Simmons lays it on us again. Eat it Chad Ford, there's a new rumor monger in town.
One more NBA note: There's a reason you haven't seen the "Gary Payton is joining the Celtics!" press conference yet. It's because he hasn't decided if "Gary Payton is joining the Celtics!" yet. He's still furious about the trade -- not about playing in Boston, but at Mitch Kupchak for lying to him (that he would retire as a Laker) and not telling him about the deal ahead of time. (He found out from a media member.) Apparently, GP just moved his family from Seattle to Los Angeles this summer and planned on setting up shop there, even enrolling his oldest daughter in an L.A. school. Now his life has been turned upside down.
Anyway, the Celtics have been actively working on backup deals in case A.) GP decides to retire, or B.) GP refuses to accept the trade. Nobody sees him walking away from a guaranteed $5.5 million, and the Celtics front office certainly isn't budging on this. They also have Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers lobbying him heavily behind the scenes. But just in case, they're sniffing around. So stay tuned. Could be an interesting week.