The Future.

[WeMadeIt17]

I am wondering with all those cap guys out there in 2012 is there going to be room for us to get Rondo some talent next to him as the big 3 shuffles out? I am just wondering this today cause of what I saw of O.J. Mayo. Perhaps someone we could go after in 2012 if he is a free agent. I am just wondering what our future cap situation is and what year is it the most likely we see some major free agent signings? 

[Greenbean]

Love Mayo. Love love love him....just not as a primary scorer. Perfect Ray Allen replacement though. They can run alot of the same stuff. Hopefully he can get better on defense. he works his butt off at it and had mixed results last year.

How does he look on D so far?

[pearljammer10]

Its nice to look forward i guess, but I am going to continue to concentrate on this season and enjoy the teams play at the moment and appreciate the true history that we are seeing with HOF guys like Shaq, KG, Pierce, and Allen giving it one last healthy shot at a championship.

[WeMadeIt17]

Its nice to look forward i guess, but I am going to continue to concentrate on this season and enjoy the teams play at the moment and appreciate the true history that we are seeing with HOF guys like Shaq, KG, Pierce, and Allen giving it one last healthy shot at a championship.

Of course I will dearly miss these days of these guys playing together, And I do cherish these days. I was just trying to get my hopes up to see what kind of money we can spend and who we could go after in 2012!

[GreenFaith1819]

I saw that same thread on OJ Mayo. I'd love to have him here, too. This just goes to show how valuable Rondo is, and how he is starting to be viewed by the League now.

With OJ expressing interest in playing with Rondo, and with the rumblings out of ATL with Josh Smith...

Could we have both of these stars in the near future (2 years from now)? Just wondering.

And wasn't Josh an AAU teammate of Rondo's?

PG - Rondo/Nate/AB
SG - Ray/(Mayo?)/Delonte
SF - Pierce/Luke
PF - KG/Josh Smith/(Glen??)
C - Perkins/JO/Semih

Plus, I'm sure that KG and Ray would still be here in some capacity. Ray would be 37, but look at Grant Hill playing well in PHX and he is 37. KG? He'd be 36 by then, but I can't see KG hanging it up even then.

Any Financial Gurus online? Could this lineup work? My gut feeling is that someone(s) would have to take a paycut.......

[Prof. Clutch]

I saw that same thread on OJ Mayo. I'd love to have him here, too. This just goes to show how valuable Rondo is, and how he is starting to be viewed by the League now.

With OJ expressing interest in playing with Rondo, and with the rumblings out of ATL with Josh Smith...

Could we have both of these stars in the near future (2 years from now)? Just wondering.

And wasn't Josh an AAU teammate of Rondo's?

PG - Rondo/Nate/AB
SG - Ray/(Mayo?)/Delonte
SF - Pierce/Luke
PF - KG/Josh Smith/(Glen??)
C - Perkins/JO/Semih

Plus, I'm sure that KG and Ray would still be here in some capacity. Ray would be 37, but look at Grant Hill playing well in PHX and he is 37. KG? He'd be 36 by then, but I can't see KG hanging it up even then.

Any Financial Gurus online? Could this lineup work? My gut feeling is that someone(s) would have to take a paycut.......

Josh Smith would be one of top 5 guys currently in the NBA that I would love to pair with Rondo.  It's amazing how good Rondo is already on the break without another true fast break/really athletic player on the team.

[indeedproceed]

I we're going to speed up the rebuilding process, we'll need to break it down after next year.

That means trading KG and Ray, or flat out letting them expire.

After that, you're talking definite extensions for Perkins, and likely one of Harangody/Semih (though probably not both), and keeping one of Delonte/Nate I'm sure too.

Plus 2 more rookies heading into 2012.

I don't know, if Rondo is really tearing it up, we might have a shot of signing someone, but otherwise, we're looking at a crappy couple of years starting in 2012.

[ManUp]

2012 best case scenario would be to steal D.Howard from the Magic. The Magic will still have money tied into Lewis, Nelson, Gortat, and other mediocre players that their Gm is bound to bring in. Without some real star support they will basically be headed for another empty championship run. Dwight will look at the magic then see the heat, Lakers, Celtics and whatever other superstar team that's bound to be formed by then and realize he needs to bolt. Then we pick up the pieces  .

