So without a large trade next years Celtics...

[ssspence]

Yeah Nate can be resigned starting at about 5 million if the C's want to.

Daniels probably isn't worth the MLE to anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he can be retained at 2.4 million. I can't imagine him being worth any more than 3 or 4.

I'm not too worried about the bench next year. Wallace and Davis are already signed, and Nate is signable. Swing men are easier to find, especially with the MLE to dangle.

Ray Allen is probably worth 8 million a year for 2 years max.

Bird Rights are all about a teams ability to exceed the cap to keep a player. Nate doesn't have his Bird Rights. Marquis doesn't have his either.

Need to see a source before this is in play.

[GranTur]

I don't believe that's true.  A team can offer a 20% raise w/o Bird rights and not need to use the MLE to do it (right, CBA aficionados?).  Since Nate makes plenty for the backup PG/6th-7th man that he is, we have the option of keeping him for around 4 million w/o using the MLE.  Daniels could garner just shy of $2.4 million, plus 15% raises and, I think, incentives on top of that (trade kickers for sure).

So...we could perhaps use the MLE for a starting SG, and keep Ray on a cheaper deal with Bird rights, and have a rotation that looks fairly solid of

Rondo/Nate
MLE/Ray
Pierce/Daniels
KG/BBD
Perk/Sheed

And I'm fairly sure that TA, Scal, and Shelden would be glad to come back for close to the minimum.

So it's not hopeless.  Willingness to use the MLE, and what kind of player would be selected with it, will be important signs of where we're headed for the next couple of years.

(and whatever happens with PP, too, of course)

This.

• Marquis has said he really loves it in Boston and he wants to come back. He knows we're over the cap so he'll be good with $2.5 million.
• Nate will definitely back. $5 million is fair for both the Celts and Nate. Nobody will offer more than $5-6 million for a back-up PG.
• Baby, Rondo, and Perk can only get better. I think Baby will soon develop into a top level NBA sixth man.
• See pre-Christmas Paul Pierce...most efficient numbers of his career...a healthy knee for Paul means he's what we need him to be.
• Ray will obviously be back because he wants to. Contenders can only offer MLE and non-contenders don't wanna spend more than MLE on an aging back-up SG.

I feel good about Ray showing up strong in the playoffs. We'll see if he can start next year. Either way we'll have the MLE to either sign an average starter or an above average back-up.

Don't discount a sign-and-trade this offseason that could net us a starting SG.

Rondo     Nate
Ray         ??
Pierce     Daniels
KG          Baby
Perk       Sheed

[RJ87]

I don't believe that's true.  A team can offer a 20% raise w/o Bird rights and not need to use the MLE to do it (right, CBA aficionados?).  Since Nate makes plenty for the backup PG/6th-7th man that he is, we have the option of keeping him for around 4 million w/o using the MLE.  Daniels could garner just shy of $2.4 million, plus 15% raises and, I think, incentives on top of that (trade kickers for sure).

So...we could perhaps use the MLE for a starting SG, and keep Ray on a cheaper deal with Bird rights, and have a rotation that looks fairly solid of

Rondo/Nate
MLE/Ray
Pierce/Daniels
KG/BBD
Perk/Sheed

And I'm fairly sure that TA, Scal, and Shelden would be glad to come back for close to the minimum.

So it's not hopeless.  Willingness to use the MLE, and what kind of player would be selected with it, will be important signs of where we're headed for the next couple of years.

(and whatever happens with PP, too, of course)

This.

• Marquis has said he really loves it in Boston and he wants to come back. He knows we're over the cap so he'll be good with $2.5 million.
• Nate will definitely back. $5 million is fair for both the Celts and Nate. Nobody will offer more than $5-6 million for a back-up PG.
• Baby, Rondo, and Perk can only get better. I think Baby will soon develop into a top level NBA sixth man.
• See pre-Christmas Paul Pierce...most efficient numbers of his career...a healthy knee for Paul means he's what we need him to be.
• Ray will obviously be back because he wants to. Contenders can only offer MLE and non-contenders don't wanna spend more than MLE on an aging back-up SG.

I feel good about Ray showing up strong in the playoffs. We'll see if he can start next year. Either way we'll have the MLE to either sign an average starter or an above average back-up.

Don't discount a sign-and-trade this offseason that could net us a starting SG.

Rondo     Nate
Ray         ??
Pierce     Daniels
KG          Baby
Perk       Sheed

Where does this $5m for Nate come from?? He doesn't have birdrights, so how are we going over cap to sign him without the MLE?

