Once traded away, Walker is now traded for

08:54 AM EST on Friday, February 25, 2005

BY CAROLYN THORNTON
Journal Sports Writer

Believe it or not, the Wiggle is about to shimmy its way back through that door.

It was a busy day in the Celtics' front office yesterday, when Boston executed two deals before the 3 p.m. trade deadline. The most significant transaction was the four-player deal with the Atlanta Hawks that has brought Antoine Walker back to Boston in exchange for veteran point guard Gary Payton, forward Tom Gugliotta, center Michael Stewart and a 2005 or future first-round draft pick.

Walker, who was known for his wiggle, flew to Utah last night and may be available tonight against the Jazz.

Boston also traded Jiri Welsch to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 2007 first-round draft choice. Everyone involved in yesterday's trades are in the final years of their contracts.

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The first trade has raised more than a few eyebrows in Celtics Nation for a number of reasons, first and foremost being the circumstances surrounding Walker's departure.

Trading Walker, was Danny Ainge's first major move as the Celts' executive director of basketball operations. Walker was sent to Dallas right before the start of the 2003-04 season along with guard Tony Delk in exchange for Raef LaFrentz, Chris Mills, Welsch, and a first-round draft choice.

Walker -- who spent his first seven seasons in Boston and helped lead the Celtics to the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals -- was extremely bitter when he left, saying the trade was "a personal attack" and went so far as to call Ainge "a snake."

By the time he made his first appearance in Boston as a Maverick in December 2003, Walker had softened his stance and said he had come to the realization that the trade was not personal and that he was more bothered that the trade came from "out of the blue."

When he was in town last month as a member of the Hawks, who acquired him as part of a four-player trade last August, Walker broke into a wide grin when asked what he thought of the ongoing rumors that he may be traded back to Boston. "Interesting," he said, adding that he planned to keep his options open.

Still, Ainge made the trade with Dallas under the premise that it was necessary to allow him to take the Celtics in a different direction, which indeed he has. But yesterday's trade raises the question: How will Walker fit into Boston's new system now?

"At the time, we felt like we needed to become younger and more athletic and more diversified, and we've been able to do that," Ainge said. "Now we've got Tony Allen and Delonte West -- we've got the youth. Now we need some veteran leadership. We just felt the price was right, and we felt that Antoine could help us.

"The trade of Antoine was never personal," Ainge added. "It was strictly business. I never took any of the comments personally. It was just emotions. The bottom line is this: Antoine is very excited to be back in Boston. He's thrilled to return after where he's been, and just having him in that frame of mind is worth it. I think he's a better Antoine for us."

Boston may only be hovering around the .500 mark, but it is a considerably more enviable situation than the one Walker is leaving. Mired in a six-game losing streak, the Hawks own the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the second-worst record in the entire league at 10-43.

AP photo

Atlanta's Antoine Walker, right, admires his old jersey, worn by Al Jefferson during a game in Boston last month. Yesterday's trade made Walker a Celtic again.

Walker, whose $14.6-millon contract expires at the end of the season, established himself as Atlanta's leading scorer (20.4 points per game) and rebounder (9.40) and was second on the team in assists (3.7) and steals (1.21).

Paul Pierce, who admittedly struggled last season with Walker no longer at his side, continues to be the only Celtic scoring more than 20 points per game with 21.9.

Asked last month if he thought Walker could fit into Boston's current system, Rivers told the Journal that he thought he could.

"Defensively, he'd have to be better, and I think the thing he wouldn't like is the low 3-point attempts," said Rivers. (Walker is 85-for-268 from beyond the arc this season.) "I would give him a lot of freedom, though, because he's a great passer. And I would probably play him on the post more than he has ever played in his life."

The other question raised by the trade is whether second-year player Marcus Banks and rookie Delonte West will be able to run the show without the future Hall-of-Famer Payton around to help steady the ship.

"There's only one way to find out -- throw 'em into the fire," Ainge said. "I remember the same question asked about me when I was a player and when I was coaching about Shawn Marion. Everybody needs that opportunity to do it. If you never take the training wheels off, you're never going to get to ride the bike. I'm sure we're going to have to get out the first-aid kit a few times, but hopefully we won't need the tourniquet."

Gugliotta averaged just 1.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 20 games for Boston. Stewart has spent the season on the injured list with "bilateral knee tendinitis."

The Welsch deal, says Ainge, was "just a numbers game" with Boston needing to lighten the load at the wing position.

"I still like Jiri Welsch every bit as much today as when we traded for him," Ainge said. "I think he's a terrific player, but then we acquired Ricky Davis and Tony Allen and Delonte West and Justin Reed. Justin isn't the player that Jiri is yet, but what he is is a 245-pound body that can play the small forward position. So it's just strictly numbers game. Jiri is going to shine in Cleveland."

The Cavaliers are in need of a more consistent outside shooter. Welsch, who lost his spot in the starting rotation to Allen, has been averaging 7.5 points on 42.7-percent shooting from the field and 32.3-percent three-point shooting. He's also averaged 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 20.5 minutes.