Delonte Returns

September 2, 2010

Celtics president Danny Ainge has spent his summer vacation plucking unwanted players from other teams, bolstering his lineup on a shoestring budget, bringing a series of big names with formerly big games to Boston.



His latest move might become his most scrutinized if the acquisition of Delonte West does not turn out to be beneficial. A free agent looking for a team to take a chance, West agreed to a nonguaranteed deal yesterday with the Celtics, his second go-round with the team.

The deal means West can be released before Jan. 10 without the Celtics being responsible for the remainder of his contract. West received $500,000 as a buyout from the Timberwolves when he was waived Aug. 3.

Ainge has always admired West's talents, and the swingman played his best basketball while in Boston. But his salary and Wally Szczerbiak's, plus the draft rights to Jeff Green, were required for Ainge to obtain Ray Allen from Seattle in July 2007.

After Seattle sent West to Cleveland a few months later, he enjoyed a solid 2008-09 season with the Cavaliers, who lost to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals. But the trouble that had plagued West's career returned with a weapons charge in September 2009. Riding a three-wheeled motorcycle, West was stopped in suburban Washington, D.C., carrying three guns and a knife.

He pleaded guilty to weapons charges and was sentenced to home confinement, but a Maryland judge ruled that he could travel with his next NBA team. The league assessed West a 10-game suspension for pleading guilty and he won't be eligible to play for Boston until a Nov. 17 home game against the Wizards.

Despite his well-chronicled troubles - including rumors of an icy relationship with LeBron James in Cleveland - West never left the good graces of Ainge, who has been seeking a swingman since the departure of Tony Allen to Memphis.

"Delonte has been one of my favorite players that I enjoyed watching in my time here with the Celtics," said Ainge. "He is a competitor and we're all aware and we've done a lot of checks and had a lot of conversation with Delonte and his people and we obviously have a long history with Delonte also and we think he can help us win."

West did not speak with the media last season in Cleveland and underwent counseling as a result of the gun charge in Maryland. He averaged nearly 3 fewer points per game last season than the previous year and missed time for some non-injury issues. The Cavaliers were ready to move on after the season, trading him to Minnesota.

The question for the Celtics is how West will fit into the team chemistry. He remains friends with former teammates Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins, but his personal problems have overshadowed his talent since the Celtics selected him with the 24th overall pick in 2004.

"I think we're getting Delonte at a good time in his life," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "He knows who he is now. "Delonte can play basketball. We know that. He brings a great toughness. That's one of the reasons I have always loved him, because of his toughness.

"The whole chemistry thing, one of the reasons we got him, we think we can make it work. But it's a concern. It always is. It's a delicate balance, chemistry."

West averaged 12.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 3 rebounds in 69 games during his final season in Boston. He is a strong mid-range shooter and effective defender, which is exactly what the Celtics need as a backup to Pierce. West will have little margin for error, and Ainge is banking that being surrounded by Pierce, Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Shaquille O'Neal will keep him away from the negativity that has grounded his career. "I do like him, and again I think that he's one of those guys that compete at an extremely high level," Ainge said. "That does help us that we have some good guys in leadership positions. And it also helps that Delonte's been here and he knows our system."

Ainge also confirmed that training camp will be held at the team's practice facility in Waltham; in recent years, the Celtics have spent a week in Newport, R.I