Pitt's Brown in talks with Celtics
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If an NBA labor agreement is not reached by August, Gilbert Brown will sign a contract to play overseas for a team in Germany.
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Gilbert Brown was on the phone several times throughout the day Thursday with the Boston Celtics and was optimistic about his chances of getting drafted in the second round. When Thursday turned into Friday and the 51/2-hour draft had come to an end, Brown didn't have much time to dwell on the disappointment of not hearing his name called.
Shortly after the draft ended, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge called Brown and expressed his interest in signing him to a free-agent deal. Brown said Ainge told him the Celtics had to make a decision between Brown and Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore with their second-round selection, the 55th overall in the draft. They chose Moore, but he wanted Brown to know that he was still interested.
"I'm definitely encouraged that the Celtics were interested," Brown said Friday afternoon. "I was talking to them all day. They said it was the flip of a coin when it came time to make the pick."
Ainge and other NBA general managers will not sign free agents to deals anytime soon, however, because NBA owners are expected to lock out players July 1 if the league and its players union cannot resolve their labor dispute.
For the time being, Brown will resume workouts in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. If the lockout is not settled by August, Brown will sign a contract to play overseas for a team in Germany. Brown's agent, T.J. Doyle, would not disclose the name of the team because he is in the process of negotiating an opt-out clause in the contract that would allow Brown to return once the labor dispute ends.
Boston is not the only team interested in bringing Brown to training camp. Phoenix and a few others have reached out, but Brown is leaning toward the Celtics because of the 30-minute conversation he had with Ainge early Friday morning.
"He really encouraged me," Brown said. "He told me I could be the Wesley Matthews of this draft. Of all the teams I worked out for, Danny was the most excited to have me in. He really feels like I can make their team and contribute the first year. He was really confident in my ability. He felt like I stood out in my workout."
First Published June 25, 2011 12:00 am
