No, Gary Payton is not going back to play for the Sonics to finish his career where it began.   Some officials back at the Celtic camp see Payton wearing a Celtic uniform for next season?s opener.

Even with a stubborn Gary Payton and a back court stacked with veteran point guards such as Kenny Anderson and Travis Best competing for playing time, the Celtics still expect Payton to be their starter when next season arrives, according to coach Doc Rivers.

Gary Payton has threatened to retire if he is not allowed to stay in LA as a result of his recent trade to the Boston Celtics.

With Gary Payton possibly not reporting to the Boston Celtics, Danny Ainge is considering adding one of two veteran point guards, Travis Best or Kenny Anderson.

Best went to high school in nearby Springfield and said "I've always kept my eye on Boston.  It might be a nice story to finish up in Boston, back at home, seeing as how I've pretty much played my entire career after high school away from home.

"But sometimes in order to play somewhere you have to feel wanted. At this point, I just have to find a good situation where I'm going to be playing with a solid team that has an opportunity to make the playoffs. I'm not in any rush. There's still a lot of time left in the summer and I'm just getting in shape."

Anderson played for the Celtics for four seasons before being traded to Seattle in the Vin Baker deal.

Either player, while not stellar, will solidify the point guard position with veteran leadership.

The Celtics will sign second-round pick (40th overall) Justin Reed today, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.  The Celtics and Reed agreed to a two-year deal worth approximately $1 million. The first year is guaranteed and the team holds the option on the second. Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge announced last week that Boston planned to sign the 6-foot-8-inch forward from Mississippi.

Danny Ainge is doing his best job at diplomacy, particularly when it comes to the Marcus Banks situation.

``I told Marcus that there was no shame in being traded for a future Hall of Fame point guard,'' Ainge said of the original Banks-for-Gary Payton deal. ``After all, I was traded (by the Celtics) for Joe Kleine and Ed Pinckney.''

But Ainge did acknowledge the turbulence of this particular matter.

``I spoke to Marcus (Saturday) and to his father (yesterday),'' Ainge said. ``From the perspective of a 22-year-old kid, something like this can get very emotional.

``But they were all fine (yesterday). They just didn't know what was going on. I just had to explain what was going on from our perspective. Though Marcus will still tell you that he's not quite sure what happened, he's still excited to come back.''

Despite a bevy of media reports indicating Utah Jazz free agent forward Tom Gugliotta would return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where his career found its greatest successes, he signed a contract with the Boston Celtics today. Although terms of the contract were not disclosed, it's presumably a one year, minimum contract.

Gugliotta, known for his solid rebounding and soft shooting touch, was a 1993 First Team NBA All-Rookie selection. Selected sixth overall in the 1992 NBA Draft by Washington, Gugliotta averaged 14.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in his rookie campaign with the then Washington Bullets and would continue to improve eventually achieving All-Star status with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1997.

"He is a guy that can play a little bit of center in a pinch for Doc (Rivers)," Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said. "He can play small forward, can play power forward. He can pass, he can shoot and create off the dribble. He's a complete basketball player. He really knows how to play the game."

As expected the controversy surrounding Gary Payton and his trade to Eastward to the Boston Celtics continued to be drama-riddled yesterday, with Payton making it clear via telephone that his non-presence in Boston at the time when he was meant to report after being traded from the Lakers was no accident.

While he says it is nothing against the Celtics organization, Payton is quite aminant that he will not be playing in the East this season.  Despite his rights currently being owned by Boston he says he'll retire before he reports, claiming he has been disrespected by the Lakers organization.

"I wasn't going to Boston to take a physical," he said. "I ain't going to move my family no more. I can't take my family to Boston. It ain't no disrespect to Boston."

Payton says he prefers to be moved on to either Houston, Minnesota or the Clippers, but if the Celtics decide not to make another trade Payton will have no choice but to become a Celtic or forfeit the $5.4 million remaining on his contract.

"I don't care about that," Payton said. "If it goes down, I'll quit. I can go on and do something else."

Payton said had he known the Lakers were going to trade him, he wouldn't have exercised his contract option for next season.

"They used me to sign so they could get other players," Payton said. "Boston is going to lose out on this. They ain't going to get (nothing). It's about respect. They (the Lakers) didn't respect me. Why should I respect them?"

While Boston welcomes point guard Marcus Banks back into the fold via yesterday's ammended Lakers trade, a bigger issue appears to be surfacing.

Gary Payton, the key to the trade from the Celtics standpoint, may never be seen in Boston's traditional green jersey.  A Lakers spokesman yesterday said the Celtics requested the change because Payton - still reportedly on a Caribbean cruise with his family - did not report for his physical.

A Celtics source countered that the team actually waived the need for a Payton physical. But there was clearly lingering worry in the Celtics front office last night that Payton might choose not to join the team - thus leading to Banks' return to the Celtics. The deal is expected to be finalized Monday.

Boston, MA --The Boston Celtics announced today that the August 6th trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, in which the Celtics received Gary Payton, Rick Fox and a conditional first round draft pick in exchange for Chucky Atkins, Chris Mihm, Marcus Banks and a second round draft choice, has been amended. In the amended deal, the Celtics have sent 6?8? forward Jumaine Jones instead of Banks to the Lakers, and no longer includes the Celtics second round draft choice.
Boston still receives Payton, Fox, the conditional first round draft pick and cash considerations.

Rick Fox has filed for divorce from Vanessa Williams.

The two have been married for five years and have a 4-year-old daughter.

"They are both extremely devoted parents, so the most important thing to them right now is the welfare of their child," a spokesperson for Rick Fox said.  "They are committed to working out what's best for her."

Fox is 35 and may retire due to injuries, after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakes to the Boston Celtics.  

The couple had been separated.

Gary Payton and his family are in Florida for a cruise so it was the perfect opportunity for coach Doc Rivers to meet them.

The Celtics are trying to soften Payton's shock after being traded to Boston by the Lakers, the team GP signed with for a paycut in order to win a title.

It will be an uphill battle to convince Payton to be at peace in the green next season but Doc Rivers is determined.