KG is back

[Fafnir]

Pretty pumped right now. 

No real qualms with the contract. 

Agreed, I'd rather it have been lower of course but oh well.

I am curious as to its structure, I am hoping the third year is similar to Pierce's to decrease the risk to the Celtics.

[Cman]

Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!!
TPs all around!

[igorsure]

I will not be original:

Yes!!!!

Rondo+Bradley+Garnet is frighten defense combination. Plus Pierce plus may be healthy Ray plus MP plus "other guys".

Looks like we will have a team )

[wasi]

The deal is fine. This basically ensures that Pierce will not be traded or amnestied. If it's a 2 year deal, with a player option for a 3rd, it will expire with Pierce's, if he doesn't opt in. If it's a 3 year deal, and he does play all 3, it will be expire with Rondo's.

This also means that we will not be looking at the FA market the next 2 or 3 years. Ainge said that is just a recipe that doesn't work. It's only worked for one team (Miami), as most players sign extensions and don't ever make it to free agency. This means that the likelihood of Allen returning for a 2 or 3 year deal just shot through the roof. Just like I now expect Green to sign a multi-year deal as well.

If Allen does return, I expect us to target a true center with our MLE (Kaman) in order to preserve KG. So a 3 year deal for the just turned 30 year old 7 footer, at yearly increases each year seems likely. 

why does it mean Paul wont be traded?

and why does this mean that we have more chance of resigning Green and Ray?  is it just because we are not going into rebuilding mode? 

Are you saying we will have the full MLE this year?  that would be great.

Excellent news!

Paul won't be traded because he was only being traded in the "blow it up" scenario.  KG resigning means no blowing it up.

We will not have the full MLE this year, only the $3 million version.  Unlike the other poster, I don't think there's a chance that gets Kaman, unless he really just wants to play here.  I do think there's a small chance that a 1-year use of the mid-level gets Jeff Green on a make-good contract -- to show he's recovered to sign a bigger deal next year with either the C's or someone else, if the offers aren't as high as he'd hope.  But more likely we get two of the following three: Ray, Jeff Green, or a free agent center worth having.

We would have the 5M non-tax payer exception as long as we not paying luxury tax. The mini-mid level (3M) is given to those who are paying luxury tax. We paid luxury tax last year, so we only had the latter.

We have Bird rights on Green. We don't need to use any portion of our MLE to re-sign him.

We do NOT have bird rights on Green. When we went back on our offer last year because of the heart condition we gave them up. I'm sure someone else here can confirm that. That's why I wish he signed for closer to 28 cause now there's not much room. Sign Green and then you have to get cheap guys. Also, don't forget that we need to sign Melo and Sullinger too.

I'm sure Danny can figure something out though. Happy to have KG back and I would be shocked if he doesn't retire before the 3 years is up so don't worry about the 3rd year.

We actually do have bird-rights on Jeff Green.  He is an unrestricted FA though.

I stand corrected. I did just verify that and cant figure out why I was so positive that we didn't.

That makes this a lot easier and gives the Celts some added flexibility.

[Eddie20]

The deal is fine. This basically ensures that Pierce will not be traded or amnestied. If it's a 2 year deal, with a player option for a 3rd, it will expire with Pierce's, if he doesn't opt in. If it's a 3 year deal, and he does play all 3, it will be expire with Rondo's.

This also means that we will not be looking at the FA market the next 2 or 3 years. Ainge said that is just a recipe that doesn't work. It's only worked for one team (Miami), as most players sign extensions and don't ever make it to free agency. This means that the likelihood of Allen returning for a 2 or 3 year deal just shot through the roof. Just like I now expect Green to sign a multi-year deal as well.

If Allen does return, I expect us to target a true center with our MLE (Kaman) in order to preserve KG. So a 3 year deal for the just turned 30 year old 7 footer, at yearly increases each year seems likely. 

why does it mean Paul wont be traded?

and why does this mean that we have more chance of resigning Green and Ray?  is it just because we are not going into rebuilding mode? 

