Gerald Henderson Bitter after Trade to Sonics

SEATTLE Gerald Henderson couldn't hold back a wide smile. He was standing at his locker getting ready for last night's game against the Celtics when someone asked him what he thought about Boston's efforts to sign free agent guard Ray Williams.

"Well," said Henderson. "They really need somebody now, don't they?"

Boston's search for a guard is sweet vindication for Henderson, who was dealt to Seattle a few days after ending a long contract dispute last October. The Celtics sent him to the Pacific Northwest and said they had enough backcourt depth. The deal made sense when the Celtics got off to a great start, but Boston's bench has turned into petrified wood, and now there is a search for a reserve guard who can score some points.

Henderson is somewhat tickled by all of this.

"After it's all said and done, I wish them the best," he said, still smiling. "But when you see them using the same two people game after game after game . . . well . . .

"When the trade was made I guess they didn't feel they needed anybody. They hoped that Carlos Clark or somebody would take care of things, but I guess that didn't happen. Now they need somebody."

Williams is not the type of player normally associated with the Celtics, but Boston appears somewhat desperate. Henderson has noticed.

"It surprises me that the Celtics would go after sombody like Ray Williams, but he is a veteran. All I know is that now they got to live with my end of the deal.

"Hey, you can't expect a guy like Carlos Clark to come in and play 15 minutes and expect him to perform. It's very hard. You can't get any rhythm because you're not playing enough. I think you have to play at least 20-23 minutes to be effective coming off the bench."

Henderson still isn't sure why he was traded. He's heard the theory that the Celtics wanted to unload his $350,000 salary. He's heard that they were upset with him for not coming to terms sooner. He's heard that it was a punitive move. He's heard all the theories.

"Maybe it was because they thought I'd be unhappy making less than the other guards on the team," he said.

The move to Seattle hasn't hurt Henderson's game. He went into last night's game averaging 13.1 points and 6.8 assists in 34 minutes per game. He was shooting 47 percent from the floor, and 79 percent. He had a career-high 31 points with 10 assists and 3 steals in 40 minutes against Kansas City on Jan. 13. When the Sonics beat the Celtics in the Garden last month, Henderson had 16 assists and 15 steals, then spiked the ball at the conclusion of the game.

He is still somewhat bitter toward the Celtic organization, and it shows. He was one of the hardest-working Celtics during his five years in Boston and became a fan favorite. He will always be remembered for his steal and score in the final minute of Game 2 of the championship series against the Lakers. That play enabled the Celtics to win in overtime. Without the steal, Boston would have been down, 3-0, going into Game 4 in the Forum.