C's/Clippers Update, Marc Stein Reporting NBA Office forcing reworking

[saltlover]

I've got a hunch that CP3 and Dwight are going to join Atlanta.

It seems like they want to play together and the Hawks are the only team with enough cap space to sign both without anyone having to jump through hoops (no pun intended)

At least what I would do, if I were them

A lineup of CP3, Howard and Horford would be nasty.

I think howard is going to go to houston, i think if houston could shed asik, lin, and t robinson they might be in good shape to get both maybe not

Really? I didn't realize that. If that's the case, maybe the Celts could deal Pierce for Lin, Asik and Robinson and then they waive Pierce. That way, we sorta do Houston a solid and they land both Paul and Dwight. Celts would also get some pretty darn good players too (I like Asik.)

Maybe someone else can confirm whether Houston would have enough cap space for both Paul/Howard if they deal Lin, Asik and Robinson.

I forget where i saw it, i think they could sign 1, but i think the other has to somehow be a sign and trade.

Ok, which then makes things more complex for Houston. I think the Hawks are the only team that can sign both without having to sign/trade anyone

If the Rockets trade Robinson, they should have enough room (pending the official salary cap level, since they're incredibly close) to signing either outright.  Paul's max salary is slightly cheaper than Howard's so it's not a problem to get him.  Anyway, if they can sign either one of them, they can go to the Clippers and the Lakers and offer Asik and Lin, and say "first one to say yes gets the S&T, while the other gets nothing."  A one-shot prisoner's dilemma indicates that one of the two will blink unless there's collusion.

[gpap]

Ok I see.

I could actually see a scenario where Paul goes to Houston first

Then, the Lakers sign and deal Howard for Asik and Lin.

I could see that.

What I don't see is anyone doing a sign and trade with the Clippers because it's obvious working with them is a pain in the as*

Wow, a CP3/Howard/Harden trio would be even nastier.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I've got a hunch that CP3 and Dwight are going to join Atlanta.

It seems like they want to play together and the Hawks are the only team with enough cap space to sign both without anyone having to jump through hoops (no pun intended)

At least what I would do, if I were them

A lineup of CP3, Howard and Horford would be nasty.

I think howard is going to go to houston, i think if houston could shed asik, lin, and t robinson they might be in good shape to get both maybe not

Really? I didn't realize that. If that's the case, maybe the Celts could deal Pierce for Lin, Asik and Robinson and then they waive Pierce. That way, we sorta do Houston a solid and they land both Paul and Dwight. Celts would also get some pretty darn good players too (I like Asik.)

Maybe someone else can confirm whether Houston would have enough cap space for both Paul/Howard if they deal Lin, Asik and Robinson.

I forget where i saw it, i think they could sign 1, but i think the other has to somehow be a sign and trade.

Ok, which then makes things more complex for Houston. I think the Hawks are the only team that can sign both without having to sign/trade anyone

If the Rockets trade Robinson, they should have enough room (pending the official salary cap level, since they're incredibly close) to signing either outright.  Paul's max salary is slightly cheaper than Howard's so it's not a problem to get him.  Anyway, if they can sign either one of them, they can go to the Clippers and the Lakers and offer Asik and Lin, and say "first one to say yes gets the S&T, while the other gets nothing."  A one-shot prisoner's dilemma indicates that one of the two will blink unless there's collusion.

Why does Paul or CP3 have to take their max? Can't they do what Mia's 3 did and take a huge pay cut? Is that changed w/ the new CBA?

[saltlover]

Ok I see.

I could actually see a scenario where Paul goes to Houston first

Then, the Lakers sign and deal Howard for Asik and Lin.

I could see that.

What I don't see is anyone doing a sign and trade with the Clippers because it's obvious working with them is a pain in the as*

Wow, a CP3/Howard/Harden trio would be even nastier.

It would be a nasty trio.

But essentially you sign them at the same time.  You make agreements with both of them, and then go to the Lakers and Clippers, at pretty much the same time, and offer them the same thing.  One of them will bite, because Lin and Asik is a LOT better than nothing.  Then you sign the player from the team who didn't take the deal first, because you've got the cap space, and sign-and-trade for the player with the team who did take the deal second.  After all is said and done they have Paul, Harden, and Howard, while still having players like Parsons, Jones, and Montiejunas to help round out the roster.  They definitely could be setting themselves up to be a top team for a 4-5 year stretch.

Also, there is no way for the Celtics to get in on this, except for maybe getting Robinson for the China 3 and a draft pick.  Any deal in which the Rockets take on salary is completely useless to their end goal.

[chambers]

Mark Heisler: Source w/knowledge of talks tells SportsCity report Doc pulled out is #Celtic ploy to get Clippers to offer No. 1--so this isn't dead yet. Twitter @MarkHeisler

[BleedGreen1989]

Mark Heisler: Source w/knowledge of talks tells SportsCity report Doc pulled out is #Celtic ploy to get Clippers to offer No. 1--so this isn't dead yet. Twitter @MarkHeisler

I can't hear you! (Fingers in ears yelling "la la la")

[gpap]

Mark Heisler: Source w/knowledge of talks tells SportsCity report Doc pulled out is #Celtic ploy to get Clippers to offer No. 1--so this isn't dead yet. Twitter @MarkHeisler

I think it's over. The Clippers likely hire Byron Scott is my guess.

[j804]

Mark Heisler: Source w/knowledge of talks tells SportsCity report Doc pulled out is #Celtic ploy to get Clippers to offer No. 1--so this isn't dead yet. Twitter @MarkHeisler

That guy is a joke don't even know why he's on the hoops hype twitter feed. Dude is obsessed with this C's/Clippers trade. He hasn't nailed anything about it, said Clippers were offering a first.