Are you saying we will have the full MLE this year?  that would be great.

Excellent news!

Paul won't be traded because he was only being traded in the "blow it up" scenario.  KG resigning means no blowing it up.

We will not have the full MLE this year, only the $3 million version.  Unlike the other poster, I don't think there's a chance that gets Kaman, unless he really just wants to play here.  I do think there's a small chance that a 1-year use of the mid-level gets Jeff Green on a make-good contract -- to show he's recovered to sign a bigger deal next year with either the C's or someone else, if the offers aren't as high as he'd hope.  But more likely we get two of the following three: Ray, Jeff Green, or a free agent center worth having.

We would have the 5M non-tax payer exception as long as we not paying luxury tax. The mini-mid level (3M) is given to those who are paying luxury tax. We paid luxury tax last year, so we only had the latter.

We have Bird rights on Green. We don't need to use any portion of our MLE to re-sign him.

We do NOT have bird rights on Green. When we went back on our offer last year because of the heart condition we gave them up. I'm sure someone else here can confirm that. That's why I wish he signed for closer to 28 cause now there's not much room. Sign Green and then you have to get cheap guys. Also, don't forget that we need to sign Melo and Sullinger too.

I'm sure Danny can figure something out though. Happy to have KG back and I would be shocked if he doesn't retire before the 3 years is up so don't worry about the 3rd year.

We actually do. Ainge confirmed it in an interview. We have Bird rights to him and Krstic as well.

If Garnett comes back, then it makes logical sense for Ainge to use those Bird rights to go over the cap and bring back players like Brandon Bass, Jeff Green, Mickael Pietrus, maybe even Ray Allen, although that still seems unlikely.

There’s another reason why bringing back Bass and Green, to name two, makes so much sense. The rest of the free agent class is extremely weak. One can make the argument that Garnett, Bass and Green rank among the 10 best free agents in the entire class, which makes their Bird rights so valuable.

“It’s unlikely [that we would renounce their rights] because they’re good players,” Ainge said. “It’s unlikely because all those guys are starters or big time contributors on a good team. And the free agent market really isn’t that great. The players that we have as free agents and have the Bird rights to are as good or better than most of the free agent class.”

[Who]

3 years, $34 million apparently.  Pretty steep tag but it's worth it in my eyes.

I think that makes Danny a lot more likely to offer Bass a multi-year deal too.

[JSD]

Great news. Great deal.

[LEHGOCELTICS]

YAHOOOOOOOO!

Even for this contract, this is a steal. People forget how defensively inept our team looked without KG on the floor during the postseason. This man is the heart and soul of our defense. Well worth the money.

[cman88]

for everything KG offers on the court, this decision is a steal for what he offers OFF the court as well..

danny alluded as much to how he likes having our big 3 around for the young guys..

These young guys get to LEARN how to prepare, how to practice....theyll learn how to play basketball the right way.

Rondo developed into an allstar learning under them. Perkins, BBD ALL became legit NBA players learning from the big 3...look at the jump Bradley made, stiemsma....and now Jared sullinger/Fab melo get to learn from one of the best big-men in the game.

[FreeGreen]

GREAT NEWS!  and a good contract on all sides!

I hope part of the deal was that Danny will not deal Paul, Rondo, or KG for the duration of the agreement.

Let these guys chase more rings while also molding the next generation of players.

This makes up for the Fab Melo pick (I wanted it to be Nicholson so bad!)

KG -- when you come to DC me and peeps will be there making some noise for you!

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!

[LarBrd33]

Welcome back MVP

[syfy9]

This is great! If KG left, our team would turn to shambles!

[Trifecta]

YESSSS THANK YOU KG.

[jacksmedulaoblongata]

[Bombastic Jones]

Wow!  Weekend made!  So excited!!  I can't stop writing exclamation points!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6TnilbMphA

Welcome back KG! Come on Ray, do the right thing ....

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