The Celtics talk Lebron into the idea of coming to Boston based on free-spending ownership, smart management, a winning coach, teaming up instantly with Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo, the chance not only to carry on the legacy of but to remake the greatest franchise in NBA history, and the chance to beat Kobe in the Finals and really make it sting.
However, what both the Celtics and Lebron really want is to make it a sign and trade so that the Celtics can still resign their own free agents, specifically Ray and Tony Allen, and have a midlevel exception available - they wouldn't have that ability if they just signed Lebron outright. Lebron, of course, would like to get his higher salary as well.
Cleveland does not want to give this gift to Lebron. They don't want to give him what he can only get in Cleveland. And the fact is, nothing they can get back will ever replace Lebron James.
However, there might be one way to get to Cleveland. Money. And I'm not talking about throwing $3 million into a trade. I'm talking about taking massive amounts of longterm contracts off the hands of Cleveland. I'm talking about taking Mo Williams' awful 3 years and $26 million, and Anderson Varejao's 5 years and $42 million. Undoing the damage Cleveland inflicted on itself in trying to make Lebron happy. Something the other suitors can't give, because they all want Lebron and 1-2 other max free agents so they can't take on those bad contracts (note: I think this may be something Dallas tries to do).
Now, Jamison's contract is awful too, but I think that's the one Cleveland is most likely to be able to get rid of on its own since it's only two years, and Jamison is a better player than those other guys. They've tried to get rid of Williams without success, and I think they'd have similar problems with unloading Varejao. So we have to do them this favor for them to consider doing a sign and trade.
I almost would expect Cleveland to say "we'll do the sign and trade if you take those contracts, but we are NOT giving Lebron the sixth year and the higher starting salary. Eff him." But it's all the same to Lebron, since it helps him get his new team in better shape to add to the roster.
So, to take on Lebron, Varejao and Williams - nearly $33 million in salary for next year - the Celtics would have to send out $26.25 million in salary. Thing is, Cleveland's not gonna want to take it. This is where our beloved captain, Paul Pierce, comes in.
Let's face it - there's no real space for Pierce with Lebron on the team. But I think he still really would rather be a Celtic, so he'd be negotiating with us and we'd really have first dibs on him over another team like, say, the Clippers. Ultimately, we go to his other potential suitor, the Clippers, and Paul's agent and say - how about a sign and trade? To take part in a sign and trade with a starting salary of $15 million for Pierce, we give the Clippers Perk and a million bucks.
The other pieces to make the salaries work are Rasheed's retiring contract and the nonguaranteed contracts of Tony Gaffney and Oliver Lafayette.
The trade is structured as two separate trades. Why? So we pay out $6 million instead of $3 million, the max a team can give in cash per transaction.
Trade 1: Boston signs and trades Paul Pierce (starting at $15 million), along with Perk, Oliver Lafayette and $1 million cash to the LA Clippers. Boston trades Tony Gaffney, the rights to Avery Bradley, 2011 and 2013 first round draft picks, 2012 and 2014 second round draft picks, and $2 million cash to Cleveland. Cleveland signs and trades Lebron James (starting at $16.5 million, not the $17.1 million he COULD get from Cleveland, just due to Cleveland's hatred of Lebron) along with Mo Williams to Boston. Clippers send a conditional second round pick to Boston.
In the second transaction, Boston sends Rasheed Wallace and $3 million cash to Cleveland for Anderson Varejao.
Boston gets a roster of Garnett, Lebron, Mo, Rondo, Varejao, and Davis, at a total salary of $64.325 million, without renouncing the rights to its own free agents or losing the right to use the midlevel. Celtics resign Ray and Tony Allen, for a backcourt of Rondo and Ray with Mo and Tony coming off the bench. Frontcourt is Lebron, Garnett and Varejao with Davis (and Harongody) coming off the bench, and the midlevel exception available to get some big bodies. Maybe even resign Shelden and/or Scal.
Cleveland loses Lebron, but they were losing him anyway. They don't give him the extra money he could get by staying in Cleveland, preserving some pride. In exchange, they wipe $60 million plus off their books, including $16.3 million in 2010-11, they pick up Avery Bradley and two other first round picks, and make $1 million.
The Clippers get Pierce, Perk, and $1 million. Starting five of Davis, Gordon, Pierce, Griffin and Kaman with Perk and Aminu off the bench and still a couple million in cap space available.
It is utterly, completely ridiculous to think about, but screw it, I'm stuch at the office late (on the West Coast, so not crazy late) and I can't get the thought out of my head as I think about Pierce opting out, Wallace deciding to retire, and reading recent stories about how the real key to success in the NBA is ownership (recent articles by Hollinger and Stein) and management, which was the stumbling block in Cleveland, is a stumbling block in New York and potentially Chicago (the three major figures of the 90s dynasty - Jordan, Pippen and Jackson - all seem to hate Jerry Reinsdorf, which may scare off Lebron), and is a strength of the Celtics organization at this point. And if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Topic: Late Night Absurd Lebron Acquisition Idea (Read 2708 times)