Celtics, Posey Agree To Terms

The Celtics agreed to terms with free agent small forward James Posey yesterday on a $7 million, two-year deal, with the second year a player option. Posey should arrive in Boston tomorrow or Tuesday to sign officially, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein.

Posey spent the last last two seasons of an eight-year career with the Miami Heat. He averaged 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds and started 63 of 67 games during the 2005-06 season, when the Heat won the NBA title.

As a player who knows what it takes to win a title, the 6-foot-8-inch Posey was particularly attractive to the Celtics. Career averages of 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds, in addition to his standout defensive ability, helped convince the Celtics that Posey was worth spending the midlevel exception.

"He's going to add a lot to the Celtics," said Bartelstein. "He's one of the premier defenders in the league at the wing position. He can be a lock-down defender every night.

"He didn't get to show all he can do offensively [with Miami] because of Shaq [O'Neal] and Dwyane Wade. In Doc [Rivers]'s offense, I think he'll get a lot of opportunities. He is a high-energy, tough-minded guy who plays his heart out every night."

The news on Posey comes less than 48 hours after Reggie Miller declined a comeback offer with Boston. If second-round picks Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt sign in the next few days, as expected, the number of players under contract with the Celtics will increase to 15 with little more than a month until the start of preseason.

source : boston.com