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nbatrades · 20 years ago

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Boston Celtics Bring Back Antoine Walker in Trade with Atlanta

On February 24th, 2005, the Atlanta Hawks traded forward Antoine Walker to the Boston Celtics for forward-center Tom Gugliotta, guard Gary Payton, center Michael Stewart and a 2006 first round draft pick (Rajon Rondo).

For most NBA stars, stardom is fleeting. Antoine Walker became a three-time All-Star with the Boston Celtics, but by the later years of his tenure, many had grown tired of the turnovers, deep three-point hoists and failure to stay in shape.

When Danny Ainge became executive director of basketball operations for the Celtics in 2003, exiting the Walker business was one of his first priorities. The Celtics traded the forward to the Dallas Mavericks and Ainge made it clear part of the reason for the trade was because he wasn't all in on Walker (via ESPN):

"Antoine had a grasp on our franchise," Ainge told The [Boston] Globe. "If Antoine is Michael Jordan, it's OK to have a grasp. If Antoine is Larry Bird, it's OK to have a grasp, or Bill Russell. I think those players had grasps on their franchises. "But I didn't perceive Antoine's grasp on us as a positive thing."

Walker went to Dallas and lasted only a year to middling results before he was traded again with Tony Delk to the Atlanta Hawks for Alan Henderson, Jason Terry and a conditional 2007 first round draft pick.

Now, Walker was on a Hawks team in a deep rebuild with a youth movement. Four rookies (Josh Smith, Josh Childress, Donta Smith and Royal Ivey) were on the team. Atlanta began the season 2-14 and much did not change as Atlanta was an NBA-worst 10-43 at the trade deadline. Individually, Walker was able to benefit. He appeared in 53 games with the Hawks and registered 20.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.2 SPG and 0.6 BPG in 40.2 MPG.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics were still trying to figure out where they fit in the NBA ecosystem. In replacing Walker, the Celtics had accumulated young talent but the jury was still out on whether that elevated Boston's future. The team was stuck in the middle. It could never tank and obtain a top draft pick if star Paul Pierce was on the roster.

Michael Stewart joined the Boston Celtics during the 2003-04 season when he was traded with Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm and a 2005 second round draft pick to the Boston Celtics for Tony Battie, Kedrick Brown and Eric Williams. Stewart had a bit role, appearing in 17 games with the Celtics, putting up 0.3 PPG and 0.6 RPG in 4.2 MPG.

The Celtics were 22-24 during the '03-'04 season when head coach Jim O'Brien stepped down. Assistant coach John Carroll became interim head coach for the rest of the year. Boston finished the season 36-46.

The Celtics qualified for the 2004 postseason as the eighth seed in the East. Boston faced the 61-21 Indiana Pacers in the first round. In the series opener, Pacers frontcourt players Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest had 24 points each as Indiana had an easy 104-88 win.

Artest was suspended for Game Two when he left the bench during an altercation between O'Neal and Boston's Brandon Hunter. The Celtics were more competitive in the second game, taking a five-point lead at halftime.

The Celtics took a 69-61 lead with 51.4 seconds left in the third quarter. Led by reserves like Fred Jones, Indiana went on a 42-21 run the rest of the game to win 103-90. The Pacers bench continued to buoy the Pacers, scoring 58 points in a 108-85 rout in Game Three that gave Indiana a 3-0 series lead.

Artest had 22 points in Game Four as Indiana won 90-75 and swept the series in four games. Stewart played two scoreless minutes during the series.

The 2004 offseason was a busy one for Boston. The club hired Doc Rivers as its new head coach. In the 2004 draft, the Celtics had three first rounders. They selected Al Jefferson 15th overall, Delonte West 24th and Tony Allen 25th.

Former Defensive Player of the Year and nine-time All-Star Gary Payton joined the Celtics in the summer of 2004 when he was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers with Rick Fox, cash considerations and a conditional 2006 first round pick for Chucky Atkins, Chris Mihm and Jumaine Jones. The Celtics also signed free agent Tom Gugliotta to a one-year, $2.6 million contract.

Payton was unhappy to move across the country and threatened to not show up to training camp. He missed an August 13 deadline to take a physical. Eventually, Payton reported to camp and joined the Celtics.

The Celtics began the 2004-05 season with a 4-8 record. The team would hover around .500 and had a chance at the winning the weak Atlantic Division. At the end of January, Boston was 21-24 but just a half a game out of the division lead. With the club at 27-28 right before the trade deadline, the Celtics saw a chance to make a run.

