Celtics News

[hardlyyardley]

Michael Conley Jr

[wdleehi]

I think the only thing the Celtics need to look for is an emergency ball handler (especially if Tatum comes back)

[Roy H.]

Michael Conley Jr

Conley is one of my favorite old veterans, but I think he'd have to accept a fringe rotation spot (if the Celtics aren't hell bent on getting below the tax).

[Roy H.]

So, Tillman survives? 

I would have been surprised by that 24 hours ago, but him getting minutes in last night's game, playing around with teammates on the bench, etc., made me think that we might keep him.

[mef730]

Seems one of the roster spots has to be a buyout guard.

One roster spot is filled by Amari Williams.  The other will be probably be taken by Max Shulga.  Then, wait to sign Ron Harper.

I don't think we'll add an external free agent.  Perhaps if we also trade Tillman, I guess, but even then it's so much more advantageous to sign a rookie.

But none of those guys do anything in the playoffs. They need another legit rotational piece for the playoffs. Boston's is really thin at guard now. PP goes back to the bench...who is going to start in the playoffs?

No idea.  I'd be happy to be wrong, but I think the team will be comfortable starting Queta (or Vuc) / JT / Hauser / JB / White.  And, if JT doesn't come back, a buyout isn't going to make a difference.

I am assuming JT returns. Hauser starting weakens the bench. Baylor starting weakens the starting line up. Just a catch 22 for Brad. And yes, if JT does not return it does not matter.

Clear the decks as much as you can for next season if that is the case.

What buyout candidate *would* be a difference maker?

I mean, if C.J. McCollum got bought out, the Celts should go all in.  Barring that, I think they'd look to dodge the tax if they can.

Kris Middleton could be if bought out.

He's not a rotation-level player on a contender anymore, though.  I'm fine with Hugo getting minutes over him

I?d sign Middleton just so we don?t have to play against him. That guy is a Celtics killer.

[wdleehi]

So, Tillman survives? 

I would have been surprised by that 24 hours ago, but him getting minutes in last night's game, playing around with teammates on the bench, etc., made me think that we might keep him.

I guess he still has limited usefulness off the bench in certain matchups....  (for very limited minutes/seconds)

[Jiri Welsch]

So, Tillman survives? 

I would have been surprised by that 24 hours ago, but him getting minutes in last night's game, playing around with teammates on the bench, etc., made me think that we might keep him.

I guess he still has limited usefulness off the bench in certain matchups....  (for very limited minutes/seconds)

Or no one was willing to take him (without draft pick compensation the Celtics found too steep).

[jpotter33]

So, Tillman survives? 

I would have been surprised by that 24 hours ago, but him getting minutes in last night's game, playing around with teammates on the bench, etc., made me think that we might keep him.

I saw reports the other day that he?s a great locker room guy and everyone on the team loves him so he?s likely to stay for chemistry reasons. Makes sense. Heard nothing but good things and about how professional he is.

[A Future of Stevens]

So we didn't duck under the tax?

[DefenseWinsChamps]

If no good buyout guys are available, I can see the Cs signing Ron Harper Jr to a team-friendly contract similar to Queta's.

[ozgod]

So, Tillman survives? 

I would have been surprised by that 24 hours ago, but him getting minutes in last night's game, playing around with teammates on the bench, etc., made me think that we might keep him.

Apparently they love his locker room presence. Not sure if it's worth being $1.7m over the tax for (and his salary is $2.5m). Too late to trade him now but technically we could waive and stretch him for a $500k a year cap hit which would (should) get us under the tax to reset the rate.

[Celtics2021]

So, Tillman survives? 

I would have been surprised by that 24 hours ago, but him getting minutes in last night's game, playing around with teammates on the bench, etc., made me think that we might keep him.

Apparently they love his locker room presence. Not sure if it's worth being $1.7m over the tax for (and his salary is $2.5m). Too late to trade him now but technically we could waive and stretch him for a $500k a year cap hit which would (should) get us under the tax to reset the rate.

You cannot stretch players waived this late.  I think the deadline 9/1 or 10/1, but it is before the season at any rate.

[ozgod]

So, Tillman survives? 

I would have been surprised by that 24 hours ago, but him getting minutes in last night's game, playing around with teammates on the bench, etc., made me think that we might keep him.

Apparently they love his locker room presence. Not sure if it's worth being $1.7m over the tax for (and his salary is $2.5m). Too late to trade him now but technically we could waive and stretch him for a $500k a year cap hit which would (should) get us under the tax to reset the rate.

You cannot stretch players waived this late.  I think the deadline 9/1 or 10/1, but it is before the season at any rate.

Also I realized that you can only stretch over 3 years, not 5, and we would still be 33k over 

[Roy H.]

So we didn't duck under the tax?

I think that's right.  Spotrac has us as $1,704,383 over, and we still need to sign one guy within 2 weeks.

=========================

So, breaking this down, *if* we had dumped Tillman, we would be $842,292 under.  But, we would have needed to sign a rookie at $490,128 immediately.

That would have left us at $352,164 in cap space, with a need to sign one more player.  I'm not sure if it's technically allowable to sign a 14th man in two weeks, keep him for 10 days, waive him, sign another 10-day contract in two weeks, etc.  If so, we might have been able to get under the tax.

The other option would have been to get under via Derrick White missing his likely bonuses.  I don't know what they all are, but even if he'd missed $150k in bonuses we likely would have gotten below the tax.

So, the team chose Xavier Tillman over getting below the tax, getting a tax distribution, etc.  I find that interesting.  It shows the value the team places on chemistry.

[ozgod]

So we didn't duck under the tax?

I think that's right.  Spotrac has us as $1,704,383 over, and we still need to sign one guy within 2 weeks.

=========================

So, breaking this down, *if* we had dumped Tillman, we would be $842,292 under.  But, we would have needed to sign a rookie at $490,128 immediately.

That would have left us at $352,164 in cap space, with a need to sign one more player.  I'm not sure if it's technically allowable to sign a 14th man in two weeks, keep him for 10 days, waive him, sign another 10-day contract in two weeks, etc.  If so, we might have been able to get under the tax.

The other option would have been to get under via Derrick White missing his likely bonuses.  I don't know what they all are, but even if he'd missed $150k in bonuses we likely would have gotten below the tax.

So, the team chose Xavier Tillman over getting below the tax, getting a tax distribution, etc.  I find that interesting.  It shows the value the team places on chemistry.

Kind of puts the lie on Michael Felger ranting on Felger and Mazz yesterday about how the Vuc move was "all about the money, this new ownership doesn't care about contending, they just want to avoid tax" etc etc.