Is the Celtics 2010 cap flexibility (now) out the window?

[JSD]

At the beginning of this off-season, Wyc dropped a bomb over the airwaves about the potential of bringing in a major free agent in the 2010 off-season. According to Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck, they will have the financial flexibility to offer someone a full max contract next summer. Speaking with “Dale & Holley” Monday, Grousbeck did not give specifics, but he reiterated this fact by saying “there is a situation under which we could do that.” (Weei.com)

Since then, 2010 was billed as a year the Celtics could realistically be in position to bid on the likes of Dwayne Wade or Lebron James. So In the midst of all the joy of signing Rasheed Wallace 2 year deal (with his cap number now counting against the 2010 off-season), do we Celtic fans declare this the end of possibility for a new beginning next off-season? Not so fast.

If The Celtics allow Ray Allen and Paul Pierce (opts out) to walk, they can offer a max deal:

According to Hoophypes salary projections:

Rondo (resigned starting at 10 million)
Bill Walker
-
KG
Perk

Rasheed Wallace
Giddens
2010 1st round
2010 2nd round

This would put the Celtics right around the $38 – $40 million range, allowing enough cap room to land a major free agent.

Leaving a possibility of this:

1. Rondo (resigned starting at 10 million)
2. Bill Walker
3. Lebron
4. KG
5. Perk

6th Man. Rasheed Wallace

7th Man (R.P.) Giddens
8th Man (R.P.) Min

9. 2010 1st round
10. 2010 2nd round
11. Min
12. Min
13. Min
14. Min
15. Min

I'm just going through different possibilities.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Our cap flexibility in 2010 was always out of the window, which is mainly why I think we can afford to overpay Baby for the next couple of years if needed.

[Roy Hobbs]

Our cap flexibility in 2010 was always out of the window, which is mainly why I think we can afford to overpay Baby for the next couple of years if needed.

Ditto.  There never was any 2010 flexibility, unless Pierce agreed to a $10 million pay cut, Rondo agreed to pay for the qualifying offer, etc.

What Rasheed's signing does is put all of that to rest for good.  If Pierce and Ray walk for nothing, and we don't sign Rondo to an extension, we'd still only have somewhere between $16 and $19 million in cap room.  If it's on the lower end, that's not enough to sign a max free agent, and that's even assuming that the team is okay with letting two starters leave.

[Chris]

It was never there to begin with.  But this Sheed deal all but assures the C's will hit the bottom in 2011 with a ton of cap flexibility, and likely no terrible contracts on the books.  I would prefer the window never closed, but if it does, I certainly prefer it closing without any albatrosses.  Hell of a job Danny (so far).

[JSD]

Interesting sentiment out of the gate by lock hall of fame posters: "never there to begin with"

The cap situation and possibilities on both hoopshype amd shamsports.com tell a different story.

Now, What if Peirce Opts out?  In a perfect world he picks up his option but If he doesn't I believe the scenario above becomes a possibility.

[Roy Hobbs]

Interesting sentiment out of the gate by three lock hall of fame posters: "never there to begin with"

The cap situation and possibilities on both hoopshype amd shamsports.com tell a different story.

Now, What if Peirce Opts out?  In a perfect world he picks up his option but If he doesn't I believe the scenario above becomes a possibility.

Pierce isn't going to opt out.  He was never going to walk away from $21 million (or $16 million, or $10 million).  It was never going to happen, and it definitely won't happen now.  The Celtics offer Pierce the best opportunity to win, and the most money.  Why leave?

[wdleehi]

Ainge has said flexabilty was going to be based on sign and trades.


That's why he wants contracts that expire the next season. 

[Rondoholic]

Interesting sentiment out of the gate by three lock hall of fame posters: "never there to begin with"

The cap situation and possibilities on both hoopshype amd shamsports.com tell a different story.

Now, What if Peirce Opts out?  In a perfect world he picks up his option but If he doesn't I believe the scenario above becomes a possibility.

Pierce isn't going to opt out.  He was never going to walk away from $21 million (or $16 million, or $10 million).  It was never going to happen, and it definitely won't happen now.  The Celtics offer Pierce the best opportunity to win, and the most money.  Why leave?

No way Pierce opts out.  The economy isn't going to be fully recovered by then.  Plus, the team is built to compete for the next 2-3 years with all of his friends around him.  And it means A LOT to retire a Celtics and I really think Pierce has bought into that.

[the_Bird]

Yeah, Pierce wasn't opting out, and it would be disrespectful of Danny to suggest to him that he do so.  Pierce has earned his $$.

Once free agency is done, be interesting to see if they do push to get Rondo locked up, and maybe if Ray Allen asks for an extension.  Doubt they do anything on the latter (if the team implodes next year, Allen'll be a helluva trade chip), but I bet his agent makes a few quiet inquiries when things settle down.

[JSD]

Interesting sentiment out of the gate by three lock hall of fame posters: "never there to begin with"

The cap situation and possibilities on both hoopshype amd shamsports.com tell a different story.

Now, What if Peirce Opts out?  In a perfect world he picks up his option but If he doesn't I believe the scenario above becomes a possibility.

Pierce isn't going to opt out.  He was never going to walk away from $21 million (or $16 million, or $10 million).  It was never going to happen, and it definitely won't happen now.  The Celtics offer Pierce the best opportunity to win, and the most money.  Why leave?

More guaranteed money and a plethora of teams with cap space? The man won his ring already... Who knows? Bare with me Roy, what if he does? If you're Danny what would you do?

[bobdelt]

Also - if RA and PP do opt out - we have to rescind their rights for the cap space to sign someone else. So we'd lose them.

Now PP and RA were the reasons KG was willing to play here.

Why would Lebron want to play here without PP & RA? If Lebron doesn't sign, then what do we have left? Nothing. No other 2010 guys are worth giving up PP and RA.

[Fan from VT]

Interesting sentiment out of the gate by lock hall of fame posters: "never there to begin with"

The cap situation and possibilities on both hoopshype amd shamsports.com tell a different story.

Now, What if Peirce Opts out?  In a perfect world he picks up his option but If he doesn't I believe the scenario above becomes a possibility.

it's the difference between a possibility and a probability. Sure, it would be technically possible to create cap space for 2010, but it was always completely unrealistic to create a basketball team and cap space at the same time. For it to have happened you'd need to not extend rondo, not extend or replace Ray, not extend any rookies, not sign MLE free agents, and have pierce opt out of 21000000 dollars. None of which were going to happen. Besides which, if it did happen, what major free agent would agree to take a max offer to play with Perkins, KG, and a bunch of vet min contracts?

[Evantime34]

My thoughts have always been to keep what we already have and not take the gamble of free agency. In free agency we could improve our team if someone wants to come here or we could end up with nothing. That's not a gamble I'd be willing to take. Players have shown in the past that they'd rather play in a warmer climate with less taxes.
This is why I think we should trade our expiring contracts for a good player who is locked up for a while. We're not going to be players in the 2010 free agency market why not load up now?