Bill Ingram of HOOPSWORLD reports:

James Posey is expected to announce that he’ll re-sign with the Boston Celtics in the next 24 hours.

That report contradicts others (like this one by Marc Spears) that were published this evening, but take it for what it’s worth. This afternoon, Steve Bulpett noted that the Celtics were willing to give Posey the full mid-level exception; the question regarding the length of the contract remains.

Let’s hope that Ingram’s words have legs, and this thing gets done within a matter of hours. Stop the madness.

Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune has posted a new rumor for us to chew on:

McHale was asked if Carney’s talents were similar to those of Kirk Snyder, a big guard who was with the Wolves for the final weeks of this season. He said it was a valid comparison.

Snyder is a free agent and there are reports he will wind up signing with Boston.

Interesting, but this doesn’t make any sense. Snyder is on the C-list of free agent swingmen. If the C’s get desperate, he should be a last resort option. But now? What? Is Danny boy losing confidence in his chances of retaining Pose?

But, for all we know, the writer saw that Snyder had worked out with Boston and made something out of nothing. We’ll see.

Marc Spears of the Boston Globe reports that after a plethora of tasteful free agent options deciding to sign with various clubs, the Celtics have upped their offer to James Posey.

Although a Celtics official has denied it, an NBA source said Posey was initially offered a three-year, $12 million deal by Boston, but the source said the Celtics have improved that offer. The most the Celtics can offer is the midlevel exception, expected to start at $5.58 million next season. At 31, the 6-foot-8-inch, 215-pound Posey seems to be interested in getting close to the midlevel exception and a lengthy deal. Boston currently has about $72 million committed in salary for next season and the salary cap, released last night, is $58.68 million, the luxury tax $71.15 million. Any team over the luxury tax has to pay a $1 tax for every $1 it exceeds the tax.

Spears also reiterates that the C’s have shown interest in a number of role-playing free agents:

The Celtics are giving a strong look to Hornets free agent center Chris Andersen and have worked out free agent centers David Harrison, Patrick O’Bryant, and Randolph Morris and forward Darius Miles.

Jonathan Abrams of the LA Times reports that free agent swingman Corey Maggette has cashed in big time:

In another deal today, former Clipper Corey Maggette reached agreement to join the Golden State Warriors in a five-year deal worth about $50 million, according to NBA sources who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak about player movements. Maggette also opted out of the last year of his Clippers contract last week.

Mickael Pietrus also agreed to terms with Orlando today, which diminishes Danny Ainge’s options should James Posey pack his bags. Does Danny Boy stick to his guns by refusing to shell out the contract length/money that Posey is asking for, or does he fold by force?

Time will tell. Stay tuned.

Peter Stringer of Celtics.com has an update on Paul Pierce’s knee:

Paul Pierce talked to a few reporters on Monday at his annual summer basketball camp at Basketball City just around the corner from the TD Banknorth Garden on Monday, and said that he’ll be getting an MRI on his knee but doesn’t expect to have to undergo surgery.

Pierce said the knee is still sore, but is getting better, and noted that he’s been treating his injury “like a sprain that normally takes three-four weeks.”

“I’ve still got some soreness in it, so hopefully it’s nothing major requiring surgery,” Pierce said. “I plan on getting in there this week, getting the treatment and the MRI and making sure I take care of my body. I doubt if I need any surgery. It’s getting better and better. I’m gonna get the MRI just to take the extra precaution but I don’t see any surgery in my future and I just plan on getting treatment until it’s all the way healed.”

Mark Murphy has just posted some extra free agent/workout updates.

The Celtics also continued to look at other free agents yesterday.

In addition to a visit from former Hornets center Chris Andersen, they worked out three vastly different players - center David Harrison, guard Kirk Snyder and forward Darius Miles.

Patrick O’Bryant, the former Golden State center who the Celtics worked out prior to the 2006 draft, is due in for a workout today.

In addition, the team has taken a prolonged look at former Knicks center Randolph Morris and former Bulls guard Eddie Basden during this week’s rookie/free agent minicamp in Waltham.

“A lot of these guys we have just liked, and they’re trying to continue their careers,” said Danny Ainge, the Celtics director of basketball operations. “But there’s a lot of guys in the basketball world and a lot more we’re going to look at.

