Celtics one of five teams to contact Duhon

[WW1MR]

After meeting with the Knicks today, Bulls free-agent point guard Chris Duhon is on to Orlando to meet with the Magic tomorrow. He was contacted by five teams on the first day of free agency: Cleveland, Sacramento, New York, Orlando and, in a bit of a surprise, Boston. The re-signing of Udrih should eliminate the Kings.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=429942

Is Danny really targeting Duhon as our backup point? He is relatively young (26 in August) and has a good assist to turnover ratio (3.17). He's a backup and his shot is sure no Eddie House. How much money will he command? The Knicks seem to be ready to offer half the MLE with Udrih off the table.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2008/06/30/2008-06-30_knicks_look_toward_chris_duhon_at_point_.html

I don't know anything about the CBA, but if Danny's already made offers to Posey and Maggette, there wouldn't seem to be much left. The vet minimum?

I want House back, but he'd probably be an improvement over Cassell.

[Who]

I think it was the NY Post that said the Knicks offered him $6mil over two seasons. Likely more money than the C's have to offer.

[rondohondo]

After meeting with the Knicks today, Bulls free-agent point guard Chris Duhon is on to Orlando to meet with the Magic tomorrow. He was contacted by five teams on the first day of free agency: Cleveland, Sacramento, New York, Orlando and, in a bit of a surprise, Boston. The re-signing of Udrih should eliminate the Kings.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=429942

Is Danny really targeting Duhon as our backup point? He is relatively young (26 in August) and has a good assist to turnover ratio (3.17). He's a backup and his shot is sure no Eddie House. How much money will he command? The Knicks seem to be ready to offer half the MLE with Udrih off the table.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2008/06/30/2008-06-30_knicks_look_toward_chris_duhon_at_point_.html

I don't know anything about the CBA, but if Danny's already made offers to Posey and Maggette, there wouldn't seem to be much left. The vet minimum?

I want House back, but he'd probably be an improvement over Cassell.

I would like house back too, but remember we have Gabe Pruitt, he has a beautiful outside stroke and I think  he can step up and fill the house roll this year. I would like the duhon pick up he is a very good defender and can run an offense .

[cordobes]

I think it was the NY Post that said the Knicks offered him $6mil over two seasons. Likely more money than the C's have to offer.

Exactly. Forget him.

[RebusRankin]

I think Duhon would be a nice pick-up.

Danny has sure been aggressive since he's spoken to both Duhon and Maggette. Wonder what he has in mind for a big? Who's left and more importantly who will have money to sign one the way teams cap space seems to be disappearing?

[D Dub]

I think Duhon would be a nice pick-up.

Danny has sure been aggressive since he's spoken to both Duhon and Maggette. Wonder what he has in mind for a big? Who's left and more importantly who will have money to sign one the way teams cap space seems to be disappearing?

I like what Danny is doing.  This drives the price down on the real targets, Eddie and James.

[lon3lytoaster]

I think Duhon would be a nice pick-up.

Danny has sure been aggressive since he's spoken to both Duhon and Maggette. Wonder what he has in mind for a big? Who's left and more importantly who will have money to sign one the way teams cap space seems to be disappearing?

I like what Danny is doing.  This drives the price down on the real targets, Eddie and James.

I doubt Danny is offering more money to better players just to cut down the price of Eddie House and James Posey. I mean what happens if Maggette decided to sign for the MLE? "Oh no! We just signed a 22 PPG player for under 6M/year! Woe is us!"?

[Roy Hobbs]

I think it was the NY Post that said the Knicks offered him $6mil over two seasons. Likely more money than the C's have to offer.

Yep, agreed.  I could see us offering the LLE ($1.91 million this season), but I doubt we'd dip into the MLE for him.  Maybe we'd go highter if things fall through with both Posey and Maggette, and we're forced to sign a lesser player like Pietrus and thus have MLE room left. 

[WW1MR]

I think it was the NY Post that said the Knicks offered him $6mil over two seasons. Likely more money than the C's have to offer.

Well yeah, same thing the NY Daily said in the article I linked to. That article also said:

The Knicks are interested in Sacramento's Beno Udrih, but he wants a five-year deal. The Knicks don't want to add anything to their cap beyond July 2010, when LeBron James and other marquee players can become free agents.

