While all indications from Danny Ainge were that this would be a quiet free agent time for the Celtics, the opposite was true this week.

Though the effort ultimately went for naught, Ainge made a serious pitch to Utah Jazz power forward Karl Malone.

Ainge went to Utah and met with the 39-year-old Mailman at the stroke of midnight Monday - the precise start of the NBA's free agent negotiating period (contracts cannot be signed until July 16). There was enough interest there that Ainge flew to California to meet with Malone and his agent, Dwight Manley, in the ensuing days.

But the courtship went no further, and there is word now that the 18-year Jazz star will sign with the Lakers - although Manley insists no final call has been made.

``We met at 10:01 Mountain Time - which made it July 1 in the East,'' said Ainge. ``We had a really good conversation. I got enough hope out of it that I went to LA to meet with Karl and his agent. I think Karl was very receptive to the possibility of playing for the Boston Celtics. I think it was something that interested him, and it definitely interested us.

``But I think he realized that he really wanted to stay in the West. I think that's what it came down to as far as our chances to get him.''