Boston made the move to re-acquire Walker who Ainge previously had removed from the equation just a year and a half prior. Walker's value across the league had dropped after being traded twice in a year. Entering free agency in 2005, Walker was keen on playing well to build his value back up. He also added a legitimate second scoring option to a Boston offense that relied heavily on Paul Pierce.

The Celtics moved three veterans on expiring contracts in Payton, Gugliotta and Stewart to acquire Walker 's expiring contract from Atlanta. The real value was in the 2006 first rounder Boston sent to Atlanta which was lottery protected and the less favorable of the two picks Boston held, its own and the Lakers' pick.

The Hawks and Celtics held trade talks about Walker for about a month. Atlanta initially wanted some of Boston's younger players but settled for the draft pick and expiring contracts as the trade deadline approached. Walker was in the final year of a six-year, $70 million contract.

Payton started all 54 games he appeared in for the Celtics before the trade. The guard averaged 12.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.2 SPG in 33.0 MPG. Gugliotta played in 20 games, contributing 1.3 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.6 APG and 0.5 SPG in 10.9 MPG. Stewart did not play in any games for the Celtics during the 2004-05 season.

After the trade, Payton agreed to a contract buyout and was waived by the Hawks soon after the trade. Despite opportunities with the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, Payton chose to rejoin Boston and sign a contract for the rest of the season.

Stewart and Gugliotta stayed on with the Hawks for the rest of the season. Stewart appeared in 12 games, making one start. He produced 2.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 0.5 SPG in 12.1 MPG. Gugliotta saw a considerable increase in playing time. The veteran forward played in 27 games (nine starts), contributing 7.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.2 SPG and 0.5 BPG in 27.7 MPG.

Atlanta finished up the 2004-05 season 13-69, the worst record in franchise history. Gugliotta and Stewart were not re-signed in the 2005 offseason and neither played in another NBA game again.

The first round pick Boston sent to Atlanta would end up back in Boston. First, it was later traded by the Hawks in August of 2005. The Hawks sent Boris Diaw and the pick to the Phoenix Suns for Joe Johnson in a sign-and-trade agreement. The next summer, Phoenix selected University of Kentucky point guard Rajon Rondo with the 21st pick.

In a pre-arranged draft night deal, the Suns sent the draft rights of Rondo and Brian Grant to the Celtics for a top-ten protected first round pick in 2007.

Walker joined the Celtics and seemed like a new player compared to the end of his first tenure. The former All-Star was taking less shots and focused on rebounding and scoring from the post rather than hoisting up three-point attempts.

Adding Walker to the fold while retaining Payton proved to have a positive impact as the Celtics gave up no rotation players in the trade. Boston went 18-9 after the trade deadline to finish the season 45-37. Walker played in 24 games with the Celtics, and was productive in a smaller role. He managed 16.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.1 BPG in 34.5 MPG.

The 45-37 record was good enough for Boston to win the Atlantic Division by two games over the Philadelphia 76ers (43-39). Winning the division allowed the Celtics to claim the third seed in the East. They matched up with the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

Indiana lost star Ron Artest for the season as he was suspended for his role in the Malice at the Palace brawl earlier in the season. Still, the Pacers had a formidable team with star Jermaine O'Neal, starter Stephen Jackson and veteran Reggie Miller.

In the series opener, Boston used a 39-11 second quarter and a 34-6 run to cruise to an easy 102-82 win. Center Raef LaFrentz led the way with 21 points.

Miller was in his last playoff run before retirement. Known for playoff theatrics, the 18-year veteran would come alive late in Game Two. Boston was up 75-68 with 8:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Indiana outscored the Celtics 14-4 the rest of the way. Miller hit a pull-up jumper with 37.1 seconds left to give Indiana an 82-79 lead.

Celtics guard Ricky Davis missed a midrange jumper with 31.9 seconds left and Paul Pierce missed a three with 2.9 seconds left that would've tied the game. In Indiana, Miller had 33 points and O'Neal chipped in 21 points and 11 rebounds as Indiana pulled away to win Game Three 99-76.

Walker committed two hard fouls on O'Neal in the game. He was penalized with two technical fouls during the contest and ejected. During a confrontation with O'Neal, Walker grabbed referee Tom Washington by the arm in an attempt to move him out of the way. He was suspended for Game Four.

Without Walker, Boston inserted sixth man Davis into the starting lineup for rookie Tony Allen. Pierce had 30 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as Boston built an early double figure lead and pulverized Indiana 110-79.

