Tell me how you'd split up our 25 mil in cap space

[CelticG1]

Id be shocked if KG retired unless career ending injury.

Any contending team would be stupid not to go after KG hard. Miami? LA? Bulls? OKC? Kg backing up those bigs would be friggen scary.

People continue to undervalue KG because he missed a  couple dunks. Give me a break

Has a max player ever retired after his final year of the max contract?

[snively]

Asik, Kirilenko and JR Smith with the cap space.  Bring back Wilcox for that little stretch exception.

Fill the bench with Bradley, Johnson, the two 1st rounders and whatever draft picks, prospects we can get for Ray and KG this season.

[snively]

Id be shocked if KG retired unless career ending injury.

Any contending team would be stupid not to go after KG hard. Miami? LA? Bulls? OKC? Kg backing up those bigs would be friggen scary.

People continue to undervalue KG because he missed a  couple dunks. Give me a break

Has a max player ever retired after his final year of the max contract?

David Robinson?

[byennie]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Ray take as little as $5M next year. There won't be that many offers out there for more than the MLE, and he's already made most of the money for his career. He likes Boston and would like to retire here. Not a given, but I think he's the kind of guy who takes a home town discount if it's "only" a few million left on the table.

I agree that our flexibility may be overstated, but I think if you have:

VETERANS = Rondo, Ray, Pierce
YOUNGS = Bradley, Johnson
DRAFT PICKS = 1st rounder x 2

That's 7 guys that you expect to contribute, plus up to 2 well paid (~ 10M average) players or 1 well paid and two mid-level type guys.

So now you've got 9 guys you expect to make serious contributions, and enough young pieces to consolidate and/or go over the cap in a trade. You can fill out with this year's 2nd round pick, Stiemsma, Moore, and veteran mins. We could also make a trade or two that brings back more players and/or salary.

To me the question boils down to who are going to be our big men. With Rondo, Bradley, Ray and Pierce (and possibly Green?) we'll find our way in the backcourt. But if Garnett retires, we're left with Johnson and/or a highly paid Bass. I'm not buying the hype on Hawes - he's been a marginal player for several years, has a few big games for a hot Sixers team and now he's worth big bucks? I wouldn't be surprised if he loses his job to Vucevic! Hibbert? I expect Indiana will show him the money. Love - off the market. Howard? Well, yeah...

Maybe we should be drafting a big man, but that never comes cheap. Or maybe trade on of our picks (the lower one hopefully) for someone like Vucevic or Asik?

[StartOrien]

All right, here's what I got -

9 mil - Wilson Chandler
10 mil - S&T Jeff Green & Bos 1st to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat & Jared Dudley
3 mil - Bass
3 mil - Pietrus

Rondo
W. Chandler / J Dud
P. Pierce / Pietrus
Bass / J. Johnson
Gortat

[Fafnir]

All right, here's what I got -

9 mil - Wilson Chandler
10 mil - S&T Jeff Green & Bos 1st to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat & Jared Dudley
3 mil - Bass
3 mil - Pietrus

Rondo
W. Chandler / J Dud
P. Pierce / Pietrus
Bass / J. Johnson
Gortat

So Bass opts out of his 4 million dollar deal and we resign him for 3?

[Fafnir]

Id be shocked if KG retired unless career ending injury.

Any contending team would be stupid not to go after KG hard. Miami? LA? Bulls? OKC? Kg backing up those bigs would be friggen scary.

People continue to undervalue KG because he missed a  couple dunks. Give me a break

Has a max player ever retired after his final year of the max contract?

David Robinson?

He wasn't max anymore, but close to it he signed an extension that was a pay cut at that point. (went from 14 to around 10)

[arctic 3.0]

I don't think we will be resigning KG or allen for anything more than the vet minimum. Ainge may not be ruthless enough to trade them this season but he is ruthless enough to risk insulting these guys with low ball offers. he knows we must start the rebuild and bringing back the old guard (no matter how the season ends) will just postpone the inevitable.

