Mark Murphy update: Moon interest waning, other S & Ts waxing

[nickagneta]

As has been posted on the front page and written in today's Boston Herald

http://bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view/20090716celtics_glen_davis_moving_closer/

the Boston Celtics interest in Jamario Moon hase seemingly come and gone as the team explored sign and trade scenarios with the Heat but due to the dreaded BYC clause of Moon's restricted free agency, it made the possibility extremely unlikely. Murphy did mention, however, that the Celtics are still exploring sign and trade possibilities with other teams.

So who could they be? We now know that restricted free agents who would fall under BYC rules might be very difficult to with and can eliminated a bunch of guys there. But we must look at all possibilities because some might fit. I think the Celtics will be looking at free agents that fill obvious needs and can probably eliminated a ton of guys that way as well. So who does that leave. One man's guess:

Ime Udoka - Ime's a guy that might want more than the LLE and would seem to be moving with the Spurs acquisition of Richard Jefferson. Could something be worked out as San Antonio always seems to like expiring some money every year to keep them flexible.

Hakim Warrick - Hakim would seem to fit that mold of James Posey being able to play the PF/SF combo being agile enough to guard both positions. He also is a RFA but with Memphis under the cap BYC rules are less prevalent. I think.

Flip Murray - with Jamal Crawford and now Mike Bibby in tow there would seem to be little need of a scoring point guard coming off the bench in Atlanta. With a very good season under his belt Murray might want more than the LLE and would seem to be the scoring threat/backup PG the C's need.

Linas Kleiza - Kleiza is a RFA but Denver jettisoned Marcus Camby for fear of being in the luxury tax area last year and with Chris Anderson already signed Denver is approaching if not exceeding the luxury tax area already. Kleiza is a guy that would warrant almost a full MLE but given that the Nuggets have Sonny Weems available to package as a vet min non-guaranteed contract it could be possible to make it happen while sending the Nuggets some money to offset the deal if they are over the luxury tax level.

Gerald Green - just kidding

Von Wafer - this seems unlikely, but after having a good season showing the ability to snipe from long range, he might be someone that could spell Pierce and Allen at the wing and give the C's better size than Tony and Eddie. He might be looking for more than the LLE, and with Houston being in disarray, who knows what they might be thinking.

Marquis Daniels - I don't think he is worth anywhere near what he used to make but is still worth more than the LLE and he gives you kinda what Tony Allen does, only without as much of the boneheadedness and with size.

There's probably others but not a lot and I would be surprised of their interest anywhere else in a sign an trade. So what trade scenarios do you see in a sign and trade for someone who's moniker isn't infantile?

[Rondo2287]

Hakim would be a dream. I would love it

[slamtheking]

I'd take anyone you listed except GG but I would think they'd be expecting more than the LLE.  If we landed any of them for the LLE, I'd be stunned and thrilled at the same time.

[celticinorlando]

at this point i think we all need to accept that the bench we have now is going to be the bench we go into the season with. i expect we resign baby and walker/giddens/allen will be the back up to PP. I also expect ainge to pick up the option on pruitt. i think, unfortunatley, ainge will go with this team until the trade deadline to see if they have any chance of helping off the bench

PG rondo, pruitt, hudson
SG ray, eddie, tony, giddens
SF PP, walker, tony
PF KG, baby, scal
C Perk, Sheed, swift

and that is your 2009-2010 boston celtics

[nickagneta]

I'd take anyone you listed except GG but I would think they'd be expecting more than the LLE.  If we landed any of them for the LLE, I'd be stunned and thrilled at the same time.

Hence why I am looking at them in possible sign and trades.

[Who]

I think Kleiza and Warrick are off the board. They'd cost too much, in both salary and trade assets. I don't think they're attainable.

Flip Murray, Von Wafer, and Marquis Daniels are interesting names. They all may be willing to sign for the LLE, not certainties, but possibilities for that money. Daniels, talent wise, should get more than the LLE but I can't help wondering if his injury history (only played more than 62 games once in his 6 year career) will keep his price down. Daniels would be my first preference.

I'm not overly interested in Flip Murray, not wild about him and House alongside one another, or having a shot-happy bench player with a poor history efficiency wise on a team with a lot of shot creators. Von Wafer is a nice player, I'd be happy to have him in the fold. I think the Celtics are the type of team (veteran, defensive minded, share the ball) needed to keep Von Wafer's own individual development on track.

Ime Udoka will sign for the minimum.

