Gary in green again...

...except this time it's Celtic green!

BOSTON -- The Los Angeles Lakers resumed their makeover Friday by trading Gary Payton and Rick Fox to the Boston Celtics for Chucky Atkins, Marcus Banks and Chris Mihm.

The Celtics also received a conditional first-round draft pick and cash in the deal and sent a second-round pick to the Western Conference champions

Read the rest here.

Yes, the so-called "greatest Sonic in the history of the universe" got shipped to bean-town for a couple of stiffs. Are the Lakers nuts, or has Payton's stock really dropped that much?

E.J. TV

Ever wonder what happened to Eddie Johnson? Well, wonder no more, friend. He's selling direct-to-DVD instructional films!

Swift, Yet Fast

From Eric Bucher's NBA column on ESPN.com:

Seattle SuperSonics. Blazers second-year forward Travis Outlaw, ball cocked over his head and a murderous dunk in mind, soared to the rim. Sonics high school center Robert Swift (No. 12) met him there and cleanly blocked the ball before it left Outlaw's hand. Just as impressively, Swift reacted as if it was no big deal. Maybe that's because he did it last summer in a private game to Paul Pierce, one reason why the Celtics didn't need to see Swift work out to know they wanted him. Big men always develop slowly and Seattle would be wise to sign some vets who could show him the ropes, but Swift's appetite for defense and back-to-the-basket instincts should carry him a long way.

Please, please God, let this kid be decent. I'm not even asking for him to be "good." I'm talking merely "serviceable" in a Frank Brickowski-, Ervin Johnson-kind of way. Is that asking too much?

... on second thought, maybe that's not asking for enough for a No. 12 draft pick.

... on third thought, how many No. 12 draft picks ever make an All-Star team anymore? Hold up, let me do some research on this...