First off, let me say: Darius Miles? Are you kidding me? Not only does he have questionable work ethic, the reputation of being a “coach killer,” the resume of a classic bust, and is coming off of a major knee injury that kept him sidelined all last season, but he also failed his latest drug test that earned him a 10-game suspension if/when he ever does return to the court. Should we lose James Posey in the free agent market, Miles is the last guy that Celtic Nation wants as a replacement small forward.

Kirk Snyder is certainly a “Danny Ainge kind of guy:” young, athletic, strong wing, has yet to fulfill his potential. Had the C’s not brought in J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker on draft night, Snyder may have been a formidable replacement for Tony Allen. However, with our current roster, it’s unlikely that he or Eddie Basden finds a spot in green.

David Harrison was once a very intriguing center prospect coming out of high school, but at this point in his young NBA career, he is Michael Olowokandi of 2006 on a good day. Simply put, he’s huge. He’s long. He’s strong. But he fouls nearly as frequently as Danny Fortson, and has had a questioned work ethic. Should the C’s get down to the waning moments the summer without a backup center, Harrison might be a solid option to bring in as an insurance 7-footer, similar to what Scot Pollard was before his season-ending injury.

Side note: Mark Murphy also mentioned that the New York Knicks have contacted Eddie House.

From Monique Walker of the Boston Globe:

Free agent center Chris Andersen and his agent, Steve Heumann, arrived in Boston yesterday, had dinner with Ainge, and will meet with Ainge and his staff today. The Hornets are also interested in retaining Andersen. Free agents can begin signing contracts Tuesday.

The Celtics have had an interest in Andersen since he was reinstated by the NBA March 4 after serving a two-year ban for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The athletic, 6-foot-11-inch, 228-pounder returned to the Hornets and played in five games. Andersen, who has also played for the Nuggets, has averaged 5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks over his six-year career.

“He’s a guy we’ve always wanted,” Ainge said. “We just want to sit down and talk to Chris and see where he is at with his desire to play in Boston and to see if we think he is a fit.”

Side note: On last night’s Sports Tonight Late Edition on CSN, Marc Spears was on talking Celtics with Greg Dickerson and Michael Felger. Spears said that there is a really strong chance that Chris Andersen gets a deal done with the Celtics and that Andersen “really wants to be here… bad.” Take that for what it’s worth.

Also, all is quiet in Posey land:

Agent Mark Bartelstein, who represents forward James Posey and guard Eddie House, said yesterday, “Nothing new right now. Just a lot of talk.”

“There is a lot of posturing going on,” said Ainge about free agency in general. “Who knows?”

The Celtics have offered contracts to both Posey and Clippers free agent guard Corey Maggette, who are both getting interest around the league.

Sources indicated Posey was not offered the full midlevel exception (about $5.8 million) by the Celtics, but it wasn’t far from it.

Among the teams expected to be interested in Posey are Washington, Cleveland, New Orleans, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

When asked when he expected to get word from Posey or Maggette, Ainge said, “I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

“Our finished work might not be done until August or September,” Ainge continued. “It’s a long process. We are going to try to sift through a lot of free agents. We are in a good position where a lot of guys want to come and play for us. It makes it good. It doesn’t make us desperate.”

From Chris Forsberg:

The Celtics held the first day of a four-day minicamp in Waltham this morning. The camp, which features 16-20 players, mostly rookies and free agents, runs through Saturday.

Check out our photo gallery from today’s action.

Among the attendees: Second-year players Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Gabe Pruitt, along with first-round draft pick JR Giddens. Stroll through our gallery to see who else is in town for the event.

The Globe’s Marc J. Spears touched on the minicamp in his Sunday notes column:

The Celtics will hold a minicamp for 16-20 players at their Waltham training facility from Wednesday through Saturday. Celtics forward Glen Davis, guard Gabe Pruitt, and first-round draft pick J.R. Giddens are expected to participate, as are ex-NBA players center Jackie Butler, forward Lawrence Roberts, and guards David Noel, Omar Cook, and Mustapha Shakur. Forward Bill Walker, a second-round selection by Washington who was traded to Boston, will not participate. Ainge said Walker will likely undergo minor knee surgery this week.

Update: Contrary to the initial report, Scott Souza notes that J.R. Giddens has not participated in minicamp just yet:

But another draft pick who was expected to be in attendance - first-round pick J.R. Giddens - was also nowhere to be found when Boston brought in 15 players to Waltham yesterday for a double-session of scrimmages.

