If Pierce opts out he's a RESTRICTED free agent???

[nickagneta]

Amar’e Stoudemire said he will opt out of his contract and become a free agent unless he reaches terms on an extension with the Suns. General manager Steve Kerr told the Globe last month that the team is definitely interested in re-signing Stoudemire. Paul Pierce also has to decide whether to opt out of his contract by July 1. He is owed $19 million next season if he exercises the option and would become a restricted free agent if he opts out. He does have the option of declining the final year and renegotiating an extension with the Celtics. Pierce has made it clear he would prefer an extension and may be willing to sacrifice money for long-term security.

Link

Restricted? Meaning the Celtics can match anything he is offered anywhere else? So basically, there's zero chance of Pierce ever landing anywhere else unless the Celtics decide what he is looking for is too much money and the Celtics don't want to match it.

Interesting!

[FallGuy]

Amar’e Stoudemire said he will opt out of his contract and become a free agent unless he reaches terms on an extension with the Suns. General manager Steve Kerr told the Globe last month that the team is definitely interested in re-signing Stoudemire. Paul Pierce also has to decide whether to opt out of his contract by July 1. He is owed $19 million next season if he exercises the option and would become a restricted free agent if he opts out. He does have the option of declining the final year and renegotiating an extension with the Celtics. Pierce has made it clear he would prefer an extension and may be willing to sacrifice money for long-term security.

Link

Restricted? Meaning the Celtics can match anything he is offered anywhere else? So basically, there's zero chance of Pierce ever landing anywhere else unless the Celtics decide what he is looking for is too much money and the Celtics don't want to match it.

Interesting!

Are we sure about that? That doesn't seem right to me.

[ManUp]

I don't think Pierce will opt out. The most I could see him getting on a multi-year contract is 10-12 million per. I also don't see many teams willing to pay him for more than 3 years. He isn't going to age as gracefully as Ray I'm positive of that.

[Birdbrain]

I don't think Pierce will opt out. The most I could see him getting on a multi-year contract is 10-12 million per. I also don't see many teams willing to pay him for more than 3 years. He isn't going to age as gracefully as Ray I'm positive of that.

Well that's interesting point. Partly I agree that Ray has aged well but, I also think Pierce's old school (below the rim) game will allow him to play well even with the inevitable dip in athletic ability. Also Ray is very hit or miss but, he is also a few years older than Paul.  I think people look at their bodies and see how cut up ray is and Pauls body type and it partially distorts reality. Paul like BBDs body type has been same or even better now then when they were in college.

[More Banners]

I don't think Pierce will opt out. The most I could see him getting on a multi-year contract is 10-12 million per. I also don't see many teams willing to pay him for more than 3 years. He isn't going to age as gracefully as Ray I'm positive of that.

More or less agree-I don't know how much money he's willing to give up.  I think he's probably a 12 million dollar man, too...so he'd need quite a few extra years to make it worth giving up $8 million in year 1, and I don't think it's worth giving him that many more years, since you are likely 100% correct on his likelihood of aging well...his game is much based on deceptive strength and a quick step, both of which are likely to drop off more steeply than Ray's curl-and-shoot ability.  I'm becoming less and less assured of PP's ability to be the guy that can create his own shot...

I think the over-36 rule will apply to PP as well as Ray, so no team is going to give him more than a 3 year deal.

So, the question, as I posed in the Ray thread, is whether or not a Ray/PP wing lineup can contend for another 3 years, and/or is it worth paying both star-level starter money in year 3 when one or both might be better off the bench?

[billysan]

No question that neither Paul Pierce nor Ray Allen should be making anywhere near starter money in 3 years, likely that also could apply in 2 years for one or both.

If they (and the Celtics) are smart, they both sign for healthy front loaded 3 year 30 million deals with lots of performance and 4th year options starting in year three. Ray may even get only 2 years with options starting a year earlier. You can bet that KG is watching closely and calculating how he thinks he will be treated based on Ray's deal. Should be interesting this off season.

The reality is we likely sign Paul for too much money and watch him grow old/retire as a Celtic. That is going to be an ownership call and could be weighted by his attitude about team financial needs (behind closed doors) going forward.

[mgent]

Amar’e Stoudemire said he will opt out of his contract and become a free agent unless he reaches terms on an extension with the Suns. General manager Steve Kerr told the Globe last month that the team is definitely interested in re-signing Stoudemire. Paul Pierce also has to decide whether to opt out of his contract by July 1. He is owed $19 million next season if he exercises the option and would become a restricted free agent if he opts out. He does have the option of declining the final year and renegotiating an extension with the Celtics. Pierce has made it clear he would prefer an extension and may be willing to sacrifice money for long-term security.

Link

Restricted? Meaning the Celtics can match anything he is offered anywhere else? So basically, there's zero chance of Pierce ever landing anywhere else unless the Celtics decide what he is looking for is too much money and the Celtics don't want to match it.

Interesting!

Are we sure about that? That doesn't seem right to me.

Because it's not.

[Surferdad]

No question that neither Paul Pierce nor Ray Allen should be making anywhere near starter money in 3 years, likely that also could apply in 2 years for one or both.

If they (and the Celtics) are smart, they both sign for healthy front loaded 3 year 30 million deals with lots of performance and 4th year options starting in year three. Ray may even get only 2 years with options starting a year earlier. You can bet that KG is watching closely and calculating how he thinks he will be treated based on Ray's deal. Should be interesting this off season.

