Paul Pierce opts out

[Kuberski33]

I don't think he's worth more to the Clippers. Nor do I think he'd spend his NBA golden years playing for a mediocre team like Sterling's.

Pierce gives LA's marketing staff something it can go out and sell.  He's may be the best player ever to come out of LA and him 'coming home' to play with guys like Griffin, Kaman (is he back?), Baron etc would energize that whole franchise.  Plus they had, by all reports, a very good draft.

To me, the Clippers make even more sense for him than the Celtics and I think they'll be more than happy to overpay for him.

[FallGuy]

I don't think he's worth more to the Clippers. Nor do I think he'd spend his NBA golden years playing for a mediocre team like Sterling's.

Pierce gives LA's marketing staff something it can go out and sell.  He's may be the best player ever to come out of LA and him 'coming home' to play with guys like Griffin, Kaman (is he back?), Baron etc would energize that whole franchise.  Plus they had, by all reports, a very good draft.

To me, the Clippers make even more sense for him than the Celtics and I think they'll be more than happy to overpay for him.

He'd have to write off any championship aspirations he has. Doesn't seem like the PP we've come to know.

[Celtics Insider]

Would we have enough for a max free agent if we let Pierce, and Ray go, along with Sheed's retirement?

[ManUp]

Why'd he have to go and do it? 

I don't want to sign him for more than 3 years and that's what it will take.

[BballTim]

It frees up luxury tax, yes. But if he resigns for that amount, we still have no money to spend in free agency - not unless Ray walks & signs with another team or resigns with us for A LOT less. Until they're both squared away, they both have cap holds of about $20m... So, yea...

  Danny's on a budget of some type. I'm sure that a few extra million would help. It might mean Danny goes with a MLE signing, or it might mean a bigger offer to Ray.

[wdleehi]

Would we have enough for a max free agent if we let Pierce, and Ray go, along with Sheed's retirement?

I believe so.


But



What then draws players to Boston?

[jdpapa3]

Would we have enough for a max free agent if we let Pierce, and Ray go, along with Sheed's retirement?

By my math, we would be 500k short.

And I don't look at this as Pierce turning his back on the city: it was the sensible business decision.

[jdpapa3]

What then draws players to Boston?

I think the major media market and Rajon Rondo would put us at 3rd or 4th place in the priority line behind Miami and Chicago.

[BballTim]

What then draws players to Boston?

  Offer to make them captain of the most storied franchise in nba history. I hear the position's opening up..

[Mr October]

Would we have enough for a max free agent if we let Pierce, and Ray go, along with Sheed's retirement?

By my math, we would be 500k short.

And I don't look at this as Pierce turning his back on the city: it was the sensible business decision.

I've got a total of $35.5 million between KG, Perk, Davis and Rondo.

Add in a cap hold of maybe 1.5 million for Bradley, and you still should have about 19 million to use on a run at a free agent.

A number, that makes you say Hmmmm.

[Kuberski33]

He'd have to write off any championship aspirations he has. Doesn't seem like the PP we've come to know.

Hate to break the news but competing for championships takes a backseat to long term finances. Plus it's something invented by the media.  For most of these guys, it's 'show me the money'. 

4 years at 70+ million for a team like the Clips vs 2 years at 30+ or whatever the Celtics would pay?  He's becoming more of a jump shooter at this point anyway, so PP is right at the tail end of being a guy who would command that type of money.  He won't get anything close to that in two years.

Don't think he would go some place like NJ or even the Knicks -- it would have to be a team with at least a chance of competing for a championship and the Clippers have a talent base in place.  What they need is a coach and sound management structure, so that may be one thing that gets in the way of this happening.

[rondohondo]

What then draws players to Boston?

I think the major media market and Rajon Rondo would put us at 3rd or 4th place in the priority line behind Miami and Chicago.

And that would mean the C's would probably be signing one of Joe Johnson/Gay/Boozer or Stoudamire.

Gay would be my first choice out of those guys. He is the youngest,has the most upside and would ne a perfect fit with Rondo.

[quidinqui33]

Paul Pierce is going nowhere.  He is a Celtic, through and through.

Being up there with the greatest celtics of all time has always meant something to him and nothing is different now, in fact in means even more now.

I'm sure Paul, Wyc, Danny, Doc have all talked about pierce's place in celtics history and I have no doubt that Pierce knows that him leaving the team for "big money" would somewhat tarnish his celtics legacy.  I'm sure that he also knows that taking less money annually for additional years that would allow him to retire a celtic and unselfishly help the team get better now would forever be remembered by celtics fans, whether he wins another title or not.

PP is a Celtic, and that is the Truth!

[BballTim]

Would we have enough for a max free agent if we let Pierce, and Ray go, along with Sheed's retirement?

By my math, we would be 500k short.

And I don't look at this as Pierce turning his back on the city: it was the sensible business decision.

I've got a total of $35.5 million between KG, Perk, Davis and Rondo.

Add in a cap hold of maybe 1.5 million for Bradley, and you still should have about 19 million to use on a run at a free agent.

A number, that makes you say Hmmmm.

  Does it work like that? I thought you had cap holds for the vet min for whatever players you need to get your roster up to 12 or so.

[jdpapa3]

Would we have enough for a max free agent if we let Pierce, and Ray go, along with Sheed's retirement?

By my math, we would be 500k short.

And I don't look at this as Pierce turning his back on the city: it was the sensible business decision.

I've got a total of $35.5 million between KG, Perk, Davis and Rondo.

Add in a cap hold of maybe 1.5 million for Bradley, and you still should have about 19 million to use on a run at a free agent.

A number, that makes you say Hmmmm.

Yea, and then cap holds of about 450k a piece for the 7 empty roster spots. Can't lie that the possibilities are very exciting, but I'm almost as happy with bringing back Ray and Pierce, and signing a C with the MLE.