Sam Cassell may start the season as an assistant coach

[Roy Hobbs]

I think it depends upon what type of contract Cassell signed.

The article indicates he signed a "guaranteed contract".  If that's the Uniform Player Contract, which all players sign, he can't then shift that salary over to become a coach.  Instead, the team would have to cut him, and negotiate a coach's salary with him.  (Otherwise, it's circumventing the salary cap.)

No matter what, we can only have 15 players under contract.  The team can't "activate" Cassell, as some have suggested.  Instead, they'd have to sign him to a new contract, after waiving the first one.

Also, according to Larry Coon, the CBA prevents player-coaches, as this is seen as a means of circumventing the cap.  I'm assuming this means players can't be *paid* as both a coach and player at the same time, as the coach's salary would allow teams to pay players pretty much whatever they wanted.

Roy, is my scenario circumventing the CBA rule? If he is on the roster as a player and inactive because only 12 players are allowed to be dressed, how can the league stop Sam from sitting at the end of the bench and coaching up the young PGs, only as a teammate?

Oh, absolutely that can happen, at least how I read things.  He can mentor / coach guys; he just can't be a formal member of the coaching staff, receiving a coach's salary, if he's an action player.

[greenwise]

It seems Doc and Danny agree (word by word ) that he won't be coaching this season...


“He’s been really helpful to us, but he’s here to play,” Rivers said.

According to GM Danny Ainge, “I haven’t even discussed coaching with Sam. I know he wants to get into that some day, but I haven’t talked to him about it. He’s here to play.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/2008_10_17_Sam_on_guard:_Not_ready_for_bench/



As of now, Miles is gone...

[RebusRankin]

Given how well Pruitt and House have looked, do we need Sam? I'd rather use spot 15 on Miles.

[CoachBo]

Miles has shown nothing in the pre-season. I have no interest in wasting a roster spot on him. Sam at 39 is a major upgrade over Miles.

Cut Miles.

[PaulPierce34G]

Is is a possibility they give Sam the coaching job & cut Miles, thus having 14 active players on the roster & seeing how things play out?

[nickagneta]

Is is a possibility they give Sam the coaching job & cut Miles, thus having 14 active players on the roster & seeing how things play out?

NO!! It pretty easy math.

The Celts have 15 roster spots to fill. They have 15 guys with guaranteed contracts. They have one guy with a non-guaranteed contract that has been either the worse or second worse player on the court all preseason. The guy with the non-guaranteed contract, the gimpy leg, the shot that is atrocious outside 10 feet and who still has to prove his knee can structurally take the duress of an entire NBA season will be cut.

It really has been that clear since camp started and I find it hard to believe that others couldn't see it that way.

[bucknersrevenge]

Is is a possibility they give Sam the coaching job & cut Miles, thus having 14 active players on the roster & seeing how things play out?

We can only hope. I think Pruitt can hanle the backup PG spot just fine an while I'd certainly appreciate Sam Cassell's experience on the coaching staff teaching IMO he serves no purpose whatsoever on the bench. I'd much rather have the extra roster spot in case we want to bring in a vet big man or something. Cassell didn't help us win it last year an he's not getting better.