Seeing topics about what else the Cs should do now, I think it's important to be realistic about finances to understand not just what would fit on the court but what the Celtics can actually do. This starts with the Terry signing. My understanding is that by signing Terry using the full non-taxpayers midlevel the Celtics committed to the league to staying below the luxury threshold. Essentially, this gives Boston a "hard cap" of $70.307 million. [EDIT: Looks like it could be $74.307 mil.]
They previously had Pierce signed at $16.79 mil, Rondo at $11 mil, Bradley at $1.631 mil. Factor in 120% of rookie wage scale for first rounders (Sullinger: $1.307 mil, Melo: $1.255 mil) and last year's rookie minimum for Joseph ($0.474 mil non-guaranteed). Now we have the free agents. Terry is starting at $5 mil. Wilcox's salary cap figure as a vet on a minimum contract is $0.854 mil. If we're paying Lee the most he can get under the sign & trade terms, the first year is $4.251 mil. Those numbers are pretty set in stone and puts the Cs at $42.562 mil.
Now, for the retained free agents, we don't know exact starting salaries yet. KG got an average annual salary of $11.333 mil - that's one possibility but probably the most that will be included in the first year of his deal. The minimum first year salary figure he could have that would get him to $34 mil with 7.5% annual raises is $10.524 mil. Green has an average of $9 mil, giving us the likely max for his first year, and the minimum first year figure is $8.048 mil. Bass I believe has an average of $6.75 mil per year. That equates to a minimum first year salary of $6.268 mil. So the range for those re-signed free agents is $24.841 mil to $27.083 mil.
So I see our current salary range at $67.403 mil to $69.945 mil, leaving somewhere between $662K and $2.905 mil available to spend. In other words, biannual exception plus one minimum contract. Or multiple minimum contracts. Or they can waive Joseph and have an extra $474K to play with but that doesn't even get enough for an extra veteran's minimum if they use the BAE so it hardly seems worth it.
Now where are the holes to potentially fill?
I love the guard crew of Rondo, Bradley, Terry and Lee. I thought Lee was important because I wanted the prospect of putting a bigger guard out there. Not that Lee is exceptionally big for the 2 spot, but he's over 6'2", something you can't say about Rondo, Bradley or Terry. Potential additions: emergency point guard, another bigger 2-guard.
Sticking on the wing, I honestly think Pierce and Green have the 3 spot more than covered. Even more depth would be great, but I think both those guys can and should play 30 plus minutes a night and both are best suited to the 3. I'm okay sticking with just Joseph as a backup. Especially since in a smaller lineup Lee can probably play a little 3. Potential addition: none, though another bigger 2 might be a little more important if he can play 3.
KG, Bass, Wilcox, Sullinger and Melo round out the frontcourt. I see 30 a night from KG and Bass, 15-20 each for Wilcox and Sullinger. Obviously they need to be prepared for injuries, as KG has old legs, Wilcox is coming off heart surgery and Sullinger will likely miss a week here or there with back spasms. So I would definitely like to add a big man who you can count on to give you 20 minutes when you need it but not complain when he doesn't get it. Someone who's been around the block a bit more than Melo.
So I do think a guy capable of plugging minutes at center gets added. If the Minnesota reports are true, we're not matching Stiemsma at $3 mil because it's too rich for us. So it's probably Darko or maybe a guy like Nazr Mohammed at the BAE or a minimum contract guy like Magloire. But when you're thinking about centers, understand that if it'll cost more than the minimum, you're only getting one more minimum guy. To go younger, you could maybe see if Anthony Randolph or the just-amnestied-and-waiver-cleared headcase Andray Blatche would play here for a one year minimum deal.
Next on priority would probably be a big two guard who can play some minutes at the 3 if there's an injury situation with Pierce or Green. Pietrus, yes, is absolutely the kind of guy I'm thinking of. Pietrus wanted to come back, but will he still want to come back with four guards and two small forwards definitely ahead of him on the depth chart? And will he take the BAE? And more importantly, from the Celtics perspective, do you really want to use the BAE - which might be a useful tool to have if a good target gets bought out or waived midseason and other teams can only offer minimum contracts - to pick up a third stringer? I feel like the BAE should only be brushed off for a center (who could be a second stringer and fills your most vulnerable position). I think a more likely player from last year's roster to return for this position is Marquis Daniels at the minimum. Big dropoff in talent? Yes. But for the amount of minutes either would be expected to play, it's not that big of an impact.
Then there's emergency point guard. I would keep Dooling but honestly, only at a minimum salary level (so anything above $854K doesn't count against the cap/toward the tax). Again, you're looking at a third stringer, why overspend on that? I'm thinking Dooling for the minimum or somebody they pull out of summer league (their own team or another) to give it a shot at training camp.
Basically, what I'm saying with all this is keep expectations low. We're not pulling off a big sign and trade with Dooling unless it's for a guy making under $2.9 mil and it's a guy who will definitely step right into the center rotation. We're probably also not using the BAE unless it's for that position.
I think the more likely bet is the Cs are minimum contracts only for the rest of the offseason. I think they get a center with some experience who will jump ahead of Melo as KG's main backup at least for right now. I think they take a very serious look at some of the wings on the summer league roster - Christmas, Smith - and invite a few other young wings and point guards to training camp to compete for one of the final three spots. If no young point guard stands out (I wished they had tried to bring Machado up here, I think he can run second unit point in the NBA) and Dooling will take the minimum, I think he returns.
This isn't to be a downer just a reminder to remain in reality. I love this move and thinks it fills the biggest need the Celtics had - a bigger guard. This also adds to a good under-30 crew. As of November 1, Rondo and Green will be 26, Bass and Lee 27, Bradley and Melo 21, Sullinger 20 and Joseph 23, with all under the Celtics control for the next three years. Really good moves by Ainge to bring this group together. Totally trust his judgment on rounding out the roster.
Topic: Cs Current Salary Position (Read 2096 times)