Injured player exception - options

[mcshane41]

As reported earlier to day the Celtics could pay Jeff his $9M salary, retaining bird rights  BTW, and then apply for an injured player exception worth $4.5M or 1/2 his salary.

Who could the Celtics bring in if they chose to go this route?

I have a few ideas -

#1 sign Kris Humphries. Expected to be overpaid he and Aaron Afflalo have been left in the ditch by teams this offseason. He's a bonafide clown but he can also rebound. His rebounding and athleticism would be very useful at the 4. It would allow us to play the Forwards, Forwards, Forwards everywhere strategy that worked so brilliantly for the Amigos against El Guapo. Seriously though I think he could help.

#2 Samuel Delambert - would he take sub-mid-level dollars? Maybe for a chance to compete. I'm sure Danny will make a call but his length, board work and blocks would be a great help in our thin 5 spot.

#3 JR Smith - locked up until March but that 4.5 would be pretty nice prorated offer to showcase his stuff with a contender/playoff team before summer free agency again.

#4 Michael Redd - worth a flyer, no? Can you imagine what this team would look like with a legit 6th man scoring guard?

#5 Reggie Evans, even better rebounding that Humphries with even less offense and upside. Watch your junk with him & KG on the same team (Sorry had to....)

#6 Deshawn Stevenson, a bit redundant with Pavlovic here (wing defender who can hit a 3). Be worth it just to see if he can get in LBJ's head again...

I wouldn't be surprised if Wyc says enough and cuts the losses (7M tax bill versus 27M by utilizing this exception). Then again, its the last hoorah with the big 3, why not give them the best shot? He'll have $40M coming off the books next year after all...

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I doubt he's willing to do this but if he does, he REALLY believes we have a good shot at wining! I hope he does it b/c I have no problem believing until the end!!

[Roy H.]

In order to get the injury exception, we'd have to essentially pay the aforementioned $27 million this year, plus give up two roster spots (one to Green, one to the guy we're paying), as well as give up Jeff Green's restricted free agency rights.

I just can't imagine there's any way the Celtics do that.

[Eddie20]

In order to get the injury exception, we'd have to essentially pay the aforementioned $27 million this year, plus give up two roster spots (one to Green, one to the guy we're paying), as well as give up Jeff Green's restricted free agency rights.

I just can't imagine there's any way the Celtics do that.

Is there a way to circumvent this? Couldn't we sign Green, collect the exception, and then subsequently amnesty him? Or is the amnesty only for pre-existing contracts?

[Neurotic Guy]

The Forsberg article indicates that it would cost $27 million to go down this road.  In his thinking, this includes the 9 million to Green, plus the 4.5 million injury exception paid to whomever, and then the luxury tax adding another 9 plus 4.5 million in matching dollars -- totalling $27 Mil.   

However, I have seen (I think from Roy) that the C's do not have to offer the 9 million (since the deal is void), but rather a qualifying offer of something like 5.9 million (if I am recalling correctly).  This would produce an injury exception of about $3 million.  In this scenario the total becomes 5.9 plus 3 times 2 (luxury tax), or a total of about $18 million. 

Now $18 million sounds like a lot -- except that you've got to figure that it was in Wyc's plan to pay JG 9 Million anyway --  which meant a total of $18 million with luxury tax.   In other words, if the C's apply for the injury exception based on a qualifying offer (about 6 million) and then turn around and use the $3 Million exception on another player, they will actually be exactly where they planned to be anyway -- NOT, as Forsfberg suggested -- $27 million down.  In fact, even if they DID pay $9 Million and got a 4.5 exception, they'd be a total of $9 million over their planned expenses, not $27 million.

They really should have no good reason (of course, it's not my money) to not apply for the injury exception.

[Chris]

In order to get the injury exception, we'd have to essentially pay the aforementioned $27 million this year, plus give up two roster spots (one to Green, one to the guy we're paying), as well as give up Jeff Green's restricted free agency rights.

I just can't imagine there's any way the Celtics do that.

I also can't imagine the league would allow it.  Injury exceptions are given at the leagues discretion, and this situation would absolutely stink of a team trying to circumvent the cap. 

[Roy H.]

The Forsberg article indicates that it would cost $27 million to go down this road.  In his thinking, this includes the 9 million to Green, plus the 4.5 million injury exception paid to whomever, and then the luxury tax adding another 9 plus 4.5 million in matching dollars -- totalling $27 Mil.   

