Neither side wanted things to go this way, but James Posey and the Celtics parted company.

Posey got from New Orleans the four years at the full mid-level exception he was seeking, and while the Celts upped their offer from two years to three, they were unwilling to go any further. Posey averaged 7.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes during the regular season and dropped slightly to 6.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 22.0 minutes in the playoffs.

But his contributions were more significant than the numbers would suggest. Posey was generally on the floor in crunch time.

"We were fortunate to have him this year," said Danny Ainge. "He was a big part of our championship season. ...More