I would not be surprised if pierce is traded this off season or next.

[StartOrien]

All right, here's what I got -

9 mil - Wilson Chandler
10 mil - S&T Jeff Green & Bos 1st to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat & Jared Dudley
3 mil - Bass
3 mil - Pietrus

Rondo
W. Chandler / J Dud
P. Pierce / Pietrus
Bass / J. Johnson
Gortat

So Bass opts out of his 4 million dollar deal and we resign him for 3?

He loves being in Boston THAT much.

[Lucky17]

Everyone comes back for another year.

I honestly think that if all the vets make it through this grueling 66-game season, then there's no reason why they couldn't return for a normally (humanely) scheduled 82-game season.

Bass exercises his option, Green signs a make-good contract with the Celtics. Any remaining cap space goes towards addressing the center rotation.

[StartOrien]

All right, here's what I got -

9 mil - Wilson Chandler
10 mil - S&T Jeff Green & Bos 1st to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat & Jared Dudley
3 mil - Bass
3 mil - Pietrus

Rondo
W. Chandler / J Dud
P. Pierce / Pietrus
Bass / J. Johnson
Gortat

So Bass opts out of his 4 million dollar deal and we resign him for 3?

He loves being in Boston THAT much.

Obviously kidding, I think the main things I'd look to pursue is Wilson Chandler and then a S&T with the Suns.

[2short]

Not sure about KG retiring, good chance of it but Jermaine I'd say is done after this year.  #1 priority ,unless the steamer really improves, is getting a front line center.  I would like green, bass and peitrus back on the team at reasonable money.  I personally see bass as a starter at pf.   Put him with a good all around center, pp at sf, rondo at pg.  Ray I'd resign but it would have to be at a price, I know he likes boston and is a uconn guy but I can see him being wanted by quite a few teams (ones with legit shots to win). 

[CelticG1]

Id be shocked if KG retired unless career ending injury.

Any contending team would be stupid not to go after KG hard. Miami? LA? Bulls? OKC? Kg backing up those bigs would be friggen scary.

People continue to undervalue KG because he missed a  couple dunks. Give me a break

Has a max player ever retired after his final year of the max contract?

David Robinson?

He wasn't max anymore, but close to it he signed an extension that was a pay cut at that point. (went from 14 to around 10)

I want sure just a genuine question. 2 different make ups completely. I could see Duncan going the Robinson route, KG more along the lines of Jordan route. Kg, to me, seems like a guy who will play till his bones break.

Just curious why people think he would def retire this summer

[Chris]

Assuming guys like Howard are off the table, the only free agent I am strongly interested in is Spencer Hawes.

I would offer Hawes up to something in the range of 10-12 million per year.  I think he is just coming into his own now that he is growing into his body, and I think he will be a top 5 center in this league.

Then, I would use the rest to consider trades, but if nothing presents itself that made sense, I would try to bring back some combination of KG, Ray, and Green on 1 year deals, to maintain future flexibility, so Danny is able to act when the next star becomes available.

Assuming you blow 10 mil on Hawes...

You now have 15 mil to split amongst KG, Ray and Green.  Are you planning on giving them 5 mil each?  Do you believe they will take 5 mil each?  Letting Bass walk?

I had written this out before, so here is my whole scenario:



Lets say they renounce everyone.  So, essentially they have Rondo (11m), Pierce (16.8m), Bradley (1.6m), Johnson (1.2) million signed (I will also assume Bass opts out).

So, that's 30.6 million spoken for.  They would then have 2 first round picks.  Lets say one mid first rounder (1.4m cap hold), one late first rounder (1m cap hold).  That is 6 roster spots and $33 million spoken for.  They would need another 7 minimum cap holds (we will round it to .5m per cap hold), putting them at $36.5 million.  With a cap of $60 million, that gives them 23.5 million to work with to fill out the roster.

