Brief Saturday Notebook: Wafer Talks, More Minimum Options Go

Posted by Zach Lowe on Jul 31, 2010 936329 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2010%2F07%2F31%2Fbrief-saturday-notebook-wafer-talks-more-minimum-options-go%2FBrief+Saturday+Notebook%3A+Wafer+Talks%2C+More+Minimum+Options+Go2010-07-31+14%3A34%3A48Zach+Lowehttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D9363

The sun is shining in New York City, and it’s not so hot that I want to die the minute I step out of my air conditioned apartment. You know what that means: Central Park beckons. 

So: some brief notes from around the league:

• Von Wafer talked to Slam’s Tzvi Twersky about the lead-up to Wafer signing a one-year minimum deal with Boston, and in Wafer’s telling, Doc Rivers made it very clear that the me-first crap that has flared up now and then with Wafer won’t fly in Boston:

“I just hope to help the team,” says the 25-year-old over the phone. “I’m all about the team first. I want to do anything I can to help make this a better team. Coach Rivers said, ‘If you’re not going to be a team player I don’t want you here.’ So I’m just gonna do my best to help make us a stronger group.”

Sounds good, Von. 

• Meanwhile, some other potential minimum-salary targets have found homes:

• Joey Graham, a player for whom I have a completely unreasonable affection, has signed a two-year, $2.5M deal with the Cavaliers, according to the Denver Post. Joey Graham is guaranteed to do at least one amazing thing and one astonishingly dumb thing every game. 

If the C’s can’t nab Rudy Fernandez, a guy like Graham—an athlete capable of playing either forward position—would be a suitable regular-season minutes-sopper. But he’s not a guy you’re going to trust in an important post-season game. 

• Rasho Nesterovic is taking his talents to the Greek powerhouse Olympiakos, which proves that Olympiakos management may not really know what they are doing. Look: Rasho’s a nice player, and he can still shoot 50 percent from the floor in limited minutes, but an already-disastrous Toronto defense gave up 9 more points per 100 possessions last season with Rasho on the floor. 

Rasho’s 34, and he may not have much to offer at this point. 

Still: The pool of big guys that might be available for the minimum is dwindling fast. I’m crossing my fingers that Lou Amundson somehow becomes available at that price, since no one seems to want him. Beyond Lou, it gets pretty ugly, especially since Shaq still think he’s worth more than the mid-level exception and Kwame Brown, another reported C’s target, wants more than the vet’s minimum, per Marc Stein. 

• In a story that is just too perfect, the Miami Heat have apparently fired their entire ticket sales staff, since there aren’t any  more tickets to sell, according to the Miami Herald. Dwyane Wade’s Team canned 30 folks in all, the Herald reports. 

Happy Saturday!