Walker returned for Game Five which saw Indiana take control. In the third quarter, Indiana had its largest lead, 67-52 at the 4:10 mark. The Celtics battled back, cutting the deficit to two points two separate times in the fourth quarter. Indiana had answers with buckets from O'Neal and Jackson and held on for a 90-85 victory.

Back in Indiana, Game Six was close. The Pacers jumped out to a 10-0 lead early, but a 35-20 run over 14 minutes gave Boston a 49-43 lead at halftime. The Celtics had control for much of the second half but Indiana kept the game close.

After O'Neal missed a layup that would've given Indiana the lead, Ricky Davis rebounded the ball with 24.6 seconds left in the game. Miller fouled with 13.7 seconds left. Down by one, Indiana had to foul intentionally.

Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley fouled Pierce, but Pierce swung his elbow through Tinsley, knocking the Pacer down. Pierce was ejected after picking up hs second technical foul.

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Miller knocked down the technical free-throw to tie the game. Since Pierce was ejected, the Pacers were allowed to pick the Celtic that shot free-throws. Indiana chose Celtics reserve center Kendrick Perkins, a 64% free-throw shooter. He missed both attempts. The game went to overtime where Walker had five of his 24 points and Boston held on 92-89 after O'Neal missed a turnaround jumper with 1.9 second left.

The Celtics knotted the series 3-3 with a final Game Seven at home in Boston. The first half was close. Indiana led by three at halftime and neither team led by more than five points in the opening half.

The Celtics stayed close early in the third quarter but the Pacers made a run to lead 64-50 at the end of the frame. The final quarter saw Indiana break out and turn the game into a laugher. Jackson led the way with 24 points as Indiana won 97-70.

It was an embarrassing ending to the season for Boston. Walker played in six first round games, and averaged 16.7 PPG on 41.3% from the field, 7.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.0 BPG in 37.3 MPG.

Walker became a free agent in the 2005 offseason. Boston did not re-sign Walker but eventually agreed to sign him to a six-year, $53 million contract and subsequently deal him to the Miami Heat in a five-team, 13-player mega trade.

The move was beneficial to both sides. Walker escaped the potential embarrassment of signing for only the mid-level exception of around $5 million annually and he joined a Miami Heat team looking to compete for a championship. The Celtics were able to receive some trade assets for dealing Walker, including two second round picks and a trade exception.

Antoine Walker on the trade for Atlanta (via The Atlanta Constitution):

"It was a no-brainer. That's just good business."

On Hawks head coach Mike Woodson:

"Coach Woodson was great for me. I enjoyed playing for him. He stayed on me the whole time; he wouldn't let up no matter what. He constantly tried to make me a better player and a better pro. "I just think Billy [Knight] decided he wanted to go younger, and I wasn't a part of that plan. But there are no hard feelings. It was just business."

On the trade (via the Boston Globe):

"I wasn't excited about being moved, to be honest with you, but I couldn't ask for a better situation. I have an opportunity to play with another All-Star and a chance to join a team that's in the thick of the playoff hunt, and I love to play in the postseason. So, I have to thank [Atlanta general manager] Billy Knight for moving me back to a place that I know so well."

On wanting to stay with Boston long-term:

"I hope Boston isn't just renting me for the last two months of the season to make a playoff run. I spent a lot of years there. I made a lot of friends there. I put my roots there. I'd love to be there for the rest of my career."

On the Atlantic Division being competitive after the 76ers acquired Chris Webber:

"With Webber going to Philly, it's going to be an interesting last two months in the Atlantic Division. The last two months of the season should be really fun."

On past issues with Danny Ainge being water under the bridge (via Sports Illustrated):

"Danny had to put his stamp on this team, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm more concerned right now about my relationship with coach Doc [Rivers] because I want to fit in with his system."

On playing in Atlanta:

"Playing in Atlanta was painful. The grass is not greener elsewhere."

On trying to get his original number 8 jersey from Al Jefferson and how much he might have to pay (via the Boston Globe):

"I'm going to get it back next year. I don't know, I haven't talked to the rook. I'm going to get to him before he gets to next year because he might be a little more cocky. I'm going to get to him this year. I'm going to cut him a check early."

