it's going to be a long off season

[banner17]

I have a feeling that this will be a Very long offseaon. From what it sounds like to me, Danny is trying to lowball every free agent in hopes they want to join a championship team. which will be fine as long as some good players are still availible. of course this all can blow up in our face. and the C's will be left with nobody.

With Pierce Garnett and allen making just about the entire salary cap, it willl be hard not to go way into the luxary tax. but at the same time The C's need a bench.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I have a feeling that this will be a Very long offseaon. From what it sounds like to me, Danny is trying to lowball every free agent in hopes they want to join a championship team. which will be fine as long as some good players are still availible. of course this all can blow up in our face. and the C's will be left with nobody.

With Pierce Garnett and allen making just about the entire salary cap, it willl be hard not to go way into the luxary tax. but at the same time The C's need a bench.

So, because he doesn't want to overpay for Lue (2.4 million difference to the Celtics from where they valued him), low balls a very replaceable Eddie House, and is not willing to go 4 years full MLE on Posey suddenly Danny is trying to low ball every free agent? I don't think so.

[nickagneta]

As time goes on this offseason Danny's offer will remain about the same but suddenly become desireable to players because of their uncertainty of having a job.

Teams always overpay like crazy in the first month or so of the free agency period. August deals are usually in line with real, return on the dollar, market value.

That's not to say that some of the deals for the big name free agents done early aren't at fair market value, but many of the contracts for players below superstar status are not.

[wdleehi]

There are still pieces out there for the Celtics to get. 


This offseason will just feel longer because there is no one that will excite left that the Celtics could get.

[OhioGreen]

There are no unrestricted FA left out there to get excited about! Waiting on Posey pretty much sealed that deal.  Imo opinion, we might as well make an offer for Childress, cause waiting for another couple of weeks isn't going to make a difference to what's left in the UFA scapheap!

[billysan]

Posey was not a name everyone was excited about last year at the end of the FA signing period. Many people thought he was washed up after that poor showing with the Heat. Neither was Eddie House a household name and not one that was brought up on this site. (Both came from the NBA 'scrapheap' by your definition, OG.)

I think there are still guys out there who will be available that can really help us. If not then I am wrong. but I think I'll wait and see what Danny comes up with.

I think any so called 'veteran' who comes in at the minimum will be an effort and team guy that is just grateful to be playing, let alone playing with the reigning champs with a chance to not only repeat but maybe be a rotation player who gets a few minutes. As a journeryman NBA player, how does it get any better than that?

[Evantime34]

I think it might seem long just because of the lack of consistent action. IMO we will sign all our free agents at the end, which is not a bad thing just boring for me in the interim.

[hwangjini_1]

i am not so sure ainge "low balls" each and every free agent, or even every free agent he contacts.

but i do agree that this year's off season has the makings of a really, really, slooooooooow off season.

heck, it is mid-july and about all there is to talk about is the signing of 1-2 bench players and 2 low draft picks.

but i guess the upside is that we can watch a world championship team NOT implode, fall apart, or have its core run away to other teams.

[nickagneta]

Guys I like still out there are that are unrestricted are:

Kurt Thomas - C
Theo Ratliff - C
Matt Barnes - SF/PF
Bonzi Wells - SF
Maurice Evans - SF
Bostjan Nachbar -SF
Jason Williams - PG
Eddie House - PG
Janero Pargo - PG
Carlos Arroyo - PG
Michael Finley - SG

For me if the Celtics can land a center, a forward and a guard off of this list, I will be as confident of their repeating this year as I was of their winning a title last year.

[soap07]

Kurt Thomas - C
Theo Ratliff - C
Matt Barnes - SF/PF
Bonzi Wells - SF
Maurice Evans - SF
Bostjan Nachbar -SF
Jason Williams - PG
Eddie House - PG
Janero Pargo - PG
Carlos Arroyo - PG
Michael Finley - SG


Great list, Nick. On that list, the only players I can see commanding more than the vet minimum are Bonzi, Jason Williams (also has the pedigree of being the starting point on a championship team), Pargo, Kurt Thomas and Arroyo. Finley, House, Evans and Boki won't get more than the minimum from anywhere else. No one on that list will receive the full MLE from anywhere.

[Mr October]

Guys I like still out there are that are unrestricted are:

Kurt Thomas - C
Theo Ratliff - C
Matt Barnes - SF/PF
Bonzi Wells - SF
Maurice Evans - SF
Bostjan Nachbar -SF
Jason Williams - PG
Eddie House - PG
Janero Pargo - PG
Carlos Arroyo - PG
Michael Finley - SG

For me if the Celtics can land a center, a forward and a guard off of this list, I will be as confident of their repeating this year as I was of their winning a title last year.

That group looks good to me. 

I'd add Ross - excellent defender, solid open 16 foot jump shooter.

I have no interest in Nachbar though. Isn't he too slow to be a 3. Statistically he seams like a Scal clone. We already have one of those.

Give me 2 of those names, and lets go get #18. 

[OhioGreen]

Can't remember which story had DA saying he really wanted Posey back, but understood it might not happen, and he had a backup plan in that event.  Evidently his backup plan is to wait til the only FA's left are the ones nobody wants, and then take his pick!

DA can always come up with a surprise, but if he really had a backup plan, what is he waiting for?