Once Damon Stoudamire clears waivers tomorrow morning, the veteran point guard is expected to sign with the Spurs, according to an NBA source. Spurs guard Tony Parker is out indefinitely with a bone spur in his left heel, according to ESPN.com. The NBA didn't finalize Stoudamire's buyout with the Grizzlies until yesterday morning, and he needs 48 hours to clear waivers. The Celtics have been on the lookout for a veteran point guard and had some interest in Stoudamire. Rumors persist that they have interest in Clippers veteran Sam Cassell, but they don't seem to have the means to make a viable trade offer. Executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge has said he wants to sign "the right veteran point guard" while adding, "We like our roster. We like who we are. We like the chemistry and the way our guys play together."
It would have been better had Sam Cassell been available first and then Stoudamire could be a fall-back plan. But having your 2nd choice (if he's even that high) come available first is a tough call. Danny is making the call and he believes what they have will get them by until a better choice comes along. Of course the team's record makes it a lot easier to bide their time.
I still think the C's will make a move for a point guard closer to the trade deadline or perhaps after it (when untraded players might be bought out). But Damon was just not the fit Danny wanted. For those wondering why he wasn't the right fit may find some insight in this post by Henry Abbott:
I have watched a lot of Damon Stoudamire, and find him to be someone who sometimes thrills you with his effort on both ends of the court. And other times? To my thinking, when you're undersized, you have to be excellent at nearly everything to keep from hurting your team. You know you'll be giving up some size and the many advantages it conveys in the game of basketball, so you must handle, shoot, and pass well for your team to succeed. (See Sebastian Telfair's lack of a jump shot as exhibit A.) And on defense -- you better get after it like a cranky terrier.
Stoudamire does all that at times. Then he seems to lapse into stretches of dissatisfaction, when he lacks the fire. He was a big star in high school, college, and early in his NBA career. I tend to think he'll always see himself as a first-option scorer on a great team, and I think he's a little disappointed when the game doesn't shake out like that.
Now, why he would be a better fit in San Antonio than he is in Boston is another question entirely. Sure, they need a point guard with Parker hurt but the description above doesn't sound much like a Spurs type of player.