Shaq opts for Celtics over Hawks

The person did not want to be identified because he is not authorized to speak on O'Neal's behalf.

The soft market for O'Neal's services apparently caused him to reconsider his role and salary. He won't be the starter in Boston, where Kendrick Perkins and Jermaine O'Neal are ahead of him, and he had to accept the veteran's minimum salary for a player with his experience.

But the Celtics are considered a stronger title contender than the Hawks, who were swept in the Eastern Conference semifinals the past two seasons. Boston is the defending Eastern Conference champion and won the NBA title in 2008.

O’Neal, 38, will play for his sixth NBA team in his 19th NBA season. He won three NBA championships with Los Angeles and another with Miami.

O'Neal was the best center on the free-agent market as the Hawks look for another big man to join their frontcourt rotation. The Hawks have Al Horford, Zaza Pachulia and Jason Collins at center.

Last month Horford said the Hawks needed to add an “impact” center, and power forward Josh Smith agreed. Horford was an All-Star last season, but he's undersized for the position by NBA standards. He said he is willing to share minutes with a bigger center.

“I think that is the position we need if we want to be any type of contender in the East,” Horford said.

While Horford was an All-Star and Pachulia is an effective backup, the bigger front lines of Boston and Orlando figure to be tough challenges for the Hawks, should they meet those teams in the playoffs.

There don't appear to be any impact centers left on the free-agent market after two waves of signings. The Hawks were said to have some interest in Kwame Brown, who could provide some post defense but is limited on offense. Other centers yet to sign include Josh Boone, Francisco Elson and Brian Skinner.

The news that O'Neal could join the Hawks created a buzz among Hawks fans. All indications are that his interest was genuine.

He told friends early in free agency that he would be open to signing with the Hawks, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.

O'Neal's initial contract demands were for a two-year deal that starts at $8 million, according to a person who talked to him about his plans. Eventually it became clear that neither the Hawks nor any other contending team would pay O'Neal big money.

The people did not want to be identified because they did not wish to speak publicly about negotiations between the Hawks and O'Neal.