RASHEED WALLACE HEADING TO BOSTON

The Boston Celtics have picked up some much needed frontcourt depth with the report that free agent Rasheed Wallace had verbally agreed to join the team.  Wallace will sign a two year deal for the mid level exemption next Wednesday—the first day that NBA teams are allowed to offer written contracts to free agents.
Wallace’s agent, Bill Strickland, told the Boston area media that his client instructed him to cancel meetings with several other NBA teams including the Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks since he’d already decided to don the green and white.  Wallace was one of the most sought after free agents on the market due to his experience, toughness and versatility.  He’ll be particularly important in the Celtics lineup as a backup to Kevin Garnett.
With an NBA championship ring and a reputation for being a tenacious defender, Wallace brings some more toughness and swagger to the Celtics—a team that struggled in both areas after losing Garnett to injury late in the season.  The downside to Wallace is his famously volatile personality which leads to technical fouls and instances where he butts heads with coaches and teammates.  The thinking is that the veteran laden Celtics locker room will keep him in line. Like another free agent with a petulant streak—Ron Artest—most of Wallace’s problems have come about due to frustration over lack of winning or what he perceived as a lackluster effort from teammates.  Neither should be an issue on the Celtics.  An unidentified NBA exec summed up Wallace as follows:
"As much as Rasheed's a headache, teammates like him and he's a winner.”
Wallace reached his decision after a very productive series of meetings with head coach Doc Rivers, superstar nucleus Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce along with team owner Wyc Grousbeck.  The Celtics’ top priority of the offseason is securing the point guard position (where Rajon Rondo is something of a question mark) and upgrading the bench.  Of particular concern, is frontcourt depth and the team has already signaled their interest in doing something different with their forwards as they didn’t offer restricted free agent Leon Powe a qualifying offer and may also cut loose Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis.
Boston is far from finished with their offseason dealing, and reports in the area media suggest that the Celtics are interested in veteran Grant Hill who played with Phoenix last season.  Hill may be on the downside of his career, but he’s a highly respected player with great leadership skills and ‘intangibles’.