Stephon Marbury would like to re-sign with the Celtics if the team offers him a fair deal.

Marbury will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday, and is looking to play with a title contender next season.

"I'm not trying to get a bunch of money," Marbury told the Boston Globe. "I know Boston doesn't have a bunch of money. I'm not seeking out teams with more money. I want to play for a championship-contending team. I can't play for a young team that's not in a position to compete for a championship."

Stephon Marbury plans to stick with the NBA Players Association as his representation when free agency begins next month rather than hire an agent.

NBAPA deputy counsel Hal Biagas worked out a buyout with the Knicks on the final year of Marbury?s contract, as the former All-Star did not have an agent.

Marbury signed with the Celtics for $1.3 million for the remainder of the season and did not have to pay the NBAPA commission.

Marbury is expected to stick with Biagas.

?The best thing about the NBAPA is that they work for you for free,?? said Marbury via e-mail. ?When you have a team that negotiates the Collective Bargaining Agreement for all the players representing you, there is strength in numbers.??

Danny Ainge confirmed Monday that the Celtics will make a qualifying offer to forward Glen Davis.

By virtue of that, if another NBA team were to sign Davis, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, Boston would have seven days to match it.

Stephon Marbury plans to stick with the NBA Players Association as his representation with free agency beginning next month.

Marbury, who doesn't have an agent, had NBAPA deputy counsel Hal Biagas work out a buyout with the Knicks on the final year of his contract last season.

After the buyout, Marbury signed with the Celtics for $1.3 million and didn't have to pay the NBAPA commission.

"The best thing about the NBAPA is that they work for you for free," Marbury told the Boston Globe via e-mail. "When you have a team that negotiates the Collective Bargaining Agreement for all the players representing you, there is strength in numbers."

Glen Davis would prefer to remain with the Celtics, and dislikes that insecurity that comes along with free agency.

"I'm eager and kind of curious," said Davis. "I don't know where I'm going to be. I like security. Not knowing where I'm going to be is scary. But at the end of the day, I'm in a good position where I'm going to make more money.

"I'll be very excited to come back to the Celtics or go to a team where I might start. Wherever I'm at, I'll be happy."

In his season season, Davis averaged 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds in 21.5 minutes for Boston.

His numbers spiked up to 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds during the postseason.

"If I'm on a team where it's tough to get wins, a young team, I'd love to start," said Davis. "But if it's a championship-caliber team, I'd love to come off the bench. It depends on where I am. I'd love to come off the bench behind KG. But if not, I'd love to start, too."

Celtics president Danny Ainge has said that the team will extend a qualifying offer to Davis, ensuring that he'll be a restricted free agent.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers doesn't think that the team will end up trading Rajon Rondo.

"Oh yeah, absolutely," Rivers said Thursday when asked if he believed the team would keep both Rondo and Ray Allen. "I have no doubt about that. There's always the chance someone could get traded, but it would have to be an amazing deal. But I like our team."

Rivers said that he joked with Rondo about the trade rumors.

"I brought it up to him," the coach said. "I'm very frank and honest with Rondo. I said, 'What the hell are you doing here? You should be in one of these other cities already.' He started laughing, and then we had a very good, frank talk. I brought up the rumors and why, and I don't think it was a bad thing.

"Rondo's got a lot of press lately. It's made interesting reading for me. I didn't know he's done so many things. Rondo will be fine. I have no problem with Rondo."

Rajon Rondo's agent is upset over comments made by Celtics president Danny Ainge on WEEI Thursday morning.

Ainge said that Rondo has "got to grow up," and added, "his presence hurt us" against the Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He also said that Rondo wasn't a "max contract player," and admitted that Rondo was fined for being tardy to postseason games.

Agent Bill Duffy was taken back by the comments.

"I am just surprised that Danny is speaking, even if he considers it constructively, in a public setting [about Rondo]," Duffy told the Boston Globe. "I don't think that it's appropriate to say that about one of your top players. Even if it's spoken constructively, I don't think it should be done in public. I don't think [Ainge] would like it if [Celtics managing partner] Wyc [Grousbeck] was talking about him in public.

"What they're saying about him critically is actually an asset to him. He is feisty. He is competitive, yes. Last time I checked they won a world championship with him at point guard. If the team wasn't hurting they might have done it again this year. Rondo's tough love from Danny isn't necessary. He's self-motivated and a self-starter."

Rondo wouldn't comment on what Ainge said, but Duffy said that his client "knows" and that "he's all right."

One Eastern Conference executive told the Boston Globe that the latest trade rumor included Rajon Rondo and forward Brian Scalabrine going to Memphis for guard Mike Conley and swingman Rudy Gay.

But an NBA GM said that he asked Celtics president Danny Ainge about Rondo and Ainge said he didn't want to trade him.

Kevin Garnett has looked good in his rehabilitation from knee surgery.

Celtics president Danny Ainge said on Tuesday that Garnett "should be 100 percent by the time we start training camp."

The exact date for Garnett's return to the practice court, however, is unknown.

"I don't have that date," said Ainge. "I'm actually meeting with my medical staff (today) to get some updates. But the last (update) I got before the weekend was that he's doing great.

"He was up here before the weekend and he just went home to LA, and we set him up with physical therapists and trainers. (Trainer) Ed Lacerte and (fitness coach) Bryan Doo will be out there visiting him during the summer."

Celtics president Danny Ainge has again denied that the team is looking to trade point guard Rajon Rondo.

"I'm not sure why his name keeps popping up, but I'll tell you this: We love Rajon, and I think everyone in here knows what kind of a player he is and what kind of a bright future he has," Ainge said Tuesday.

Yahoo! Sports reported on Tuesday that the Celtics offered Rondo and Ray Allen to the Pistons for Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince.

"I'm not going to comment on which trade rumors are true and which ones aren't true, but it's amazing. And I hope you can all maintain your integrity in this world of media that we live in. It doesn't seem that you have to have any source anymore. You can just write stuff and print stuff and things just come out of the air.

"It's a little bit frustrating at times because I have to manage those players and their agents and their mothers and their wives ... in some cases their children.

"The one thing I can assure you - I will never sit up here and say there is one player that is untradeable ever," Ainge continued. "But the notion we might be trading him because of some reason other than we think we can be better trading any player because of any (other) reason (is not true).

"Because of his contract situation, I've heard speculation. I've heard speculation of we're dissatisfied with him or his attitude. That stuff is so false. He showed up late for a playoff game so we're going to trade him. None of those things are true. We love the kid and we think he has a very bright future."

As if those comments weren't strong enough, Ainge went on to squash trade rumors involving any of his core players.

"I don't anticipate any trades happening in this offseason involving any of our core players," Ainge said.