However, I have seen (I think from Roy) that the C's do not have to offer the 9 million (since the deal is void), but rather a qualifying offer of something like 5.9 million (if I am recalling correctly).  This would produce an injury exception of about $3 million.  In this scenario the total becomes 5.9 plus 3 times 2 (luxury tax), or a total of about $18 million. 

Now $18 million sounds like a lot -- except that you've got to figure that it was in Wyc's plan to pay JG 9 Million anyway --  which meant a total of $18 million with luxury tax.   In other words, if the C's apply for the injury exception based on a qualifying offer (about 6 million) and then turn around and use the $3 Million exception on another player, they will actually be exactly where they planned to be anyway -- NOT, as Forsfberg suggested -- $27 million down.  In fact, even if they DID pay $9 Million and got a 4.5 exception, they'd be a total of $9 million over their planned expenses, not $27 million.

They really should have no good reason (of course, it's not my money) to not apply for the injury exception.

I'm pretty skeptical that the league would allow the Celtics to void the $9 million contract, but then immediately allow the Celtics to sign Green to a $5.9 million contract, for the sole purpose of getting an injury exemption.  The purpose of an exemption is to compensate teams for devastating injuries they aren't really prepared for.  In the scenario envisioned, the Celtics would be prepared for it, and in fact would be taking steps to exploit the exemption.

Also, in terms of "no good reason"...  $27 million (or even $18 million) is a lot of money, and we'd be losing both a roster spot and Green's restricted free agency rights.  That's a lot to give up for a $4.5 million (or $2.95 million) player.

[PosImpos]

In order to get the injury exception, we'd have to essentially pay the aforementioned $27 million this year, plus give up two roster spots (one to Green, one to the guy we're paying), as well as give up Jeff Green's restricted free agency rights.

I just can't imagine there's any way the Celtics do that.

I also can't imagine the league would allow it.  Injury exceptions are given at the leagues discretion, and this situation would absolutely stink of a team trying to circumvent the cap. 

yeah, exactly.  the celtics just have to take their lumps on this one.  no way to use it to their advantage.  the injury exemption is for when a player you have on contract that you expected to have play can't play for the season.  you can't sign a player knowing he is going to be out for the season and then apply for an exception worth half of the injured player's salary.

[mcshane41]

I guess I am unclear - isn't Jeff's $9M deal and subsequent injury exactly what injured player exceptions are for? a 3-4M exception is pretty weak compared to the loss of our biggest player outside the starting 5.

Is the alternative that he gets zero income this year and hopes to revive his career afterwards? Ouch that would be pretty harsh on Jeff - heart surgery and having to start from scratch on salary afterwards, he's looking at $9M this year and boom heart surgery and vet min deals. I hope they do pay the guy and go for the exception. Both for the team to add talent and for Jeff to get some kind of consolation prize. Then again, its not my money...

[Roy H.]

I hope they do pay the guy and go for the exception. Both for the team to add talent and for Jeff to get some kind of consolation prize. Then again, its not my money...

Yeah, from a humanitarian standpoint, it might be nice for Wyc to pay him $9 million (plus eat another $9 million in luxury tax).  However, as a business owner, I can't imagine that he'd sign off on that expenditure.  This might sound could, but if Wyc really wants to give $18 million of his money away, he'll give it to the Jimmy Fund, and at least would get a break on his taxes.

[Fan from VT]

I guess I am unclear - isn't Jeff's $9M deal and subsequent injury exactly what injured player exceptions are for? a 3-4M exception is pretty weak compared to the loss of our biggest player outside the starting 5.

Is the alternative that he gets zero income this year and hopes to revive his career afterwards? Ouch that would be pretty harsh on Jeff - heart surgery and having to start from scratch on salary afterwards, he's looking at $9M this year and boom heart surgery and vet min deals. I hope they do pay the guy and go for the exception. Both for the team to add talent and for Jeff to get some kind of consolation prize. Then again, its not my money...

No, this is not the situation injury exceptions were designed for. The situation was this: Green was a free agent. C's had no monetary obligation toward him. They decided they wanted to pay him to play for them. To see if they wanted to guarantee that money, they checked out his health. They found something bad. So now they don't need to go through with that contract. Does not affect the roster at all, they went from Green not being signed to Green not being signed, potentially dodging a bullet on their investment by doing a thorough physical.

Injured player exception is generally designed for if a player already under contract suddenly can't play and must miss the season. Think Yao Ming recently, or they were trying to do with Brandon Roy. If Pierce went down (knock wood) then the C's would get an exception.