Lets say they paid a center $11.5 million (with 4.5% raises, that comes out to approximately a 4 year/$50 million deal).  So, you add that to the salary and you have 48m...subtract .5 million for the roster spot they opened up and they are at 47.5 million with 7 guys...so $12.5 million remaining.

Sign KG and Ray to deals of $6 million each (or substitute Green for one of them, if he wants to sign a 1 year prove it deal).  That leaves you with .5 remaining...plus the 2 minimum cap holds you gain back, so you have 1.5 million and 9 spots filled.  Obviously it is a huge leap to suggest Ray and KG would take those contracts.  But there is a possibility they will take a hometown discount to stay here...and there is a chance its more than they would get per year on the open market anyways, since most of the teams they would consider going to would be over the cap and would only have the MLE to offer.  And they might be fine going year to year at this point in their careers.

Now you can use $2 million to sign another player to get up to the cap (the $1.5 million, I mentioned before, plus another .5 million that is freed up because you are eliminating another roster cap hold).  So, that puts you right at the cap with 10 spots filled.

Use the "space exception" to sign another player for $2.5 million (maybe Pietrus?).  Then fill out the roster with minimum salaried players.

So, in this scenario, you are able to pay decent market value for a top 10 center on the free agent market.  You would likely have to let Green walk, unless he really wants to come back and prove himself on the 2.5m exception...although I think he would get a better offer elsewhere.  You pay KG and Ray a reasonable salary given what they would make per year on the open market, but are still getting a bit of a bargain, spurred on by their desire to stay with the organization that has been loyal to them, and in the city they seem pretty happy in (at least Ray...I have no idea with KG).  And you are able to field a potentially better roster next year, with a second building block next to Rondo, while keeping max cap room for 2013 to try again to add the star they need.

Long winded, but basically what you're saying is...

11.5 mil for a center (a Chris Kaman for example)
6 mil for Ray (huge leap he'll take it)
6 mil for KG (huge leap he'll take it)

And you are letting Jeff Green and Bass walk. Filling out the rest of the roster with close to vet min contracts (Pietrus for example).


So essentially your plan is to keep our 7-9 team intact... age the big 3 another year... and replace Bass with Chris Kaman.  Yes?

Follow-up question:  If your master plan is to replace Bass with Chris Kaman, would you consider trading Bass, Jermaine O'Neal and Wilcox for Kaman RIGHT NOW?... if not... why not?

One clarification.  I am not setting aside 11.5 million for a center.  I am setting aside that money for Hawes.  I would not give that to any other free agent center (other than Howard) this summer.

I think Hawes is the only non-superstar free agent that is worth going well over the MLE for next summer.  If you can't get him, I would be trying to use the cap space via trades and/or carrying it over.

And the whole idea of this is not to bring back the same roster.  It is to not give away the cap space for guys who are not real core players going forward.  So, unless you love someone, then fill in the spot with short term contracts (it just so happens that KG and Allen might be the best available short term contract guys out there), so you can then get the next superstar when they become available, either via free agency or trade.

[PosImpos]

i would re-sign some of our younger role players to reasonable deals, and i would sign some other youngish role players to short, reasonable deals, and then i would play our youngsters a lot.

no need to try to rebuild on the fly with this free agent market, and bringing back ray or KG doesn't make much sense either.

i'd also look to trade pierce to a team where he has a chance to win something of significance in his last few years in the league.


as i posted in another thread:

Rondo
Green (1 year / 6-9 million)
Bass (4 years 30 million)
Free agent center (5-8 million per year 3-4 year deal) --> e.g. Mahinmi, Kaman
Bradley
Moore
JJJ
Stiemsma (minimum)
Marquis (minimum)
Clips pick rookie
Celtics pick rookie (1st round)
Celtics pick rookie (2nd round)
Vet point guard (2-5 million per year short deal) e.g. Goran Dragic / Leandro Barbosa
Vet big man (2-5 million per year short deal) --> e.g. Lou Amundson / Jason Maxiell
Vet wing (2-5 million per year short deal) --> e.g. Pietrus / C.J. Miles