The only player we have birdrights to this offseason is Ray... and Paul, if he opts out.

[Jon]

We can sit here and say things like "Nate won't take less than 5 million" and "Quis won't take less than 3"; however, when push comes to shove, I wouldn't be surprised to see them "Big Baby Davis"-ed this summer and not get close to the money either of them might expect.  

The simple fact of the matter is that neither player really appeals to anyone but a contender.  I mean why would anybody but a contender want to pay more than a couple million to either of these guys?  Neither of them is good enough to make a mediocre team a contender.  Why pay either more than that for a couple more wins?  

Plus, for all his talk about turning down bigger offers, who truly offered Marquis much more than the LLE?  Maybe some middle of he road team offered him 2.5 or 3 million, but it wasn't like he was getting inundated with 7-8 million dollar a year offers.  And that was after putting up pretty big numbers in Indy.  

Though I see his value here and though I like him, I can't see him getting much more than the LLE on the open market given the numbers he'll be sitting with come season end.

As for Nate, who is seriously going to give a 5-9 backup point guard 5 million dollars a year?  I wouldn't be surprised to see him come back at less than what he makes now.  

[vinnie]

My guess is that someone is going to offer Marquis Daniels more than $2.5 million and will likely be a contending team. I also don't see where they get the money to pay Nate. Finally, Glen Davis will never be a top-level NBA 6th man.

[Mr October]

Yeah Nate can be resigned starting at about 5 million if the C's want to.

Daniels probably isn't worth the MLE to anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he can be retained at 2.4 million. I can't imagine him being worth any more than 3 or 4.

I'm not too worried about the bench next year. Wallace and Davis are already signed, and Nate is signable. Swing men are easier to find, especially with the MLE to dangle.

Ray Allen is probably worth 8 million a year for 2 years max.

Bird Rights are all about a teams ability to exceed the cap to keep a player. Nate doesn't have his Bird Rights. Marquis doesn't have his either.

Need to see a source before this is in play.

I don't have a link.... but any player can be given a small bump from his current contract when he is a free agent and resigns with his current team. The exact percentage is somewhere between 12-20. The number has changed a bit over the years, so i'm not sure what it is now.

this is independent of the MLE and LLE.

[Mr October]

NON-BIRD EXCEPTION -- This is also a component of the Veteran Free Agent exception. Players who qualify for this exception are called "Non-Qualifying Veteran Free Agents" in the CBA. They are veteran free agents who are neither Qualifying Veteran Free Agents nor Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agents, either because they haven't met the criteria, or because they are Early Bird free agents following the second season of their rookie scale contract and whose team renounced the Early-Bird exception. This exception allows a team to re-sign its own free agent to a salary starting at 120% of the player's salary in the previous season, 120% of the minimum salary, or the amount needed to tender a qualifying offer (if the player is a restricted free agent -- see question number 36), whichever is greater. Raises are limited to 8% of the salary in the first year of the contract, and contracts are limited to five seasons when this exception is used.

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q19

[RJ87]

Yeah Nate can be resigned starting at about 5 million if the C's want to.

Daniels probably isn't worth the MLE to anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he can be retained at 2.4 million. I can't imagine him being worth any more than 3 or 4.

I'm not too worried about the bench next year. Wallace and Davis are already signed, and Nate is signable. Swing men are easier to find, especially with the MLE to dangle.

Ray Allen is probably worth 8 million a year for 2 years max.

Bird Rights are all about a teams ability to exceed the cap to keep a player. Nate doesn't have his Bird Rights. Marquis doesn't have his either.

Need to see a source before this is in play.

I don't have a link.... but any player can be given a small bump from his current contract when he is a free agent and resigns with his current team. The exact percentage is somewhere between 12-20. The number has changed a bit over the years, so i'm not sure what it is now.

this is independent of the MLE and LLE.

I feel like you're talking about birdrights or a qualifying offer. Neither of which is the case with Nate

[birdwatcher]

not mad, just disappointed we got nothing back for the stockpile of expiring contracts we have...they USED to be worth something (remember Raef's contract for Ray in the first place??). oh well. At least we'll have Ray for a few more years at a reasonable price--our version of Reggie Miller.

[Jon]

not mad, just disappointed we got nothing back for the stockpile of expiring contracts we have...they USED to be worth something (remember Raef's contract for Ray in the first place??). oh well. At least we'll have Ray for a few more years at a reasonable price--our version of Reggie Miller.