On leaving a young Hawks team (via Hawks.com):

"I'm happy that I'm going to a team I'm familiar with, but I'm sorry I'm leaving Atlanta. I got very close with the young guys as well as some of the other players like Al [Harrington], who I became good friends with. And while you hope you can remain together, I understand the business aspect of the NBA. I appreciated playing for coach Woodson, and I thank Billy (Knight) for giving me the opportunity, and for trading me to a team in playoff contention."

Michael Stewart on joining the Hawks (via The Atlanta Constitution):

"I haven't played [in Boston], so I wasn't turning my nose up at any opportunities. I can play hard, I can cheerlead, whatever they ask me to do, I'm here to do it."

Tom Gugliotta on how he is adds age to the Hawks young roster (via The Atlanta Constitution):

"I just raised the average age in this locker room about seven years. I've been on some young teams before, but I was the young guy then. Now I'm the old guy."

On his experience:

"I've been on six, make that seven teams now, so I understand how this thing works. The tough thing for me the past two years is that I've been healthy. But I had that stigma that I was still hurt or out, so been difficult to get back into a flow on the floor. But now that here, looking forward to playing and being as productive as possible."

On the Hawks young roster:

"I know I haven't been here long, but it's good to see young guys like these. They're trying to learn and to get better and improve on all the little things they don't know yet. And that's really a fantastic thing to watch at this stage of my career."

Gary Payton on the Celtics adding Walker and him returning to Boston after agreeing to a buyout (via ESPN):

"To add Antoine here, it seems like a good fit and we could go pretty far if I would come back."

Boston Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge statement on acquiring Walker and dealing away Payton (via Celtics.com):

"We are excited to have Antoine back and I know he is excited to be back. We made the move because we felt the time and price was right as we make our playoff push. We have some youth and athleticism and are at a place when we can use some veteran experience and he provides that. "When we traded Antoine it was not personal as reported, it was strictly business. At the time I felt we needed to become more athletic, younger, as well as a little more diversified. I think we have been able to do that. We took Antoine and were able to get Raef LaFrentz and Jiri Welsch, and had the ability to add some talented young players like Tony Allen and Delonte West. Now we are able to move Jiri for a first round pick and get Antoine back. "I feel he will have to make some adjustments to his game to fit Doc's system and believe he will do that. I spoke with Antoine earlier and he is very excited to be back in Boston. He is thrilled to return after where he has been and getting him back in that frame of mind is great for us and him. Doc also spoke with him and we are both hopeful we will have him available to play tomorrow (Friday) in Utah. "As far as our point guard depth, we believe in Marcus [Banks] and Delonte [West]. They have learned a great deal under Gary and if you never take the training wheels off you will never know if they can ride the bike. I think having a talented ball handler like Antoine on the floor will also alleviate some pressure."

Comments on the trade in Celtics season ticket holder conference call (via Celtics.com):

Shawn Sullivan: Question number one, why bring Antoine back at this point?

Danny Ainge: You know, I talked with Doc and we talked with management and ownership and everything, and we just felt like it was a good time to bring Antoine here. You know, Antoine has skills that we don’t have. He has experience that we don’t have on the front line and we just felt like his game could complement some of our younger guys.

And you know, there’s a lot of talk about is Antoine going to make Paul play better? You know, I don’t know so much about that other than Antoine, I think, has a chance to help us be a better team, if he conforms to the way that Doc wants to play. We know that Antoine has holes in his game but he also has the talent that can help us. And we felt like the risk was very low if Antoine comes in and helps us and we go to the playoffs and he is able to conform. Doc feels very comfortable and confident and can trust Antoine on the court, and we also have the best opportunity to retain him in the off season at a reasonable number.

And if Antoine does not conform and does not fit into Doc’s plans and coaching style, then we have an asset that we could do a sign and trade, which is probably more valuable than the pick that we gave up to get Antoine. And the worst-case scenario is Antoine comes in things don’t work out and he does not do a sign and trade and goes somewhere else to play then we think the risk was very minimal.

Shawn Sullivan: Now have you had a chance to talk to Antoine at this point?

Danny Ainge: Yes, I have. I basically told Antoine that we need him to come in and I need him to do whatever Doc needs him to do. He’s probably not going to get the same kind of minutes that he’s been used to down in Atlanta, and that the only factor that we care about is helping us win.

I told him that one of our biggest weaknesses as a team is fighting through adversity with our youth and inexperience and the emotional state of our team. We do not do a good job when things start going south and battling back. And I thought that his experience could help us a great deal. And that’s the number one thing that I needed him to do, is to help us be a tougher mental team in fighting through adversity - when we lose a game, to help us bounce back the next night. Or you know, in the middle of the game when we lose a 16-point lead, we just have not been able to deal with those issues very well and a lot of it is the inexperience.

