Walton, Celtics Beyond Talking Stage--Adviser

Gary Vandeweghe, an adviser to Bill Walton, the Clippers’ free-agent center, said Friday that negotiations between Walton and the Boston Celtics are serious but that an agreement has yet to be reached.

Walton was to have met with Celtic President Red Auerbach Friday afternoon in Los Angeles. Auerbach later flew to San Francisco for the National Basketball Assn. meetings, where he is expected to meet with Clipper General Manager Carl Scheer to discuss trade possibilities.

“It’s beyond merely the talking stages,” Vandeweghe said. “The talking has been fairly specific. I think they (the Clippers and Celtics) are working through the conditions of a deal. Some conditions are tougher than others.

“I don’t see this meeting (between Walton and Auerbach as being really significant in telling us that a deal is going to be reached in 24 or 48 hours. But knowing the shrewdness and creativity of Mr. Auerbach and Mr. Scheer, it doesn’t rule out the possibility that something could happen within 24 hours.”

Earlier in the week, the Clippers and Celtics had negotiated a trade sending Celtic forward Cedric Maxwell to the Clippers for Walton. But Maxwell’s previously injured left knee is not at full strength yet, so that trade has been put on hold.

“That is one of the conditions the two teams are trying to resolve,” said Vandeweghe, adding that the Celtics are considering giving Walton a physical exam soon.