Don't say you haven't been put on notice: Believe it or not, the Celtics - yes, Danny Ainge's Celtics - are going out of their way to renew acquaintances with jilted forward Antoine Walker, whose unsavory shot selection and tacky dance routine prompted his new boss to unload him two summers ago.

So much for the playoff worthiness of the franchise. Jim O'Brien bailed early in the season after pet Eric Williams and Tony Battie were dealt to Cleveland.

Now, according to a Boston buttinski, Ainge is determined to atone for his original sin. Walker, though leading the Hawks in scoring, is obtainable because Atlanta is going nowhere in hurry and he's not part of future plans.

On the final year of his contract, Walker pockets $14.625M and the Celtics must come up with a personnel package that's within 15 percent (plus 100G) of that, roughly $12M, as well as one No. 1 pick, maybe two. The Hawks' other demand is for players whose contracts also are expiring, guys like Tom Gugliotta ($2.7M). The best they can do so far is almost $9M.

"I ain't going back there," said Walker, who played seven seasons in Boston before leaving in 2003. "Honestly, I never said that."