According to Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge, Giddens elected not to attend the camp - on the advice of his agents - because he had not yet signed a contract. While this makes some sense on the surface, it should be noted that there are rookies all across the league participating in workouts this week in advance of next week’s Las Vegas Summer League who have yet to sign deals. Last season, both Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt played with the Celtics summer league team even though they did not sign deals until later in the summer.

Ainge said he did not know if Giddens would show up at the camp at some point before it ends on Saturday, but given that the contract - which is largely a fixed (and guaranteed) amount - may not get inked within the next day or two, that now appears unlikely.

RealGM reports:

The Boston Celtics announced Wednesday that center Kendrick Perkins and second round draft pick Bill Walker both had successful surgical procedures today at New England Baptist Hospital.

Perkins underwent arthroscopic left shoulder surgery while Walker underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery.

Both surgeries were preformed by team physician Dr. Brian McKeon and was assisted by Dr. Alan Curtis and Dr. John Richmond. No timetable has been set for their returns.

Walker is said to be back on the court in 3-4 weeks. Perkins’ timetable has yet to be clarified.

Marc Spears has some good stuff for us, as usual, today:

On the first day of free agency in the NBA, the world champion Celtics, according to an NBA source, made contract offers to both Posey and Maggette. Since Boston, at most, has a mid-level exception available (expected to be about $5.8 million), it would seem doubtful they could land both players. Boston is also scheduled have New Orleans center Chris Andersen in for a visit today.

“I called [Posey] and just talked to him and told him how much we wanted him back,” Ainge said. “I told his agent and we had a conversation. So we’re still having conversations. After James, yeah, I called a lot of guys just to say that we had interest. But I can’t discuss names.”

Maggette, however, confirmed yesterday he was one of those names.

“I was very surprised they called. They just came off a championship,” said Maggette in a phone interview.

“It’s a great honor to even hear from them,” Maggette said. “Hopefully, I can look at some of the options. That’s a good option playing for those guys.”

“It’s not always about money,” Maggette said. “I’ve been in the league a long time and I’ve made a lot of money. I’m tired of losing. I want to get back to the playoffs and win.”

Maggette to Boston seems more likely than ever now, as the Clippers renounced his rights in order to find enough financial room for Baron Davis. That means that he cannot re-sign with the Clippers (they no longer have the MLE to spend) and they cannot work a sign-and-trade. So, Maggette will either take a big contract from a mediocre team with cap room (Philadelphia?) or take the full MLE with a contender/playoff team. My guess is that he takes a short deal for the full MLE and tests the free agent market again sometime soon, similar to what James Posey just did.

As for Chris Andersen, I’d rather bring in a long seven-footer than an energetic power forward who has had severe off-court issues.

The Celtics hope to sign a veteran backup point guard to a one-year, veteran minimum contract, an NBA source said. Candidates include Eddie House, who would return for a second season with Boston, Dallas’s Tyronn Lue, Orlando’s Keyon Dooling, Miami’s Jason Williams, and Chicago’s Chris Duhon. Lue, a 10-year veteran, played for Rivers in Orlando and is good friends with Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, but he said he hasn’t contacted either since the offer was made to his agent, Andy Miller.

“I just want to play for a winning team,” said Lue in a phone interview. “Boston is definitely a winning team. I’m trying to see what the best fit is for me.”

It is doubtful that there is any chance of signing the point guards listed above for the veterans minimum, except maybe Tyronn Lue. I think Lue might take that, as he wants to win, Doc loves him, and is great friends with Kevin Garnett. I think Lue is probably a better option than Eddie House, honestly. He can shoot nearly as well, can be trusted with the ball in his hands, and he is a much better defender.

Allen became an unrestricted free agent Monday when the Celtics declined to make him a qualifying offer.

Ainge, however, said Boston could still bring him back. When asked if the addition of draft picks J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker would affect Boston’s interest in Allen, Ainge said, “Time will tell. Those guys haven’t done anything yet.”

“I had a good conversation with Tony and I assured Tony that this doesn’t necessarily close the book for him here,” Ainge said. “We like Tony. He’s just moving forward in his career. If things might not work out with James or other free agents, Tony would be a guy that we’d be interested in returning to the Celtics.”

Atta boy, Danny. Let him down easy.