Plan B: Krstic as big man depth/trade bait

[snively]

Consider the following scenario: Ray departs for less green pastures, so Danny offers Pietrus the BAE to replace him.  Bass and Green re-sign for a combined $13 mil in year 1.  Stiemsma and Wilcox depart for better offers than the QO and minimum (the most we can offer them without the BAE, I believe) respectively.

Our roster looks like this:

Rondo/Terry/Moore
Bradley/Pietrus
Pierce/Green/Joseph
Bass/Sullinger/JJJ
KG/Melo/Williams

We're @ approximately $66 mil in payroll, leaving us about $8 mil under the apron, but only the vet min to spend. Our perimeter looks very solid (maybe vets like Dooling and Daniels in place of the 2nd round young uns), but the big man situation is really sketchy, with 3 unproven young guys behind our starters and a borderline NBA guy in Williams.

We could go bargain vet hunting, waive Williams and bring in a combo like Joey Dorsey and Magloire - decent options if we need rebounding or veteran post defense in a pinch.  Unfortunately, it also means leaving most of that $8 mil on the table (saving the owners the tax, but not doing anything for our competitive prospects).

The alternative I'd propose is forgoing the bargain bin shopping to offer the bulk of the $8 mil to Nenad Krstic using our bird rights.  Something like a 2 year $16 mil deal, with the second year partially guaranteed for $1.5 mil (patterned after the deal Houston gave Dalembert).


While Nenad is hardly a good fit for our big man needs - he's a weak rebounder and defender and a relatively low-impact, though useful, offensive player - he's at least a stable contributor (something we can't be sure of with Melo, Williams, JJJ or even Sullinger), and, most importantly, he provides a means of preserving that $8 mil in salary for use in making the team better.

If by midseason, our young bigs show no signs of being able to contribute to an immediate playoff run, Krstic is on board as a decent veteran bench big or as a financial asset to bring in a better fitting big on a decent sized salary without giving up one of our other veteran assets.

Alternately, if our young bigs are blossoming, Krstic can be overpaid insurance in deep reserve (to be ditched at the end of the year) or financial ballast to cash in our young guy's potential for a better short-term option (Josh Smith?).

I'd prefer a Ray + one of Wilcox or Stiemsma scenario, but I can see this as a solid Plan B.


 

[jv2764]

I'll pass.  Another jump shooting big is the last thing we need!

[ScottHow]

I wouldn't mind it if he was just injury insurance. I really want to give Sullinger/Melo a big chance to contribute next year.

[snively]

I'll pass.  Another jump shooting big is the last thing we need!

The idea is less to add another jump shooting big than to add flexible financial ballast so we can later add someone better than we could get for the vet min.

[jambr380]

I am all for adding Krstic especially if we lose out on Steimsma (although I think I would still choose Nenad)).

I also hope to bring back Wilcox. Those two should be able to hold down the fort with KG not wanting to play center, but also allow Fab to get some minutes, if Doc so chooses. I really don't want to end up with 4-5 okay, but not starting caliber centers, though.

[pp34isthe1]

Like the idea for financial flexibility, very creative and something I could see Danny doing at some point. However, there is no way Nenad would be signed for 8mil this season. I cant see him making more than Green/Bass. Id still like to see him in Green next year.

[snively]

Like the idea for financial flexibility, very creative and something I could see Danny doing at some point. However, there is no way Nenad would be signed for 8mil this season. I cant see him making more than Green/Bass. Id still like to see him in Green next year.

If you want a guy on a short-term deal, you usually have to overpay.  Kwame got almost $7 mil for one year.

Besides, a larger deal is more useful for trades.

[clover]

I want to use the BAE on Wilcox or Stiemer before Pietrus.

Krstic would then provide an additional big above whatever the vet minimum could land the C's.  And that probably wouldn't be a bad thing.

Sure, if they can lure either Wilcox or Stiemer for the vet min/QO and/or if Bass is back, then Nenad is not so important.  But if they do lose Bass, I'd rather use the S&T from him for another wing player than use the BAE on Pietrus.

[mctyson]

I'll pass.  Another jump shooting big is the last thing we need!

