Joe Vieira of the Boston Globe reports that free agent Erick Strickland could be ready to jump ship if management doesn?t increase its offer. Strickland is being offered a one-year minimum contract worth $700,000. Strickland has made it clear that the team will have to ante up if they wish to retain his services.
''You must understand that I know this place,'' he said. ''I like the city and I've gotten to know the organization, and I like the strides that we made last season. ''But I'm getting old in this league, and this is about my options. If someone offers me a better deal, I'm not going to turn it up. I'm just looking to see that the situation is the best one for me and my future.''
Strickland turned down a one-year, $2.6 million guaranteed contract with the Memphis Grizzlies to sign a one-year deal with the Celtics for $653,350 prior to last season. He said giving the Celtics a hometown-team discount by signing for the league minimum again is not an option. ''I did that last year,'' he said. ''I'm six years in this league now, and I need to worry about my future. I can't keep doing that. I have to look at the best deal available.''
According to Strickland, he has talked to a number of NBA teams, but has only met with Indiana - a meeting he said ''went good.'' He expects to sign on somewhere within the next week or two, but if not, then definitely by the beginning of training camp Oct. 1. He did not rule out the possibility of returning to the Celtics, although general ganager Chris Wallace has said Boston will not sign a 12th man for anything more than the veteran league minimum.