Let's play a game called "Split up the Cap Space"

[LarBrd33]

ALright guys.  Intrigued by Peter May's article here:  http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/8034795/boston-celtics-floating-summer-limbo-nightmare-big-three-breakup-fantasy-free-agency-infusion

Throwing around names of RESTRICTED free agents like Javale McGee, OJ Mayo, Eric Gordon, Roy HIbbert, etc is all well and good, but I want to hear some numbers.  What's your master plan to split up the cap room?  Let me know how you'd realistically use the "cap room".  No broad strokes, I want number predictions, baby.

Here's what we know:

#1 - Cap will probably be around 58 mil.
#2 - We have the following under contract:  Pierce (16.8 mil), Rondo (11), Bradley (1.6 mil), J. Johnson (1 mil) = Total 30.5 mil
#3 - 21st pick = 1.3 mil.   22nd pick = 1.3 mil.   Total = 33 mil
#4 ... That leaves theoretically 25 mil in cap space.

Let's throw a couple other things in here.

Bass? Most people think he will decline his option and try to get a long-term deal. But if he wants to stay and the feeling is mutual, that could cost another $5 million.

Bass's player option is 4.25 mil.  If your plan involves keeping him, anything less than 5 mil is unacceptable.

Then there's Jeff Green. He may be an unrestricted free agent, but he has been a Celtic in mind and spirit all season. Assuming he's OK, I can't see him not signing with Boston, probably for something in the neighborhood of what he had agreed to before his heart condition ($9 million). Or maybe he'd take a little less annually in return for more years.

So Peter May seems to suggest that Jeff Green may cost us as much as $9 million.  Keep that in mind. Does your plan involve keeping Jeff Green?

May also suggests that Pietrus could cost us around 2.5 mil.  

Then of course there is Kevin Garnett (made 22 mil last season... I've heard 8-10 mil is a reasonable idea of what he could command) and Ray Allen (made 10 mil last year.  Perhaps 5 mil is reasonable?)
 
Lastly... there are other team's free agents... the OJ Mayo's and the Carl Landry's.   Don't just throw out names, folks... I want to see your plans to split up roughly 25 mil in cap space.  If you're giving Bass 5 mil and Jeff Green 9 mil... that number drops all the way to 11... which might be just enough money to give KG a contract and let Ray walk.  Fin.

[clover]

No Bass or Pietrus for me and not $9M for J Green.

[LarBrd33]

No Bass or Pietrus for me and not $9M for J Green.

Ok... so you letting Green walk or are you giving him less than 9? 

[sofutomygaha]

I think you've framed the question very well.

Count me in as one of the dudes who has no particular yen for the UFA's out there and wants Bass, Garnett, and Green all back (oh so boring! I want Hibbert and Dwight Howard and Kevin Love!!).

I'm ball-parking it at Garnett for $9, Bass for $5, Green for $7. So now I've got Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, Bass, Bradley starting, JJ, Green, and 3 rooks on the bench, and five slots for 4 million and the various exceptions (can someone chime in and help me with the exceptions, because I think this will be a popular gambit).

Help me out. Can Kirk Hinrich, Chris Wilcox, and some vet min types fit in there with my last 4 million?

[clover]

No Bass or Pietrus for me and not $9M for J Green.

Ok... so you letting Green walk or are you giving him less than 9? 

I don't think I'd go above $7-7.5M for Green next year.

[LarBrd33]

I think you've framed the question very well.

Count me in as one of the dudes who has no particular yen for the UFA's out there and wants Bass, Garnett, and Green all back (oh so boring! I want Hibbert and Dwight Howard and Kevin Love!!).

I'm ball-parking it at Garnett for $9, Bass for $5, Green for $7. So now I've got Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, Bass, Bradley starting, JJ, Green, and 3 rooks on the bench, and five slots for 4 million and the various exceptions (can someone chime in and help me with the exceptions, because I think this will be a popular gambit).

Help me out. Can Kirk Hinrich, Chris Wilcox, and some vet min types fit in there with my last 4 million?

So your plan more-or-less is to replace Ray Allen with Jeff Green, add our rookies and call it good.  Not a bad plan... it's a realistic plan.  

Here's something I want to know...  anyone can chime in here...  Is it even possible to bring back our entire team and have enough money to sign Jeff Green?  Forget about the OJ Mayos and Javale McGee's for a second... will we even have enough money to give Jeff Green if we decide to "let it ride"?

[rondohondo]

Green at 6 or 7 mil I want, Green at 9 mil a year after heart surgery, no thanks .

