Mickael Pietrus often stated his feelings about the Celtics over the course of the season. He loved being a Celtic. After the season, he expressed his desire to return and said he wanted to help raise Banner 18. But it appears that he only wants to come back if he gets well paid to do so.

According to a report on WEEI's Green Street, Pietrus' agent, Bill McCandless, has stated that he won't play for the veteran's minimum.

“MP will not play for the veteran’s minimum. Period,” said McCandless. “It’s not happening. That’s the beginning, middle and end of that. … He is not a veteran’s minimum player. There’s no chance he’ll ever sign for that.”

McCandless also stated that he's gotten several offers of the vet minimum for his client as well as an offer overseas for 3 times that and offers from other teams as well. With the Celtics edging closer to that tax threshold that they must stay under, it appears as though Peaches' happy time in Boston must come to an end.  It may be that this is agent speak and maybe Mickael will overrule his agent and sign for the vet minimum  in the end,  but it doesn't seem likely at this point.  

The Celtics do have the bi-annual exception but only being able to use that every other year, and the possibility of needing that to pick up a waived player who could put them over the top, it might be smart to hang onto it. Pietrus signed with the Celtics for the vet minimum last season, but he had just been bought out of his contract with the Suns and was paid over $4 million by them last season.

He had also been turned away by the Raptors because of concerns about his surgically repaired knee that was still not healed. The knee did limit him to 42 games last season and affected his play in the playoffs. He also underwent another surgery on his knee after the season so once again, his health will be a question mark. But, even with that, if he has offers over and above what the Celtics feel they can offer, he may have to leave the team he loved last year for greener (no pun intended) pastures elsewhere.

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