[celticinorlando]

danny is going to stand pat. he will resign baby and use one of the three unproven wings to back up PP. if that doesn't work he will then get serious about bringing in a real wing to match up with all the other teams in the east. orlando has 3 good wings off the bench in reddick, peitrus and prolly barnes...boston has to counter those with allen, giddens and walker..but IMO when the season starts...tony allen will be PP primary back up...imagine that line up...

pruitt at the PG
eddie at the SG
tony at the SF
Baby at PF
Sheed at C

[SSFan V]

I honestly feel that either Tony Allen, Scal or Davis will be used in a sign and trade situation before the season begins.

Danny is going to use either the expiring contracts or BBD straight up to bring in another body.

My preference is to keep Davis (good bye Leon) and use both TA & Scal in a sign and trade for a player.  As for position, the debate can rage on between 1 or a 2/3 - I'll trust Danny and crew to determine that.

[Cman]

danny is going to stand pat. he will resign baby and use one of the three unproven wings to back up PP.

Not so sure about that.

At the very least, Danny will sign a couple of players to non guaranteed contracts, to keep his options open going into training camp and to have bodies ready in case a multi player trade goes down.  

I also think that while the big burst of FA/RFA activity is slowing down, there will continue to be action - just not as frenetic.  There will be opportunities for the Celtics to get involved in multi-team deals, as well as to pick up a player that might be left without a team toward the end of the summer (sort of like Posey a couple years back).

In other words, while I think Tony Allen and Bill Walker would do a poor job backing up Pierce, I am not yet ready to throw in the towel....

[BballTim]

danny is going to stand pat. he will resign baby and use one of the three unproven wings to back up PP. if that doesn't work he will then get serious about bringing in a real wing to match up with all the other teams in the east. orlando has 3 good wings off the bench in reddick, peitrus and prolly barnes...boston has to counter those with allen, giddens and walker..but IMO when the season starts...tony allen will be PP primary back up...imagine that line up...

pruitt at the PG
eddie at the SG
tony at the SF
Baby at PF
Sheed at C

  I think that he'll probably sign at least one more player, either a wing or, more likely, a pg. But if you replace Pruitt with an experienced pg that's really not an awful bench. In fact you could argue it's as good as we've had since Ray and KG arrived.

[celticinorlando]

having giddens, tony or bill get important minutes each night where they HAVE to have some thing offensively from them and they are required to play good defense night in and night in concerns me. tony allen has already proven that he can single handedly shoot the celtics out of a lead and out of a game. i would rather roll the dice with pruitt and sign a legit wing than sign a PG and roll the dice with those 3

[ssspence]

I think Kleiza and Warrick are off the board. They'd cost too much, in both salary and trade assets. I don't think they're attainable.

Disagree. A Warrick for Baby deal makes alot of sense for both teams and their salaries are likely to be pretty close, making the BYC situation more managable.

[Fafnir]

I think Kleiza and Warrick are off the board. They'd cost too much, in both salary and trade assets. I don't think they're attainable.

Disagree. A Warrick for Baby deal makes alot of sense for both teams and their salaries are likely to be pretty close, making the BYC situation more managable.

Why does it make sense? They've got enough money into the PF slot now with Z-Bo.

[Who]

I think Kleiza and Warrick are off the board. They'd cost too much, in both salary and trade assets. I don't think they're attainable.

Disagree. A Warrick for Baby deal makes alot of sense for both teams and their salaries are likely to be pretty close, making the BYC situation more managable.

Why do you think Memphis be interested in Glen Davis?

They already have Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet, Zach Randolph and Darrell Arthur. I think their big man rotation is fairly set. I don't see the Grizzlies paying Davis substantial money + years, when they already have those guys on the books.

If they were interested in BBD, then yeah, a trade could make good sense there and the BYC situation balances itself out.

[Birdbrain]

danny is going to stand pat. he will resign baby and use one of the three unproven wings to back up PP. if that doesn't work he will then get serious about bringing in a real wing to match up with all the other teams in the east. orlando has 3 good wings off the bench in reddick, peitrus and prolly barnes...boston has to counter those with allen, giddens and walker..but IMO when the season starts...tony allen will be PP primary back up...imagine that line up...

pruitt at the PG
eddie at the SG
tony at the SF
Baby at PF
Sheed at C

This is the bench correct.  Looks good to me although I have feeling Walker will be the wing.  No one on this blog really knows how good Walker or Giddens really are but, they seem to be so sure that they aren't good enough to be a backup wing.  Oh well.