Rondo will be the main selling point, Nelson can't get the ball to him they way Rondo can. We convince him we'll pick up another player, maybe Mayo maybe someone better. Then we convince him KG and Ray will resign for cheap if Dwight is coming. When KG, Ray, and Pierce contracts are all up we'll have the flexibility to either extend them or look for other pieces. The goofy Edited for profanity.  Please do not do it again. can't say no to that can he? 

Howard alone would guarantee that we're a top rebounding and defensive team all we would have to do is find the offense (Rondo and some shooters ).

So it would...

Rondo a prime star
Ray 37, KG 35, Pierce 35 above average veteran role players
D.Howard a prime superstar

Just find a 3rd star or someone to take on the scoring role since Rondo's the playmaker and Howard's the defender, rebounder, and finisher.

[indeedproceed]

2012 best case scenario would be to steal D.Howard from the Magic. The Magic will still have money tied into Lewis, Nelson, Gortat, and other mediocre players that their Gm is bound to bring in. Without some real star support they will basically be headed for another empty championship run. Dwight will look at the magic then see the heat, Lakers, Celtics and whatever other superstar team that's bound to be formed by then and realize he needs to bolt. Then we pick up the pieces  .

Rondo will be the main selling point, Nelson can't get the ball to him they way Rondo can. We convince him we'll pick up another player, maybe Mayo maybe someone better. Then we convince him KG and Ray will resign for cheap if Dwight is coming. When KG, Ray, and Pierce contracts are all up we'll have the flexibility to either extend them or look for other pieces. The goofy **** can't say no to that can he? 

Howard alone would guarantee that we're a top rebounding and defensive team all we would have to do is find the offense (Rondo and some shooters ).

So it would...

Rondo a prime star
Ray 37, KG 35, Pierce 35 above average veteran role players
D.Howard a prime superstar

Just find a 3rd star or someone to take on the scoring role since Rondo's the playmaker and Howard's the defender, rebounder, and finisher.

If our cap after resigning Pierce, KG, Ray, extending Perkins, and likely Baby is around 44 millions or so, Dwight isn't on the table.

Even if we don't sign Baby OR Perkins after this season (a big, BIG risk), we'll still probably be at around 35 to 40 million or so.

I don't see how we'll be open to a max player.

[Evantime34]

2012 best case scenario would be to steal D.Howard from the Magic. The Magic will still have money tied into Lewis, Nelson, Gortat, and other mediocre players that their Gm is bound to bring in. Without some real star support they will basically be headed for another empty championship run. Dwight will look at the magic then see the heat, Lakers, Celtics and whatever other superstar team that's bound to be formed by then and realize he needs to bolt. Then we pick up the pieces  .

Rondo will be the main selling point, Nelson can't get the ball to him they way Rondo can. We convince him we'll pick up another player, maybe Mayo maybe someone better. Then we convince him KG and Ray will resign for cheap if Dwight is coming. When KG, Ray, and Pierce contracts are all up we'll have the flexibility to either extend them or look for other pieces. The goofy **** can't say no to that can he? 

Howard alone would guarantee that we're a top rebounding and defensive team all we would have to do is find the offense (Rondo and some shooters ).

So it would...

Rondo a prime star
Ray 37, KG 35, Pierce 35 above average veteran role players
D.Howard a prime superstar

Just find a 3rd star or someone to take on the scoring role since Rondo's the playmaker and Howard's the defender, rebounder, and finisher.

If our cap after resigning Pierce, KG, Ray, extending Perkins, and likely Baby is around 44 millions or so, Dwight isn't on the table.

Even if we don't sign Baby OR Perkins after this season (a big, BIG risk), we'll still probably be at around 35 to 40 million or so.

I don't see how we'll be open to a max player.

I think after 2012, KG, and Ray take large pay cuts or end up walking into the sunset. Let's say we give Perk about 8-10 million and Baby around 6-8 million (those are on the high side I know). Then our roster is at (29.5 for Bradley, Pierce and Rondo and 16 for Perk and Baby) 45.5. By that time the cap should be at about 60, which might not be a max deal but it certainly would be a large number for someone to sign with us for.

[indeedproceed]

I think after 2012, KG, and Ray take large pay cuts or end up walking into the sunset. Let's say we give Perk about 8-10 million and Baby around 6-8 million (those are on the high side I know). Then our roster is at (29.5 for Bradley, Pierce and Rondo and 16 for Perk and Baby) 45.5. By that time the cap should be at about 60, which might not be a max deal but it certainly would be a large number for someone to sign with us for.

