2009 free agents

[wdleehi]

Foster.   Plenty of size, defense and rebounding.  Would look real nice off the bench.

[cordobes]

For everyone voting to save for 2010...The chances of Boston signing any of those big names is slim. All the players expected to be free that year(LeBron,Bosh,Wade) are all big names that want BIG money.

Players I would go after in the 2010 unrestricted free agent class that won't demand/ deserve max money. We can afford these players if Ray and Paul are willing to resign for significantly less money.

Paul's contract goes until 2011. We won't have cap space in 2010: we already have $46M for 4 players, plus Rondo will certainly not play in his QO. The chances of Boston signing big names in the FA market are not slim, are no-existent.

[cordobes]

1. How much is going to be the MLE next season? I doubt it's going to be as high as $7/M.

2. Hard to answer this question: a lot will depend on how well our current players will do. Anyway, under this fantasy scenario (contracts, players willing to come off the bench), I'd go with Rasheed. As I'm an incurable Foster fanboy, I voted for him though. 

[KCattheStripe]

For everyone voting to save for 2010...The chances of Boston signing any of those big names is slim. All the players expected to be free that year(LeBron,Bosh,Wade) are all big names that want BIG money.

Players I would go after in the 2010 unrestricted free agent class that won't demand/ deserve max money. We can afford these players if Ray and Paul are willing to resign for significantly less money.

Paul's contract goes until 2011. We won't have cap space in 2010: we already have $46M for 4 players, plus Rondo will certainly not play in his QO. The chances of Boston signing big names in the FA market are not slim, are no-existent.

My bad about Paul's contract. But Ray's 17 million will be off the books. I already agreed that there was no way for the Celts (as it stands now) to nab a big name, but There's no way Rondo and Perk get all of that 17 mill, so there's a chance to get a very useful player. An Azubuike or a Battier would help, and if his stock keeps falling you might even be able to get Josh Howard on the cheap. I'm not entirely sure how the MLE works, but can you combine it with additional money you have?

[Mr October]

I voted for Sheed. I'd love to see another 4/5 big in the C's rotation. Foster is also really tempting.

I think the C's WILL be players in the 2010 bonanza.... but only in the trade market. The C's have a bunch of expiring contracts that summer and there may be a way the C's can profit - perhaps even steal a first round pick from somebody during the 09/10 season.

[cordobes]

For everyone voting to save for 2010...The chances of Boston signing any of those big names is slim. All the players expected to be free that year(LeBron,Bosh,Wade) are all big names that want BIG money.

Players I would go after in the 2010 unrestricted free agent class that won't demand/ deserve max money. We can afford these players if Ray and Paul are willing to resign for significantly less money.

Paul's contract goes until 2011. We won't have cap space in 2010: we already have $46M for 4 players, plus Rondo will certainly not play in his QO. The chances of Boston signing big names in the FA market are not slim, are no-existent.

My bad about Paul's contract. But Ray's 17 million will be off the books. I already agreed that there was no way for the Celts (as it stands now) to nab a big name, but There's no way Rondo and Perk get all of that 17 mill, so there's a chance to get a very useful player. An Azubuike or a Battier would help, and if his stock keeps falling you might even be able to get Josh Howard on the cheap. I'm not entirely sure how the MLE works, but can you combine it with additional money you have?

No, that combination is not possible. Unless we only keep Garnett, Pierce, Perkins, Giddens under contract and allow Rondo to become an UFA (filling the roster with min. salaries), we won't have significant (above MLE) cap space in 2010. Therefore, I believe we will be operating over the cap in 2010.

Here's what our CBA expert, Mr. Roy Hobbs, has to say:

13) Looking at the above chart, it looks like the Celtics only have
around $49 million in salaries committed for 2010. If the cap goes up
to around $65 million, does that mean they can spend $16 million on
free agents? Could they then resign Ray Allen with their Bird rights?

No and no. Surprising to many, free agents continue to count against a
team's salary cap until they're either signed or renounced. This is
called a "cap hold". Free agents essentially count against the cap at
a figure greater than their previous salary. The amount of these cap holds varies significantly; for actual percentages, see here.
For purposes of the Celtics, Ray Allen would have a cap hold in excess
of $20 million. While the team could renounce Ray, if they did so they
would only be able to pay him the minimum salary.