Shawn Sullivan: What was his reaction when…?

Danny Ainge: His reaction was that he was very excited. He is very enthusiastic to be coming back to Boston. He couldn’t wait to get to Utah and hopes he can play tonight. And we hope he can play tonight. And he was very, very excited about coming back.

Now, we didn’t get into any discussion about long-term arrangements; those are things that are just going to be handled in the summer. We’ll see how this whole experiment works.

Shawn Sullivan: What was Doc and the coaching staff’s reaction to the deal?

Danny Ainge: Oh, Doc was excited. He thinks that, obviously, a coach is always under stress in trying to manage these issues. And how can he best utilize Antoine? But he was very excited about Antoine coming in. He’s coached against Antoine. He’s a tough guy to match up and he’s a versatile player and I think Doc likes that versatility and has some things on his mind, which he can try to implement. Doc and the coaching staff are very excited.

Shawn Sullivan: Now on the talks with Atlanta… the Antoine deal had been rumored probably for over a month but did those talks heat up more after Philly went out and acquired Chris Webber?

Danny Ainge: Not from my perspective. My thing all along was that I think Antoine can help us. It’s kind of exciting. It gives us a little bit of a jolt. I respect Antoine’s talents and what he has. I worry a little bit about some of the other things that Antoine brings to the table, quite honestly. But because of the fact that we didn’t have to give up any of our future pieces, I say we gave up our worst pick over the next couple of years.

We’ve got five picks in the next three and we’ll give up the worst of them. I don’t think it’s a high risk because again, we do acquire an asset in Antoine whether it is him as a player or as a sign and trade. So it might be more valuable than a first round pick. It probably is.

So I just don’t think the risk was high. I say let’s go for it. Doc wants it. Everybody on the staff wanted it. Let’s just – let’s give it a try because there wasn’t - whereas, you know for the last month, I haven’t felt comfortable with the price tag…

...that’s been asked. So anyway I’m excited about it. I think it’s worth a shot. I respect Antoine’s talent. We need some of the things he brings to the table. And I hope that he can conform to what Doc wants him to do and make players better around him.

On bringing Walker back (via ESPN):

"I think Antoine improves our team right now, and it doesn't jeopardize our future. We've been in discussions with Atlanta for about a month. They were looking at taking some of my pieces for the future. Today the price came right and the risk came low."

On reconnecting with Walker after a contentious departure for the forward in 2003:

"I think Antoine's ego was hurt a little bit. He's a prideful guy, but I think he knows that it wasn't personal. I told him it was a lot more pleasant calling him this time. It's never fun making that (other) call. But, to be honest, I don't care what he thinks of me. I'm just glad he's excited to come to Boston."

How the trade happened (via the Boston Globe):

"There's been talk with Atlanta for about a month, but it mostly included our young guys, and that wasn't going to happen. [Yesterday], when it became more serious and [the terms] became a little bit more favorable, we did it. We've had interest in Antoine coming back for a while, but the price was too high. Today, the price was right and we're excited to have him. "I think Antoine can help us. He's what I refer to as a playmaker in the frontcourt, a passer/ballhandler at the power forward and center positions. That is something we've lacked. His skills and experience can help us."

On previous comments in 2003 that Walker had a stranglehold on the organization (via the Boston Globe):

"When I said Antoine had a stranglehold on the organization, I was talking primarily about the coaches, who had treated him a certain way for some time. It was going to be difficult for them to all of a sudden turn around and say, `Now you have to be this way.' "But now I have a new coach. Now that Antoine is back, he has to fit in with the way Doc [Rivers] wants to do things."

Atlanta Hawks executive vice president and general manager Billy Knight on the trade (via Hawks.com):

"This trade will give us the opportunity to continue to develop our nucleus of young players for the remainder of the year. We're thrilled to be able to make a deal which brings another first round draft choice, while still allowing us salary flexibility this summer. We thank Antoine (Walker) for his contributions to the organization both on and off the court, and wish him the very best."

How the trade is a win-win (via The Atlanta Constitution):

"It's what's best for everybody concerned. Antoine's a good guy, a good pro. It just wasn't to his advantage to being here. For us to do what we do best is to get our young guys as much time to develop as we could. "But this wasn't something we did to punish him or anything like that. I feel like [we] made a deal that works out well for Antoine as well."