I think you're pretty close there. Lets say 9 for Perkins and 9 for BBD, so that's 18.

18+29=45 million, + 4 million or so spread around 3 rookies is 49 million.

But I think estimating a 60 million salary cap is dicey. Lets even go with that too though.

So 11 million to sign someone..that's a good #, but unlike Miami, we won't have Wade plus the ability to sign 2 other players.

You're signing up to play with a pretty reduced Paul Pierce and elite point guard Rajon Rondo.

Honestly i think the best way to do this is to try to trade Ray and/or KG to owners who have long money invested in players with pre new CBA deals.

[Brendan]

I think our best chance to rebuild is to move Perk or BBD with Nate (and maybe Daniels) this year. I think some teams will want to get out of deals they have made and we could get an athletic wing. The question is how much of a hit does the team take right now and in the long run by trading one of those guys. While I love what BBD has done this year, I don't think he's a long term strategic asset - on the other hand he's more necessary this year than Perk. Tough call. If they are comfortable with Perk's recovery and can get him at a nice price point, then I'd say try and move BBD and Nate together. Tommy Points for good plausible trade ideas around BBD and Nate (BBD and Nate to ATL for M. Williams?) I'm not anti either of those guys, just think they have the right combination of salary, deals, and talent to bring back someone that could help this year and be a long term piece of the puzzle. Too bad Turner didn't pan out in Philly, might have made Andre Iguodala available. Maybe a three team deal with Shrek and Donkey going to a contender that needs help in those spots, picks and an expiring to Philly...

I like keeping Delonte if possible, he's an excellent skill set to play combo guard in a three guard rotation with Rondo.

[Evantime34]

I think after 2012, KG, and Ray take large pay cuts or end up walking into the sunset. Let's say we give Perk about 8-10 million and Baby around 6-8 million (those are on the high side I know). Then our roster is at (29.5 for Bradley, Pierce and Rondo and 16 for Perk and Baby) 45.5. By that time the cap should be at about 60, which might not be a max deal but it certainly would be a large number for someone to sign with us for.

I think you're pretty close there. Lets say 9 for Perkins and 9 for BBD, so that's 18.

18+29=45 million, + 4 million or so spread around 3 rookies is 49 million.

But I think estimating a 60 million salary cap is dicey. Lets even go with that too though.

So 11 million to sign someone..that's a good #, but unlike Miami, we won't have Wade plus the ability to sign 2 other players.

You're signing up to play with a pretty reduced Paul Pierce and elite point guard Rajon Rondo.

Honestly i think the best way to do this is to try to trade Ray and/or KG to owners who have long money invested in players with pre new CBA deals.

I am fine with dealing KG and Ray in a move similar to what we wanted to do with Sheed. Move them with the expectation they retire. Then aren't we just saddling ourselves with bad contracts.

Speaking of the new CBA I heard that the owners are going to try to push for roll backs in the same way the NHL did. Would they do this by reducing the salary cap? Or could they have roll backs and keep the same salary cap? If they kept the same cap it would significantly lower the number of owners paying the tax but would allow the players to believe there was still a chance they would get paid.

If that happened maybe we will end up with cap space than initially thought.

[LooseCannon]

Lots of people in this thread channeling their inner Chris Wallace and wanting to overpay for Glen Davis.  You don't give starter money to a bench role player.

[JBcat]

Lots will depend on the new CBA.   

One strategy could be to trade for a potential star this year or next while he is still on his rookie contract.  A team like Memphis just gave Gay and Conley so maybe they won't be as willing to do the same for Mayo with so much money tied up. 

For example a guy like Mayo who is currently earning 4.4 million.   Maybe you could trade some combination of Davis, Erden, Daniels, Harangody, Wafer, Robinson, Bradley, draft picks to get him.   It would be easier to match salaries.   If we are not going to have a ton of cap space maybe this is something Ainge will look into.


Some other names to throw out there Eric Gordon and Kevin Love who are on rookie contracts that could be dealt.  Love was having problems with the coach and they are off to an awful start, and the Clippers historically don't keep all their young talented players. 

Of course this just may be wishful thinking of Ainge getting another young star player without disrupting the core too much however I don't put anything past Ainge.