Of even more significance is the cap hold of Rajon Rondo. As a restricted free agent, he carries a cap hold of 300% of his previous salary, or approximately $6.3 million. Thus, under the above scenario, the Celtics actual cap room would be approximately $10 million, rather than the $16 million anticipated. Further, there would be additional salary slots or cap holds for any other players on the roster. Long story short, unless we're starting over with ten or more new players, we don't have signficiant cap room in 2010-11, even if we renounce Ray.

Source:
http://www.celticsblog.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=3578

[JBcat]

I voted for Sheed. I'd love to see another 4/5 big in the C's rotation. Foster is also really tempting.

I think the C's WILL be players in the 2010 bonanza.... but only in the trade market. The C's have a bunch of expiring contracts that summer and there may be a way the C's can profit - perhaps even steal a first round pick from somebody during the 09/10 season.

I agree with Mr October here.  I think the only way the C's become players in the 2010 bonanza is through the trade market prior to when the bug guns James, Wade et al hit the free agent market and I think we would have to almost certainly involve Ray's expiring deal in any big trade.  We also have several other expiring deals at that time which include Scal, Tony Allen, House, O'Bryant, Pruitt, maybe Walker (not sure what the terms of his deal is), and Giddens (team options after the first 2 years).  Not to mention the C's have to figure out what to do with Powe and Davis as their contracts expire the end of this year.  It's quite possible the makeup of this team could be quite different after Paul, KG, Rondo, and Perkins 2 years from now.

I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.  Very much looking forward to this year

[KCattheStripe]

For everyone voting to save for 2010...The chances of Boston signing any of those big names is slim. All the players expected to be free that year(LeBron,Bosh,Wade) are all big names that want BIG money.

Players I would go after in the 2010 unrestricted free agent class that won't demand/ deserve max money. We can afford these players if Ray and Paul are willing to resign for significantly less money.

Paul's contract goes until 2011. We won't have cap space in 2010: we already have $46M for 4 players, plus Rondo will certainly not play in his QO. The chances of Boston signing big names in the FA market are not slim, are no-existent.

My bad about Paul's contract. But Ray's 17 million will be off the books. I already agreed that there was no way for the Celts (as it stands now) to nab a big name, but There's no way Rondo and Perk get all of that 17 mill, so there's a chance to get a very useful player. An Azubuike or a Battier would help, and if his stock keeps falling you might even be able to get Josh Howard on the cheap. I'm not entirely sure how the MLE works, but can you combine it with additional money you have?

No, that combination is not possible. Unless we only keep Garnett, Pierce, Perkins, Giddens under contract and allow Rondo to become an UFA (filling the roster with min. salaries), we won't have significant (above MLE) cap space in 2010. Therefore, I believe we will be operating over the cap in 2010.

Here's what our CBA expert, Mr. Roy Hobbs, has to say:

13) Looking at the above chart, it looks like the Celtics only have
around $49 million in salaries committed for 2010. If the cap goes up
to around $65 million, does that mean they can spend $16 million on
free agents? Could they then resign Ray Allen with their Bird rights?

No and no. Surprising to many, free agents continue to count against a
team's salary cap until they're either signed or renounced. This is
called a "cap hold". Free agents essentially count against the cap at
a figure greater than their previous salary. The amount of these cap holds varies significantly; for actual percentages, see here.
For purposes of the Celtics, Ray Allen would have a cap hold in excess
of $20 million. While the team could renounce Ray, if they did so they
would only be able to pay him the minimum salary.

Of even more significance is the cap hold of Rajon Rondo. As a restricted free agent, he carries a cap hold of 300% of his previous salary, or approximately $6.3 million. Thus, under the above scenario, the Celtics actual cap room would be approximately $10 million, rather than the $16 million anticipated. Further, there would be additional salary slots or cap holds for any other players on the roster. Long story short, unless we're starting over with ten or more new players, we don't have signficiant cap room in 2010-11, even if we renounce Ray.

Source:
http://www.celticsblog.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=3578

Cool, thanks for the info.