Sam Cassell, who is good friends with McDyess. "I know he's comfortable with Detroit. He has a place there and everything. His comfort level might be there."

NBA teams have nothing to lose by trying to change McDyess's mind. His agent, Andy Miller, said he plans to talk to his client today in hopes of getting the list of suitors down to 3-4 teams.

Miller said he had a long conversation with the 6-foot-9-inch, 240-pounder Sunday night but wasn't certain what order of importance the factors of location, money, and a contending team were.

"If he wants, he'll give me some pecking order," Miller said. "That will give me direction."

McDyess is currently at his offseason home in Houston. Cassell spoke to him on the phone Saturday, but they didn't talk about him coming to Boston.

"I just talked to him about how he was doing," said Cassell. "I didn't ask him about coming here. I didn't realize that [the Celtics] were interested in him."

The Celtics have $2.3 million remaining from their mid-level exception to offer McDyess, but the Lakers and Cavaliers can offer more than $5 million. Of course, one big draw for the Celtics is that they have a legitimate chance of repeating as NBA champions. McDyess has never won a title.

Boston also offers the opportunity to play for the most storied franchise in NBA history, and with The Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. Garnett and McDyess share the same agent in Miller, although Miller didn't think Garnett would try to use that as an advantage. Celtics president Danny Ainge also coached McDyess in Phoenix.

McDyess averaged 8.8 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Pistons last season. Acquiring him would give the Celtics a replacement for veteran P.J. Brown, who is expected to retire.

"It's not a hard sell," said Cassell. "He knows what we have."