If Bass opts out and wants anything more than 5 or 6 for 1 year I let him walk. JJJ has a lot of the same skill set as Bass and if he is able to add 15lbs by next season he should be ready to contribute . We also can get a Bass replacement in the draft (White, Draymond Green, Nicholson)

I let Ray walk if he demands to be a starter(which I don't think he will) or wants more than 2-3 mil on a 1 or 2 year deal . Like Bass his talent at this point in his career can be filled by one of the draft picks (Ross, Jenkins, Daron Lamb)

1)Resign KG on a 1 year 8 mil deal

2)Resign Green takes a 1 or 2 year 7 mil per deal

3)Let Ray Walk unless he will take vet min. Replace his mins with Bradley draft pick and cap space

4)[/b]We let Bass walk and the backup PF mins go to Green JJJ and draft pick White/Draymond Green/Nicholoson

Thats about 15 mil for Green and KG. You now have 10 mil to get a big man and fill out the roster. I would offer McGee a 4 year 10 mil per deal.

 If we can't get McGee I would try to go after someone like Odom,Kaman,or Humpheries  on a 7 or 8 mil 1 year deal ( What other contenders could offer that kind of money?).

With the remaining 3 mil of cap space you try to fill the scoring at the guard position off the bench . I personally would like Chauncey Billups if he has fully recovered from his surgery. He can play both guard spots off the bench and we would finally have a real backup PG! Come on Billups, finish your career where you started it !

Realistic Roster next year

PG: Rondo   / Billups(1yr 3 mil)/ Moore
SG: Bradley / Pietrus (vet min) / Draft pick
SF: PP      / Green            
PF: Odom    / Draft pick(White,Draymond Green,Nicholson)/ JJJ
C : KG      / Wilcox (vet min)/ Steamer

*Jeff Green will also play backup PF too.

I really like the versatility and athletic ability of the roster. Really love having a backup PG with Billups who can play SG too and replace Ray.

What do you guys think?

[Celtics18]

Is the new cap hard?  Who says we can't go over?

[LarBrd33]

Green at 6 or 7 mil I want, Green at 9 mil a year after heart surgery, no thanks .

If Bass opts out and wants anything more than 5 or 6 for 1 year I let him walk. JJJ has a lot of the same skill set as Bass and if he is able to add 15lbs by next season he should be ready to contribute . We also can get a Bass replacement in the draft (White, Draymond Green, Nicholson)

I let Ray walk if he demands to be a starter(which I don't think he will) or wants more than 2-3 mil on a 1 or 2 year deal . Like Bass his talent at this point in his career can be filled by one of the draft picks (Ross, Jenkins, Daron Lamb)

1)Resign KG on a 1 year 8 mil deal

2)Resign Green takes a 1 or 2 year 7 mil per deal

3)Let Ray Walk unless he will take vet min. Replace his mins with Bradley draft pick and cap space

4)[/b]We let Bass walk and the backup PF mins go to Green JJJ and draft pick White/Draymond Green/Nicholoson

Thats about 15 mil for Green and KG. You now have 10 mil to get a big man and fill out the roster. I would offer McGee a 4 year 10 mil per deal.

 If we can't get McGee I would try to go after someone like Odom,Kaman,or Humpheries  on a 7 or 8 mil 1 year deal ( What other contenders could offer that kind of money?).

With the remaining 3 mil of cap space you try to fill the scoring at the guard position off the bench . I personally would like Chauncey Billups if he has fully recovered from his surgery. He can play both guard spots off the bench and we would finally have a real backup PG! Come on Billups, finish your career where you started it !

Realistic Roster next year

PG: Rondo   / Billups(1yr 3 mil)/ Moore
SG: Bradley / Pietrus (vet min) / Draft pick
SF: PP      / Green            
PF: Odom    / Draft pick(White,Draymond Green,Nicholson)/ JJJ
C : KG      / Wilcox (vet min)/ Steamer

*Jeff Green will also play backup PF too.

I really like the versatility and athletic ability of the roster. Really love having a backup PG with Billups who can play SG too and replace Ray.

What do you guys think?

Solid play.  Fit within the confines of reality.  TP.  So I think we are starting to see why everyone seems to believe Ray is a goner.  You're replacing Ray and Bass with a (hopefully) better big man.  I know you put Lamar on the low end of your wish list (Ray + Bass for Lamar isn't that good of a trade, if you ask me).   Rank your "wish list" for that 10 mil center position. 

[LarBrd33]

Is the new cap hard?  Who says we can't go over?

It's the same as it ever was.  It's a soft cap.  You can exceed the cap to sign your own players (players under contract with bird rights).  But you need to RENOUNCE those bird rights in order to utilize potential cap space.  So in order to have that mythical "25 million" in cap space, you'd need to renounce bird rights to Ray, KG, Bass, etc. 

Here's what the issue is (I think)... we don't own the Bird rights to Jeff Green anymore (from what I'm reading).  He's an unrestricted free agent.  If we want to give him 7 million, then... we need to give up bird rights to KG, Ray, etc.  It's almost like we have a choice... we either completely forget about the potential mythical cap room (and just re-sign everyone under contract)... which would mean saying goodbye to Jeff Green.  Or...  we take a path that likely ends with us saying goodbye to Ray Allen.

