How the Celtics get back on top for next year and beyond...

[Brickowski]

The only Boston sports personality who has displayed even the slightest knowledge of the NBA's CBA is Ryen Rusillo.  Maybe that is why he has disappeared from the airwaves.

[Chris]

Well, it would work if they renounce Pierce, and then he gives up his 21 million dollar player option to stay with the Celtics for the MLE (around 5 million).  LOL.

Nope, if the C's get cap space, then they do not have the MLE.  The MLE is only for teams who are over the cap.  Pierce would have to resign for the league minimum.

I think they could sign him for the MLE after signing the big free agent and then paying one of their own players in whom they still have bird rights (e.g. Tony Allen) enough to put them over the cap. 

No, if a team is below the cap (well, more than the MLE below the cap), at any point, then they do not get the MLE.  The MLE is for teams that do not have cap room, not for teams that have already used it.

[Chris]

The only Boston sports personality who has displayed even the slightest knowledge of the NBA's CBA is Ryen Rusillo.  Maybe that is why he has disappeared from the airwaves.

Isn't he on ESPN radio?  I know he used to be doing national stuff for ESPN radio.  Not sure if he still is though.

[thebirdman]

Great job, Chris.

But I don`t believe this is completely true...

...In this scenario, the C’s would not even have the MLE, because that is only given to teams who are above the Cap going into the offseason, and since the C’s were below the cap, they do not get that.

I believe teams under the cap also have MLE. But in order to clear cap space they have to waive all exceptions...just a technicality I guess but I think I read that somewhere...

[Chris]

Great job, Chris.

But I don`t believe this is completely true...

...In this scenario, the C’s would not even have the MLE, because that is only given to teams who are above the Cap going into the offseason, and since the C’s were below the cap, they do not get that.

I believe teams under the cap also have MLE. But in order to clear cap space they have to waive all exceptions...just a technicality I guess but I think I read that somewhere...

You may be right.  But it still ends up the same way.  And I am pretty sure Tanguay can't understand those kind of technicalities anyways.  I was doing everything I could to dumb it down.

[Brickowski]

Chris, I re-read Coon's FAQ #20 and you are absolutely right.  A team cannot do what I was proposing.

The Celtics could only resign Pierce for the veterans' minimum in the scenario I outlined.

[ssspence]

The only Boston sports personality who has displayed even the slightest knowledge of the NBA's CBA is Ryen Rusillo.  Maybe that is why he has disappeared from the airwaves.

Isn't he on ESPN radio?  I know he used to be doing national stuff for ESPN radio.  Not sure if he still is though.

He is indeed. I listen to his podcasts with some frequency.

[JSD]

For the love of God make it a Dale and Holley midday.

[Fan from VT]

Chris, in the same vein i recently wrote a letter to the ESPN ombudsman for similar incidents:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=34470.0

I realize that the "Rumors" section in each sport is just that: a "Rumors" section, but isn't there at least a small iota of fact-checking and proof reading?

Today, taglined "Buzz," someone wrote that "But here's a thought: Durant is a restricted free agent at season's end and could become an unrestricted free agent after next year. Maybe the two can play together somewhere?"

I'm not a writer or editor; I'm a fan. But even I know that Durant is in his 3rd year, will be a restricted free agent after NEXT year, and will be an unrestricted free agent after this season AND TWO MORE end.

The NBA salary cap and rookie scale is REALLY well explained and easy to understand. How do errors like this get published? It really diminishes any credibility of an already dubious section; can't your editors at least know the basic rules of the sport for which they are publishing rumors?

[JSD]

The only Boston sports personality who has displayed even the slightest knowledge of the NBA's CBA is Ryen Rusillo.  Maybe that is why he has disappeared from the airwaves.

I think Dennis whacked him.

[Chris]

For the love of God make it a Dale and Holley midday.

Thats usually who I listen to, but when I heard Tanguay was spewing this garbage again, I felt the need to listen to the trainwreck. 

[Jon Niednagel]

So I'm listening to 98.5 Sports Hub and this is what Tanguay is says is going to happen.

in this order:
1.) Do not trade Ray let his contract expire
2.) Have Pierce (the key is he has to be on board with this whole plan) opt out.
3.) Use remaining 18mil (his math, haven't done it myself) to sign Joe Johnson, or Wade, or Bosh, or whoever.
4.) After that signing, then resign Pierce to cap friendly contract.

This is what they're discussing, and Tanguay is adamant that Pierce is on board with this plan.

Well, I think a third of this plan is right. I'm leaning more and more toward keeping Ray (letting his contract expire) and trading KG and Pierce in the off-season. If PP and KG can get healthy and play well toward the end of this season they will be valuable for a team that thinks they are on the cusp of title contention. For example, would Atlanta give up Josh Smith for PP or KG if completely healthy and they had JJ locked up? Other things would have to be done to make salaries work, but I bet they might consider it.

If the window is truly closed after this year, which I fear it is, then the end of the season is time to get what you can to rebuild (cap space, picks, and youth) while your valuable pieces are still valuable. Who knows, with some luck we could have a great young nucleus and the cap space to entice someone like Durant later on.