If Gary Payton will show up:

"I'm not sure about any of that. I know Gary, and I'll speak to him. I'll speak to all those guys. But the most important thing for us right now is the development of our young players and making sure they get as much time on the floor to develop as possible. That was the whole intent, the whole goal. "The draft pick allows us to add another piece to our group. It's an identical situation as last year. That pick turned out to be Josh Smith. And we hope to get another comparable piece."

On making the team worse with the trade (via ESPN):

"I've put the organization in a tough spot. I've put (coach) Mike Woodson in a tough spot. And it's tougher now, because I traded away his leading scorer and rebounder."

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers on losing Gary Payton and adding Antoine Walker (via the Boston Globe):

"Gary came in here and did all the things we asked. Losing Gary, you need someone else who can handle the ball and help in that role. Antoine adds something like that to our team because he's a big [man] who can score and handle the ball. He stretches the floor and plays into what we were doing. And I know he had great chemistry with Paul [Pierce]. He's very excited to come back and that was good for me to hear. "I've never coached Antoine, but I know he's a matchup nightmare to coach against. The tough part is the way Antoine plays changes the way we play offense. We're not sure what we're going to do offensively. We want to take advantage of what we have. That's the tough part about trades. I like where we can go. I just don't know how we're going to take advantage of it yet."

Hawks head coach Mike Woodson on the young roster and replacing Walker (via The Atlanta Constitution):

"I didn't want our guys feeling down or feeling sorry for themselves. There's no doubt it's tough because you lose a teammate. But what these young guys don't understand is that this is a business. There can be no ill feelings. These guys still have to go out there and play and represent the Hawks. "Maybe even more important is that we're now missing 20 points and eight or nine rebounds a night without Antoine, so those points have to come from somewhere."

Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck on adding Antoine Walker (via ESPN):

"We think the addition of Antoine Walker brings needed presence under the boards and a proven winner back to Boston. We are making a playoff push and are focused on becoming a better, bigger team down the stretch."

On the need to improve on the glass (via the Boston Globe):

"There is no more to this trade, literally, than the fact we are the worst rebounding team I've seen in my life. It's a joke. We needed to add some rebounding ability to this team. And, when Philadelphia got [Chris] Webber, and all of a sudden were back in the mix, we had to do something. We were not going to get it done with Steamboat Willie under the basket."

On the notion that ownership forced Danny Ainge to re-acquire Walker:

"It's just not true that we forced this [on Ainge]. Danny started these discussions two months ago. I had no input. At the time, Atlanta wanted more than we were willing to give. Obviously, that changed, so we made the deal. If Danny wasn't the lead advocate, this wouldn't have happened."

Hawks owner and governor Steve Belkin (via Hawks.com):

"Billy (Knight) has done an outstanding job of shaping our club and this move provides us with a strong draft pick and needed salary flexibility to keep building on the solid foundation that is in place. I've known Antoine a long time and aside from his basketball talent, he has great character and has done a lot for the organization on and off the court. We will certainly miss him and wish him well."

Hawks owner Michael Gearon on the direction of the team after the trade (via Hawks.com):

"We are building a foundation and the key to our success is going to be the development of our talented young players. When given more playing time, these kids have more than delivered, and this move creates a terrific opportunity for them to continue to grow into the type of players we feel they can be."

Celtics forward Paul Pierce on the trade (via the Boston Globe):

"It's good to have [Walker] back. We hated to lose Gary Payton, but Antoine brings versatility to the squad. He's a guy who's been in the wars and he's going to help us with this playoff push. [The chemistry] is going to take some time. We can just go out and play basketball, but you have to understand it's a whole new coaching staff, a whole new system. We've got to make adjustments. I'm still making adjustments to what's going on, even though I've gotten a lot better since the year has progressed. "It's going to be an adjustment at first for him to understand what's going on, but he's going to be fine. He's a basketball player. He understands the game. He's a guy you can go to. He can command double teams. He's versatile and can spread the floor. He's an All-Star. He's a matchup problem for anyone at that position. He's going to take some pressure off of me. He gives me some breathing room from putting all the pressure on me to score."

Celtics guard Ricky Davis on the trade (via the Boston Globe):

"It's a great trade. It helps us on the inside. It's going to be a sight to see."

Image via AP/Paul Connors

#Antoine Walker #Tom Gugliotta #Michael Stewart #Gary Payton #2005 #2004*05 Season #Celtics #Hawks #2005 Trade Deadline #Rajon Rondo

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