McHale Becomes Highest Paid Celtic Ever

July 1983

Kevin McHale can boast that's he's now the highest-paid Celtic ever. But that distinction might be very short-lived. Larry Bird and his agent, Bob Woolf, will see to that. After 10 months of negotiations, McHale came to terms yesterday, signing a four-year contract that reportedly calls for $1 million annually.

The signing in Minneapolis took only five minutes after a brief meeting of McHale and his agent, John Sandquist, with general counsel Jan Volk of the Celtics. Agreement was reached Wednesday during a phone conversation between Sandquist and general manager Red Auerbach. The $4-million salary is believed to be the same amount offered McHale several months ago. Bird is locked into a five-year contract that reportedly pays $650,000 a year.

Unless the Celtics agree to re-negotiate Bird's contract, which ends after next season, he will become a free agent. According to a reliable source, Bird is seeking a six-year contract for $2 million per year. Celtics owner Harry Mangurian had proposed a five-year contract for $1.6 million. "Harry made Bird a tremendous offer," said Auerbach. "We want to see that he's adequately compensated."

"The signing of McHale makes it more urgent for the Celtics to resolve the Bird problem," said Woolf. "We'd like to work out an agreement. We're ready, willing and able any time. It only makes sense for the Celtics to sign Larry before the season begins. "We will not discuss a contract once the season begins," Woolf said. "Larry wants it that way. He does not want any negotiations to interfere with his playing."

Auerbach expressed positive thoughts about the McHale signing. "It's something that we had to do for the good of the club," Auerbach said. "He's played a lot of minutes and he can play two positions." One of the major hangups had been the the team's refusal to include a no-trade clause, but this apparently was resolved. "It's a contract that Kevin believes he can live with no matter where he ends up playing," Sandquist said. "That's why we didn't object to not having a
trade penalty in the agreement."

Auerbach's response was that "there is no such clause. It's against league rules to have it." No one seemed more relieved than McHale that his contract difficulties were ended. "I'm extremely glad it's over," he said last night from his home in Hibbing, Minn. "It took too long. I'm sorry that Boston fans had to be subjected to the nonsense." McHale said he doesn't feel that his contract will cause difficulties with his teammates or the fans.

"When Larry Bird, Cedric Maxwell or any of the other players come up for new contracts, I'll be right behind them," he said. "I hope they all get whatever they want." McHale believes he will remain a Celtic despite a recent Globe poll in which 72.1 percent of the readers responding wanted him to be traded. "I didn't play well, but neither did the team," McHale said. "Opposing teams did a good job of cutting out our offense. It was frustrating." Auerbach, when asked if he had any plans to trade McHale, said that "nothing is impossible. We'll take stock and analyze the ballclub. If it can help, we will. Right now, I'd say no."

McHale added, "There was no verbal promise from Red that he wouldn't trade me. But he said I was in his plans." The Celtics will continue to do business as usual, according to Auerbach, despite the impending sale of the team by Mangurian to Boston businessman Steve Belkin. "I talked recently with Belkin and Mangurian, and they both agree this is the way to go," said Auerbach. "We're not supposed to sit still on a status- quo basis just because negotiations are going on between them."