Another day, another Posey update that doesn't really tell us much new.
Posey’s representative, Mark Bartelstein, said he hoped to have something done within 48 hours. But when asked if that was with the Celts or another team, he replied, "I honestly don’t know."
The Celtics would still love to have Posey, and according to league sources they are willing to spend the full mid-level exception, announced Tuesday as $5.585 million. But, despite talk elsewhere that they were ready to do the fourth year, the C’s still appear to be trying to hold the line on that.
But with the marketplace shrinking, they may not have a choice if they want to keep him. That’s assuming Posey and Bartelstein give the Celtics a chance to match if they get a better offer elsewhere.
So are they willing to add a fourth year or not? We now have conflicting reports.
It seems like many of the top free agents on the market are finding homes. Posey might be the best one left. For a while now, we've know who the suitors are. At least San Antonio seems to be out of the mix having signed Roger Mason Jr. last night. For fun, lets look at the rest:
- Cleveland Cavs - Posey is from Cleveland and James might want some more big game help, but do they really need another defensive guy? Fans are getting anxious for Ferry to make a move, so they'll give Posey a long look.
- Washington Wizards - They desperately need a whole new defensive mindset but lost out on Tom Thibbodeau when he decided to come to Boston. Will they try to plug Posey in and hope he solves their defensive woes? With Arenas around, don't count on a full team commitment to stops.
- New Orleans Hornets - One of the top regular season teams from a year ago could benefit from a guy that has 2 rings.
- Detroit Pistons - Dumars is always looking for quality guys and Posey would fit right in on the Bad Boys. Of course they are also thinking of blowing things up and seem willing to deal anyone.
- LA Lakers - Two games away from winning an NBA title but unimpressive in the Finals, the Lakers are looking for answers. They are just desperate enough to throw the whole MLE at someone they think would help (they did it with Walton).