[coco]

Only one thing from me.


I think we must keep JGreen.  Watching PP old bones was very painful and being in a Conference where you'll have to beat LeBron 4 times, you'll need a young tall athletic wing like JGreen.  If we can do better, then fine.  But can't see a wing that would do the job better than JGreen.

[rondohondo]

Green at 6 or 7 mil I want, Green at 9 mil a year after heart surgery, no thanks .

If Bass opts out and wants anything more than 5 or 6 for 1 year I let him walk. JJJ has a lot of the same skill set as Bass and if he is able to add 15lbs by next season he should be ready to contribute . We also can get a Bass replacement in the draft (White, Draymond Green, Nicholson)

I let Ray walk if he demands to be a starter(which I don't think he will) or wants more than 2-3 mil on a 1 or 2 year deal . Like Bass his talent at this point in his career can be filled by one of the draft picks (Ross, Jenkins, Daron Lamb)

1)Resign KG on a 1 year 8 mil deal

2)Resign Green takes a 1 or 2 year 7 mil per deal

3)Let Ray Walk unless he will take vet min. Replace his mins with Bradley draft pick and cap space

4)[/b]We let Bass walk and the backup PF mins go to Green JJJ and draft pick White/Draymond Green/Nicholoson

Thats about 15 mil for Green and KG. You now have 10 mil to get a big man and fill out the roster. I would offer McGee a 4 year 10 mil per deal.

 If we can't get McGee I would try to go after someone like Odom,Kaman,or Humpheries  on a 7 or 8 mil 1 year deal ( What other contenders could offer that kind of money?).

With the remaining 3 mil of cap space you try to fill the scoring at the guard position off the bench . I personally would like Chauncey Billups if he has fully recovered from his surgery. He can play both guard spots off the bench and we would finally have a real backup PG! Come on Billups, finish your career where you started it !

Realistic Roster next year

PG: Rondo   / Billups(1yr 3 mil)/ Moore
SG: Bradley / Pietrus (vet min) / Draft pick
SF: PP      / Green            
PF: Odom    / Draft pick(White,Draymond Green,Nicholson)/ JJJ
C : KG      / Wilcox (vet min)/ Steamer

*Jeff Green will also play backup PF too.

I really like the versatility and athletic ability of the roster. Really love having a backup PG with Billups who can play SG too and replace Ray.

What do you guys think?

Solid play.  Fit within the confines of reality.  TP.  So I think we are starting to see why everyone seems to believe Ray is a goner.  You're replacing Ray and Bass with a (hopefully) better big man.  I know you put Lamar on the low end of your wish list (Ray + Bass for Lamar isn't that good of a trade, if you ask me).   Rank your "wish list" for that 10 mil center position.  

Well actually if Bass opted out that would be another 4.5 mil added to the original 25 mil of cap space then right?

In that case after Signing Green and KG you will have like 13 or 14 mil to sign someone.

guys I  would offer 10 mil plus for center next year

McGee on a 10-12 mil per for 4 years
Hibbert same deal as McGee

Ersan Illyasova I would offer a 3 year 9 mil per deal


other players I would offer 10 mil to this off-season

Eric Gordon 11 mil per 4 year deal

I would offer OJ Mayo a 7 mil per 3 year deal

Unfortunately all these guys are restricted so other than Mayo I don't see them as realistic possibilities .

Maybe you can split up that final 14 mil after Bass opts out between a big man like I said Odom/Kaman/Humpheries on a 1 year deal and try to sign Mayo around 7 or 8 mil on a 3 year deal.

[BballTim]

No Bass or Pietrus for me and not $9M for J Green.

Ok... so you letting Green walk or are you giving him less than 9? 

  Who really thinks that Green's worth what he was before his heart issue? I would be a little surprised to see him get more than 4-5 million if he even gets that much.

[LarBrd33]

Green at 6 or 7 mil I want, Green at 9 mil a year after heart surgery, no thanks .

If Bass opts out and wants anything more than 5 or 6 for 1 year I let him walk. JJJ has a lot of the same skill set as Bass and if he is able to add 15lbs by next season he should be ready to contribute . We also can get a Bass replacement in the draft (White, Draymond Green, Nicholson)

I let Ray walk if he demands to be a starter(which I don't think he will) or wants more than 2-3 mil on a 1 or 2 year deal . Like Bass his talent at this point in his career can be filled by one of the draft picks (Ross, Jenkins, Daron Lamb)

1)Resign KG on a 1 year 8 mil deal

2)Resign Green takes a 1 or 2 year 7 mil per deal

3)Let Ray Walk unless he will take vet min. Replace his mins with Bradley draft pick and cap space

4)[/b]We let Bass walk and the backup PF mins go to Green JJJ and draft pick White/Draymond Green/Nicholoson

Thats about 15 mil for Green and KG. You now have 10 mil to get a big man and fill out the roster. I would offer McGee a 4 year 10 mil per deal.

