explain to me why magic & cavs have $$$$ and celts do not ?

[tenn_smoothie]

living down here in knoxville, i don't quite have the access to the day-to-day details of the Celtics and the current options in free agency or possible trades ......

please explain to me why the magic & cavs seem to have all this money available to go after players left & right and we are left to sign the scraps that are left maybe it's the big 3 contracts or maybe it's an erroneous perception i have - but possible destinations for many of the better free agents i am reading about too often seem to include orlando and cleveland.

thanks for any info.

p.s.  -  if anyone wants any updates on the Lane Train down here in Big Orange Football Land, i'll be happy to provide ....... laffs.

[vagrantwade]

Magic don't have much money.

And really, the cavs don't either.

[hpantazo]

very simple, they don't have any more $ than we do

[rondohondo]

all three teams have the same amount of money to offer for free agents. The media just don't like the C's and want them to be overtaken .

[Fan from VT]

The short answer is that all three teams have the same amount.

the longer answer is that the C's have 5 million more already on the payroll, and are thus 5 million closer to/over the luxury tax, at which point teams have to pay dollar for dollar to the league. Many team owners are reluctant to pay the tax, so while it's not a hard threshold, it sometimes works as such.

[tenn_smoothie]

from espn:

Magic to pursue Wallace, Bass
FanHouse.com reports the Orlando Magic are expected to make contract offers next week to Rasheed Wallace (Detroit) and Brandon Bass (Dallas).

The Cavs were just about the happiest team on the NBA map when Milwaukee elected to allow Charlie V. to become an unrestricted free agent, since there's a fair bit of belief in Ohio that it would be better to add more of a rangy 3/4 type to counter the likes of Lamar Odom and Rashard Lewis.

The Magic and Cavs would be among the natural contending suitors if Bruce Bowen becomes an unrestricted free agent, with Orlando possibly possessing an advantage in the presence of coach Stan Van Gundy, who knows Bowen well from their time together with the Miami Heat.

[RayRay4MVP]

They don't.

[johnnyrondo]

To answer the OP's question, I believe that the Cavs ownership is willing to go way over the luxury tax and the C's ownership is not so willing. It's yet to be seen if the Magic will. If they sign Hedo they will be committing a lot.

[celticinorlando]

i think them dropping in drives up the price for some guys...agent says to boston...cavs and magic want my guy..you going to pay....i don't expect the cavs to get anyone else except maybe anderson...

[Jon]

It's also part of the curse of having three future Hall of Famers on one roster.  It's the reason we have the best starting lineup in the NBA, but also the reason we struggle for depth. 

[pearljammer10]

3 answers.

Kevin Garnett
Paul Pierce
Ray Allen

But in all seriousness...They are in the same financial boat we are. Both of them, thats why the magic CANT resign Hedo and why the Cavs are looking at Varejo as their only free agent addition.

[wdleehi]

To many media types are just to excited about players going to those places. 


Didn't someone have an example of an ESPN guy saying three different guys were going to sign for the MLE in Cleveland in one sitting?

[tenn_smoothie]

did the cavs assume shaquille oneil's full contract obligation ??
shaq's salary is huge isn't it ??

pretty [dang] frustrating to watch these teams (memphis, phoenix) giving out gifts (gasol, shaq) to our rivals these past two years. no one feeling generous towards the celtics these days ?? i guess the aura of red auerbach still looms large in the minds of gm's around the league.

[LarBrd33]

Tenn... You might want to do some research into how NBA salaries and the salary cap works.

None of those teams have more money than us.   We could have traded for Shaq/Vince if we wanted to.  Neither of those guys fit into the Celtics plans. 

Those guys weren't "signed', they were traded for.  Cavs and Magic had contracts that they sent out that "matched". 

In the case of Shaq, it was Sasha/Wallace for Shaq... basically expiring contracts for expiring contracts.  We would have needed to send out close to 20 mil to trade for Shaq and that would have probably taken Ray Allen.  Even if we DID have 20 mil in expiring, I'm not so sure we'd have much of a use for Shaq at this point.

In the case of Vince it made perfect sense, because the Nets are trying to position themselves in the "Summer of 2010".   Orlando sent them expiring contracts and took on Vince Carter's 15 mil a year.   It doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense for Boston to be paying Vince $15 mil a year to play off the bench, does it?  Kinda a waste of money (and doubtful vince would take that role) when his position is filled in our starting lineup already.   Also, I dont' think we could muster up the expiring deals to bring in Vince anyways.  Salaries have to match.  I think if we combine the expiring contracts of Eddie House, Scal, Tony Allen, Pruitt, Giddens and Walker we could take back a guy making 10 mil or so.   Again, not sure who out there is making 10 mil that makes logical sense for our team.

As for the other guys... we all have the same MLE (like 6 mil a year) to offer free agents.   Our target is Rasheed.  The media can talk about how other teams are going after Odom or Artest or something... and I'm sure Boston has just as much a chance at landing Odom/Artest for the MLE as those other teams do.   The only difference is that some of those teams (like the Cavs) could offer an Odom/Artest a starting role... whereas Boston can only offer a bench role.  Which is why the target is Rasheed (who presumably would be ok with coming off the bench).

Our team isn't cheap or lazy... it's just a matter of finding the right fit. 

In other words... if a team like the Clippers decide they want to give away a guy like Chris Kaman (making 11 mil), there is really nothing stopping us from giving them the expiring contracts of Eddie House, Tony Allen, Scal, Giddens, Walker and Pruitt for Kaman.   And if Sheed (or Odom or Artest) wants to come to boston for the MLE ... there is nothing stopping us from signing them.

[guava_wrench]

Like others have mentioned, we have 3 guys with big contracts. That means the big difference between our team and those other teams is in trades - we would have to trade a core guy to trade for someone with a large contract. Orlando and Clev has guys who weren't needed that they were able to trade away.