The reality is we likely sign Paul for too much money and watch him grow old/retire as a Celtic. That is going to be an ownership call and could be weighted by his attitude about team financial needs (behind closed doors) going forward.

And I wouldn't mind if that happened, even if it seems like overpaying for a star past his prime.  Pierce has given so much to this franchise and having him retire gracefully as a Celtic all-time great (I believe that, even if he only has one ring) would be the honorable thing to do.  Winning is not everything.

[get_banners]

paul's a lifer - no chance he leaves, or the team lets him. he might opt out (i think he will, actually), but mostly to just lower the annual money and add years to the contract, giving the team more financial flexibility to add on pieces. the big 3 all know they need more help if they want to compete for future titles, so i don't think getting top dollar is really their goal. i could see paul signing a 3/30 extension, and ray a 2/15 extension.

[aporel#18]

I think Pierce will opt-out his 19 millions, and will get a 4 year deal, with the last year a team option, at around 12 millions a year. He'll retire as a Celtic, and with this paycut the Celtics may use the full MLE to sign a good wing, we're all thinking about Mike Miller 

Besides that, Ray would be happy resigning for two years (at about 10 millions a year - Kidd's money), to match with KG's contract. After that, the Celtics will sign them for one year contracts until they retire, for the minimum or slightly more. If you add Rondo's money to Ray's money in that case, they'll make more or less this year's Ray contract. So the Celtics payroll will be about the same.

Maybe not, and they blow the team out. They might trade Perk and/or Sheed,  not resign Ray or the bench guys. But I guess they will be a very good team next year, a real contender if they keep their core together.

Go Celtics!!!

[ssspence]

99% sure this is incorrect. Amare will be an unrestricted FA if he opts out, as will Paul....

[guava_wrench]

No question that neither Paul Pierce nor Ray Allen should be making anywhere near starter money in 3 years, likely that also could apply in 2 years for one or both.

If they (and the Celtics) are smart, they both sign for healthy front loaded 3 year 30 million deals with lots of performance and 4th year options starting in year three. Ray may even get only 2 years with options starting a year earlier. You can bet that KG is watching closely and calculating how he thinks he will be treated based on Ray's deal. Should be interesting this off season.

The reality is we likely sign Paul for too much money and watch him grow old/retire as a Celtic. That is going to be an ownership call and could be weighted by his attitude about team financial needs (behind closed doors) going forward.

And I wouldn't mind if that happened, even if it seems like overpaying for a star past his prime.  Pierce has given so much to this franchise and having him retire gracefully as a Celtic all-time great (I believe that, even if he only has one ring) would be the honorable thing to do.  Winning is not everything.

Why would throwing away money be honorable? Pierce has been paid well here. I don't think the team owes him any freebies. This team spent a lot of money to surround him with a competitive team.

This is not the time to overpay him on an extended deal.

[More Banners]

No question that neither Paul Pierce nor Ray Allen should be making anywhere near starter money in 3 years, likely that also could apply in 2 years for one or both.

If they (and the Celtics) are smart, they both sign for healthy front loaded 3 year 30 million deals with lots of performance and 4th year options starting in year three. Ray may even get only 2 years with options starting a year earlier. You can bet that KG is watching closely and calculating how he thinks he will be treated based on Ray's deal. Should be interesting this off season.

The reality is we likely sign Paul for too much money and watch him grow old/retire as a Celtic. That is going to be an ownership call and could be weighted by his attitude about team financial needs (behind closed doors) going forward.

And I wouldn't mind if that happened, even if it seems like overpaying for a star past his prime.  Pierce has given so much to this franchise and having him retire gracefully as a Celtic all-time great (I believe that, even if he only has one ring) would be the honorable thing to do.  Winning is not everything.

Why would throwing away money be honorable? Pierce has been paid well here. I don't think the team owes him any freebies. This team spent a lot of money to surround him with a competitive team.

This is not the time to overpay him on an extended deal.

TP.  He's been getting max money for quite a few years now.  I think the team has paid him well for what he's provided.  If either party has some emotional-type of obligation to give the other a break, it's PP giving the C's a huge discount so he can retire a Celtic without the team reflecting a losing has-been status as he ages/declines.  This town loves a winner.

I'm not sure how much he's willing to leave on the table, though...one can only give up so many millions of dollars.  Perhaps assurance of a post-retirement job with the team would help him stay "home" here?

[Rida]

Amar’e Stoudemire said he will opt out of his contract and become a free agent unless he reaches terms on an extension with the Suns. General manager Steve Kerr told the Globe last month that the team is definitely interested in re-signing Stoudemire. Paul Pierce also has to decide whether to opt out of his contract by July 1. He is owed $19 million next season if he exercises the option and would become a restricted free agent if he opts out. He does have the option of declining the final year and renegotiating an extension with the Celtics. Pierce has made it clear he would prefer an extension and may be willing to sacrifice money for long-term security.

Link

Restricted? Meaning the Celtics can match anything he is offered anywhere else? So basically, there's zero chance of Pierce ever landing anywhere else unless the Celtics decide what he is looking for is too much money and the Celtics don't want to match it.

Interesting!

He would do us a huge favor if he opts out and accepts say a 3 yr $12 a year contract.

That would allow us to resign ray, tony and Nate

[nickagneta]

99% sure this is incorrect. Amare will be an unrestricted FA if he opts out, as will Paul....

Exactly what I thought and assumed. But you know what assuming can do to you. And while it makes 100% sense that he would unrestricted and this is just a mistake on the author's part, you never know.