 If we can't get McGee I would try to go after someone like Odom,Kaman,or Humpheries  on a 7 or 8 mil 1 year deal ( What other contenders could offer that kind of money?).

With the remaining 3 mil of cap space you try to fill the scoring at the guard position off the bench . I personally would like Chauncey Billups if he has fully recovered from his surgery. He can play both guard spots off the bench and we would finally have a real backup PG! Come on Billups, finish your career where you started it !

Realistic Roster next year

PG: Rondo   / Billups(1yr 3 mil)/ Moore
SG: Bradley / Pietrus (vet min) / Draft pick
SF: PP      / Green             
PF: Odom    / Draft pick(White,Draymond Green,Nicholson)/ JJJ
C : KG      / Wilcox (vet min)/ Steamer

*Jeff Green will also play backup PF too.

I really like the versatility and athletic ability of the roster. Really love having a backup PG with Billups who can play SG too and replace Ray.

What do you guys think?

Solid play.  Fit within the confines of reality.  TP.  So I think we are starting to see why everyone seems to believe Ray is a goner.  You're replacing Ray and Bass with a (hopefully) better big man.  I know you put Lamar on the low end of your wish list (Ray + Bass for Lamar isn't that good of a trade, if you ask me).   Rank your "wish list" for that 10 mil center position. 

Well actually if Bass opted out that would be another 4.5 mil added to the original 25 mil of cap space then right?

No.   25 mil IF Bass opts out. 

You were right the first time around.  You gave KG and Green a combined 15 mil, let Bass and Ray walk... and have 10 mil to play with.

[rondohondo]

Green at 6 or 7 mil I want, Green at 9 mil a year after heart surgery, no thanks .

If Bass opts out and wants anything more than 5 or 6 for 1 year I let him walk. JJJ has a lot of the same skill set as Bass and if he is able to add 15lbs by next season he should be ready to contribute . We also can get a Bass replacement in the draft (White, Draymond Green, Nicholson)

I let Ray walk if he demands to be a starter(which I don't think he will) or wants more than 2-3 mil on a 1 or 2 year deal . Like Bass his talent at this point in his career can be filled by one of the draft picks (Ross, Jenkins, Daron Lamb)

1)Resign KG on a 1 year 8 mil deal

2)Resign Green takes a 1 or 2 year 7 mil per deal

3)Let Ray Walk unless he will take vet min. Replace his mins with Bradley draft pick and cap space

4)[/b]We let Bass walk and the backup PF mins go to Green JJJ and draft pick White/Draymond Green/Nicholoson

Thats about 15 mil for Green and KG. You now have 10 mil to get a big man and fill out the roster. I would offer McGee a 4 year 10 mil per deal.

 If we can't get McGee I would try to go after someone like Odom,Kaman,or Humpheries  on a 7 or 8 mil 1 year deal ( What other contenders could offer that kind of money?).

With the remaining 3 mil of cap space you try to fill the scoring at the guard position off the bench . I personally would like Chauncey Billups if he has fully recovered from his surgery. He can play both guard spots off the bench and we would finally have a real backup PG! Come on Billups, finish your career where you started it !

Realistic Roster next year

PG: Rondo   / Billups(1yr 3 mil)/ Moore
SG: Bradley / Pietrus (vet min) / Draft pick
SF: PP      / Green            
PF: Odom    / Draft pick(White,Draymond Green,Nicholson)/ JJJ
C : KG      / Wilcox (vet min)/ Steamer

*Jeff Green will also play backup PF too.

I really like the versatility and athletic ability of the roster. Really love having a backup PG with Billups who can play SG too and replace Ray.

What do you guys think?

Solid play.  Fit within the confines of reality.  TP.  So I think we are starting to see why everyone seems to believe Ray is a goner.  You're replacing Ray and Bass with a (hopefully) better big man.  I know you put Lamar on the low end of your wish list (Ray + Bass for Lamar isn't that good of a trade, if you ask me).   Rank your "wish list" for that 10 mil center position.  

Well actually if Bass opted out that would be another 4.5 mil added to the original 25 mil of cap space then right?

No.   25 mil IF Bass opts out.  

You were right the first time around.  You gave KG and Green a combined 15 mil, let Bass and Ray walk... and have 10 mil to play with.

oh ok well in that case the guys i would offer 10 mil to would be

McGee
Hibbert
Illyasova ( highest I would offer )
Gordon

If we can't sign Hibbert,Illyasova Gordon or McGee our free agent targets will be guys that can be signed on 1 year deals(Kaman,Humpheries,Camby) and younger players that won't be too expensive like Mayo