... hence the reason the Knicks are offering Duhon only two years. They want to have cap room in 2010. What if Danny were to offer more years (he's still young) and a chance to play for a championship squad? If NY is offering approx. 3 mil. a year, how close to that number could we get without touching the MLE?

Anyway, I think it's smart strategy on Danny's part. I haven't seen enough of Pruitt to convince me he can handle the backup point position during a playoff run. I hear a lot of people talking about a need a point guard and center. I'd rather have Duhon than a bunch of other names like Cassell or Lue. Also, by targeting Maggette and Duhon, your sending a message to Posey and EHouse. CM and CD are talented enough to give make Posey and House take it seriously, and neither would be a bad option if Posey and/or House went to another team.

[Roy Hobbs]

What if Danny were to offer more years (he's still young) and a chance to play for a championship squad? If NY is offering approx. 3 mil. a year, how close to that number could we get without touching the MLE?

The only way we can offer a deal of more than two years is by using the MLE.  Other exceptions (the LLE, the minimum) are limited to two-year contracts. 

Incidentally, that's why if we want to sign our second round draft picks to three year contracts (as we did with Gomes, Powe, Pruitt, etc.) we have to use the MLE to do so.

[The Walker Wiggle]

I'd be happy to have the Knicks out bid is however they do it. I don't want to spell our poor-shooting starting point guard with an even worse shooter. He's a career 39% shooter, who takes a lot of 3PT attempts, has a middling mid-range game, and little ability to finish around the rim. Also, I don't love that his assist totals have declined every year. Ask Bulls fans how they feel about Duhon, despite his solid effort and defense.

[tmcdon]

Please dispense with the "we only have the MLE" or "we can only offer the veteran minimum."  This team can spend as much money as it wants to on FAs as long as it's willing to pay the luxury tax.  If the owners aren't afraid to do that . . .

So it is plausible to have Posey, Duhon, and Magette here next year.  It'll just be slightly expensive.  Seems everyone was expecting Danny to make an offer to Posey and House and then sit around with his thumb in his butt and wait for their replies; that's not Danny's style.  He's active and pursuing options. 

[indeedproceed]

Please dispense with the "we only have the MLE" or "we can only offer the veteran minimum."  This team can spend as much money as it wants to on FAs as long as it's willing to pay the luxury tax.  If the owners aren't afraid to do that . . .

So it is plausible to have Posey, Duhon, and Magette here next year.  It'll just be slightly expensive.  Seems everyone was expecting Danny to make an offer to Posey and House and then sit around with his thumb in his butt and wait for their replies; that's not Danny's style.  He's active and pursuing options. 

I'm pretty sure that's false. If you're over the salary cap, you've got very definite limits on what you can spend, and the only variable isn't the luxury tax.

[Roy Hobbs]

Please dispense with the "we only have the MLE" or "we can only offer the veteran minimum."  This team can spend as much money as it wants to on FAs as long as it's willing to pay the luxury tax.  If the owners aren't afraid to do that . . .

So it is plausible to have Posey, Duhon, and Magette here next year.  It'll just be slightly expensive.  Seems everyone was expecting Danny to make an offer to Posey and House and then sit around with his thumb in his butt and wait for their replies; that's not Danny's style.  He's active and pursuing options. 

This is 100% incorrect.

The team *can't* spend "as much as it wants".  Since it's above the salary cap, it can only sign players with certain exceptions.

A good primer for you can be found here:  http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#19

So, right now, we can only bring in free agents in the following ways:

1) Using the MLE, worth approximately $5.8 million.  This can be split among multiple free agents, of to just one free agent.

2) Resigning our own free agents with the non-Bird exception (a 20% raise on last year's salary)

3) Resigning Tony Allen using the "Bird exception" (this extends to any free agent of ours who has not changed teams via free agency in three years or more)

4) Using the LLE, worth $1.91 million.

5) Signing a player to the veteran's minimum.

6) Arranging for a sign-and-trade, where we send players to another team for a free agent.  Outgoing salaries must be within 125% + $100k of the contract of the free agent we're bringing in.

Any player we sign needs to fit into one of the above.

[soap07]

Duhon does bring an advantage defensively over House. Can shoot the 3 decently well and is a much more of a natural point guard than Eddie.