Kristic is a big dude though, and he was OK on the boards for us in 2011.  I actually though Doc hurt us in the Miami series by not playing him more when we were clearly struggling offensively.  He can score.

I actually feel like Kristic is a slower, less athletic version of Brandon Bass.  I would be fine getting him at the right price back on our team, but I think he is staying in Russia and then coming back to sign with the Brooklyn Cosmonauts.

[erisred]

Krstic is a pretty good Plan B, at this point. With the MLE gone, the C's are not getting a starting big except Krstic from Bird Rights or through a trade. I think a trade is going to be very hard to pull off, so Krstic for 6 to 8 might be the best Danny can do. If he'll sign for that, and he might want 10 to 12. No, I wouldn't pay that much for Krstic and I don't think Danny would either, but somebody might.

Pietrus can be offered 120% of last year (that's pretty close to the BAE's 1.9 million. He might take it.

Wilcox or Steamer (if he gets a higher offer than his QO) can be offered the BAE. It ought to get *one* of them. I doubt both come back.

[snively]

I'll pass.  Another jump shooting big is the last thing we need!

Kristic is a big dude though, and he was OK on the boards for us in 2011.  I actually though Doc hurt us in the Miami series by not playing him more when we were clearly struggling offensively.  He can score.

I actually feel like Kristic is a slower, less athletic version of Brandon Bass.  I would be fine getting him at the right price back on our team, but I think he is staying in Russia and then coming back to sign with the Brooklyn Cosmonauts.

I believe he left CSKA Moscow.

[mqtcelticsfan]

Like the idea for financial flexibility, very creative and something I could see Danny doing at some point. However, there is no way Nenad would be signed for 8mil this season. I cant see him making more than Green/Bass. Id still like to see him in Green next year.

If you want a guy on a short-term deal, you usually have to overpay.  Kwame got almost $7 mil for one year.

Besides, a larger deal is more useful for trades.

Wait, what?

You don't sign people to big contracts so that you can trade the contracts away. You realize that the contract you signed the guy to was a foolish one, then try and dump it. If you never signed a guy to some terrible contract, you don't need to clear cap space in a trade, because you still have it.

[SHAQATTACK]

DOn't want him at all. rather have ANOTHER rookie center to bring along.

[Jon]

On a short 1-2 year deal, I think Krstic is a much better option than Bass on a longer deal. 

Krstic can play the 5, which is a lot more valuable than the 4.  He also can hit open jumpers and finish around the rim. 

I think he'd be a nice stop gap that likely wouldn't require a lengthy contract commitment. 

[snively]

Like the idea for financial flexibility, very creative and something I could see Danny doing at some point. However, there is no way Nenad would be signed for 8mil this season. I cant see him making more than Green/Bass. Id still like to see him in Green next year.

If you want a guy on a short-term deal, you usually have to overpay.  Kwame got almost $7 mil for one year.

Besides, a larger deal is more useful for trades.

Wait, what?

You don't sign people to big contracts so that you can trade the contracts away. You realize that the contract you signed the guy to was a foolish one, then try and dump it. If you never signed a guy to some terrible contract, you don't need to clear cap space in a trade, because you still have it.

The point is we won't have cap space in the OP scenario, only bird rights on Krstic.  At $66 mil with the MLE and BAE used up, all we'll have is the minimum.  We'll have no way to get to the $74 mil allowed to us. 

It's a use it or lose it situation.  Krstic's bird rights are the only way to get to our limit if Ray bolts and we don't massively overpay Green and Bass.

Getting to our limit is useful even if Krstic turns out not to be (I don't think he's useless, just not ideal for this team).  It means we can trade Krstic's money for better fitting players making equivalent money.

Let's imagine Houston is looking to dump Luis Scola at midseason to make more room for their 4 rookie scale power forwards.  If we stayed at the $66 mil figure, we'd have to offer core rotation guys on long-term deals - Green, Bass or Terry - to get the contracts to match.  That makes a trade potentially less desirable for both parties (we have to give up a core contributor, they have to take on extra years of salary).  If we have Krstic hanging around as overpaid big man insurance on a one year deal, we make a much better trade partner.