And I wouldn't rule out the possibility of eventually trading Ray down the road as an expiring contract.  I mean, what if the Cavs offered Ray a 3 year deal at the whole MLE next year?  Couldn't the C's get away with a 2 year deal at more money? 

And I don't expect there to be a lot more than the MLE out there for Ray.  I mean, if you're a rebuilding team not close to building a title, why would you drop more than MLE money on Ray?  The only exception might be a team like NY, who if they don't get a big FA will have a ton of money to spend.  But even then, I only see them offering Ray a one year deal, though it might be for fairly big money. 

[More Banners]

My guess is that someone is going to offer Marquis Daniels more than $2.5 million and will likely be a contending team. I also don't see where they get the money to pay Nate. Finally, Glen Davis will never be a top-level NBA 6th man.

My predictions:  

Daniels will be offered most of the  MLE by the Spurs (in warm, income tax-free Texas), and he'll take it.

Glen Davis will have a career as a solid rotation big man, but will be a hustle player, not an impact player, due to inherent limits in height, length, and athleticism.  Eventually a team that signs him to a long contract will regret it as it becomes more expensive in the out years, and his play plateaus.

The Celtics resign Nate for 2-3 years (possible 3rd year an option or partially guaranteed) at 4 million/year plus incentives (within range of his current salary and appropriate for a backup), becoming a drive/dish team based on PG penetration from Rondo and Nate and jumpers from Pierce and Ray, and a 1-4 pick/roll team with KG, BBD, and Sheed.

The Celtics do not use the full MLE this summer, as they don't find a player who would make them that much better, and instead begin trying to develop assets/young players alongside the aging 3.

TA and Scal are invited back on minimum contracts, and eventually accept them.

Perk turns down an extension this summer, and gets shopped at next year's deadline.

[Jon]

My guess is that someone is going to offer Marquis Daniels more than $2.5 million and will likely be a contending team. I also don't see where they get the money to pay Nate. Finally, Glen Davis will never be a top-level NBA 6th man.

My predictions:  

Daniels will be offered most of the  MLE by the Spurs (in warm, income tax-free Texas), and he'll take it.

Glen Davis will have a career as a solid rotation big man, but will be a hustle player, not an impact player, due to inherent limits in height, length, and athleticism.  Eventually a team that signs him to a long contract will regret it as it becomes more expensive in the out years, and his play plateaus.

The Celtics resign Nate for 2-3 years (possible 3rd year an option or partially guaranteed) at 4 million/year plus incentives (within range of his current salary and appropriate for a backup), becoming a drive/dish team based on PG penetration from Rondo and Nate and jumpers from Pierce and Ray, and a 1-4 pick/roll team with KG, BBD, and Sheed.

The Celtics do not use the full MLE this summer, as they don't find a player who would make them that much better, and instead begin trying to develop assets/young players alongside the aging 3.

TA and Scal are invited back on minimum contracts, and eventually accept them.

Perk turns down an extension this summer, and gets shopped at next year's deadline.

Still don't know about Daniels.  Maybe.  But he's averaging 6 points, 2 assists, and 2 boards this season.  Now I think his impact on the game is much more than that, but the NBA is pretty stat oriented.  If his numbers don't improve, I can't imagine any team offering close to the MLE for a player with those numbers unless he has some sort of amazing playoff run. 

[Mr October]

not mad, just disappointed we got nothing back for the stockpile of expiring contracts we have...they USED to be worth something (remember Raef's contract for Ray in the first place??). oh well. At least we'll have Ray for a few more years at a reasonable price--our version of Reggie Miller.

An expiring contract alone usually doesn't get it done. You gotta throw in a decent pick or an upside player who can actually play.

Raef (and the number 7 pick) got the Celtics Ratliff and Telfair (and saved one year of $$ off that aweful Raef contract).

The C's got Ray primarily for the #5 pick.

Gotta have good young expendable talent or good picks to really make things happen.

An expiring contract alone is only valuable if a team like Boston were willing to take on albatross contracts. Sometimes thats worth it, sometimes its not.

[BballTim]

Our bench for next year sucks right now.

  Our starting lineup in 2025 is horrible right now as well.

[ssspence]

Our bench for next year sucks right now.

  Our starting lineup in 2025 is horrible right now as well.

Well, we have a lot of cap space then. We'll be well over the cap next summer.