Veteran Additions Bolster Top Teams

Following a trading season when almost every team in playoff contention made a deal, teams were left with few other options to improve their rosters. Their only hope was to sign a player who was bought out of his contract or waived by his team. Players released before March 1 were eligible to sign with a new team and play the remainder of the season, including the playoffs.

The two biggest names available are Sam Cassell and Brent Barry. Both players are strong shooters. More importantly, both Cassell and Barry have championship experience. Cassell won two titles with the Houston Rockets in ’94 and ’95. Barry was a member of the San Antonio Spurs team that won the title in 2005 and again last season.

Cassell is reported to officially join the Celtics today. He would be reunited with Celtics all-star Kevin Garnett. The two played together in Minnesota for two seasons, leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in 2004.

Barry, meanwhile, is reportedly planning to rejoin the Spurs after being courted by several teams including Phoenix, Boston and Dallas. Barry was dealt from San Antonio to Seattle for Kurt Thomas before the trading deadline, but the Sonics released him. Barry cannot officially re-sign with San Antonio until March 21 because of a rule that a player must wait 30 days after being traded before he can re-sign with the same team that dealt him.

The significance of the signings is high. Cassell gives the Celtics a playoff-tested veteran point guard to give them leadership and clutch shooting in what Boston hopes will be its first trip to the NBA Finals in 21 years. The Celtics began the season 8-0 and currently maintain the best record in the league.

San Antonio is currently percentage points ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the number one seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Bringing back Barry gives them another spot-up shooter. Barry was shooting 43 percent from 3-point range this season, up from his solid career average of 40.7 percent from long distance.

Both teams also added a veteran frontcourt player. The Spurs acquired the aforementioned Thomas in the deal that originally sent Barry packing. And Boston signed veteran free agent P.J. Brown. Adding a pair of veterans to each team’s core of three stars—Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker for San Antonio and Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen for Boston—makes a Celtics-Spurs matchup seem as likely as any NBA Finals pairing come June.