Marbury to Celtics far from a 'done deal'

According to comments from exiled New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury and unnamed “sources” close to the team, his move to the Boston Celtics for a late season run was all but a done deal.  Reportedly once Marbury and the Knicks were able to resolve his contractual situation, he’d be wearing the Celtics green.  While his perception of reality is dubious at best, Marbury even insisted that he had a “pledge” from Boston that they’d be signing him as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, however, a Boston Herald story contradicted those claims with yet another “unnamed source” close to the team indicating that there was "absolutely no verbal commitment" to Marbury.  The report did say that representative for the Celtics and Marbury “have talked” and that there is interest on Boston’s part but that even were he to sign with the team he wouldn’t be playing major minutes. 

To hear the borderline delusional Marbury tell it, he represents the determinant of the balance of power in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.  He continued blasting the Knicks for their refusal to just capitulate to his wishes, and remained oblivious to any responsibility on his part for the impasse:

"The question to be asked to the Knicks is: Are they fearful for me playing for another Eastern Conference team. My thing is, they shouldn't be fearful. They're trying to get under the cap for 2010. They shouldn't be worried about me."

"You had guys saying I was a distraction, I'm a cancer. If I'm all those things, wouldn't you want me to go to another team?"

"It shouldn't matter that I go to Boston if you're the eighth seed and Boston is in the front. It can't be about money. The Knicks got plenty of it. It's got to be personal. If it's personal, then how is business being done there?"

Late last week, the Greek team Olympiacos contacted the Knicks to express interest in Marbury.  Within several days, however, their interest had cooled on the talented but downright crazy point guard.  What Marbury doesn’t mention in his frequent rants is that he’s been unwilling to accept any sort of compromise buyout offer.  As he’s in the last year of his contract, and since Marbury has been uninterested in seriously negotiating a buyout deal, the Knicks have very little incentive to let him go to another team when they’re on the hook financially regardless.

As far as the Celtics are concerned, the likely scenario is that interest in Marbury cooled significantly when the team regained their composure following a brief losing run in late December/early January.  After their record setting nineteen game winning streak ended, the Celtics lost seven of their next nine games.  It was during this time that near panic began to set in and the acquisition of Marbury was seriously considered.  Since then, however, the Celtics have won eight straight and cooler heads are starting to prevail.