[Who]

Mark Heisler: Source w/knowledge of talks tells SportsCity report Doc pulled out is #Celtic ploy to get Clippers to offer No. 1--so this isn't dead yet. Twitter @MarkHeisler

I think it's over. The Clippers likely hire Byron Scott is my guess.

I hope so. I would like to see B.Scott and C.Paul reunited.

They were a good combination in New Orleans.

[saltlover]

I've got a hunch that CP3 and Dwight are going to join Atlanta.

It seems like they want to play together and the Hawks are the only team with enough cap space to sign both without anyone having to jump through hoops (no pun intended)

At least what I would do, if I were them

A lineup of CP3, Howard and Horford would be nasty.

I think howard is going to go to houston, i think if houston could shed asik, lin, and t robinson they might be in good shape to get both maybe not

Really? I didn't realize that. If that's the case, maybe the Celts could deal Pierce for Lin, Asik and Robinson and then they waive Pierce. That way, we sorta do Houston a solid and they land both Paul and Dwight. Celts would also get some pretty darn good players too (I like Asik.)

Maybe someone else can confirm whether Houston would have enough cap space for both Paul/Howard if they deal Lin, Asik and Robinson.

I forget where i saw it, i think they could sign 1, but i think the other has to somehow be a sign and trade.

Ok, which then makes things more complex for Houston. I think the Hawks are the only team that can sign both without having to sign/trade anyone

If the Rockets trade Robinson, they should have enough room (pending the official salary cap level, since they're incredibly close) to signing either outright.  Paul's max salary is slightly cheaper than Howard's so it's not a problem to get him.  Anyway, if they can sign either one of them, they can go to the Clippers and the Lakers and offer Asik and Lin, and say "first one to say yes gets the S&T, while the other gets nothing."  A one-shot prisoner's dilemma indicates that one of the two will blink unless there's collusion.

Why does Paul or CP3 have to take their max? Can't they do what Mia's 3 did and take a huge pay cut? Is that changed w/ the new CBA?

Neither have to take the max.  That said, they'd have to take about half their max to play together on the Rockets without a sign-and-trade, which isn't going to happen, because then they could play on about a dozen teams.  The Rockets are trying to woo them, and are willing to offer them both as much as they can.  It might end up being that they can offer Paul the max, and Howard Paul's salary, which is about $2 mil less that Howard's max.  This is what Dallas is going to try to sell them on, with Dirk volunteering to take a very big pay cut the following offseason to sign another player to a large deal so they can win a ring.  Tax differences between Texas and California might make that a good enough sell.

But Miami's big three didn't take a "huge" pay cut.  They each took about $1.2 million less than they had been making the prior season, which was about 8% less.  Significant, yes, but it's not like they took about half of what they could.  Also, the new CBA makes year-to-year raises a lot smaller.  Miami's big 3 got a 10.5% raise from year 1 to year 2.  The most Howard and Paul can get in the new CBA is 4.5%, so that may prevent the willingness of players to take year 1 discounts, since they can't make it back up in subsequent years.

[SHAQATTACK]

Mark Heisler: Source w/knowledge of talks tells SportsCity report Doc pulled out is #Celtic ploy to get Clippers to offer No. 1--so this isn't dead yet. Twitter @MarkHeisler

I hope this is TOTALLY not true...everybody is sick of this, both team need to move on and  do other deals and get back on track.   Doc needs to leave the Celtics alone and stay in Orlando and be somebodies woman.

[crownontherocks]

Celtics Ainge wants deal, has LAC 1s prioritized: No on No. 25 next week. Wants 2014 but can't get it. 2015 may work on chance LAC implodes

MarkHeisler

[droopdog7]

Ok I see.

I could actually see a scenario where Paul goes to Houston first

Then, the Lakers sign and deal Howard for Asik and Lin.

I could see that.

What I don't see is anyone doing a sign and trade with the Clippers because it's obvious working with them is a pain in the as*

Wow, a CP3/Howard/Harden trio would be even nastier.

It would be a nasty trio.

But essentially you sign them at the same time.  You make agreements with both of them, and then go to the Lakers and Clippers, at pretty much the same time, and offer them the same thing.  One of them will bite, because Lin and Asik is a LOT better than nothing.  Then you sign the player from the team who didn't take the deal first, because you've got the cap space, and sign-and-trade for the player with the team who did take the deal second.  After all is said and done they have Paul, Harden, and Howard, while still having players like Parsons, Jones, and Montiejunas to help round out the roster.  They definitely could be setting themselves up to be a top team for a 4-5 year stretch.

Also, there is no way for the Celtics to get in on this, except for maybe getting Robinson for the China 3 and a draft pick.  Any deal in which the Rockets take on salary is completely useless to their end goal.

Um, no.  First, the rockets can't sign both of them.  Second, what's their leverage?  The clippers and the lakers can simply say no.  Then the rockets have no option.  None at all.

And no, Asik and Lin is not nearly enough value for either Howard or Paul, especially when you consider their contracts (and the poison pills).

[hwangjini_1]

My No. 1 guy just said #Celtics #Clippers still on--or at least C's hope so as much as LAC, eager to rebuild. not keen to pay Doc $7M


Just in from source close to #Clippers: Talking 4 years, $16-20M w/Byron, 3 worth $9M w/Brian… Byron's the fave if no Doc. Donald loves him.

MarkHeisler

brian shaw for the clips? hmmmm...dont know how that would work out since shaw is supposed to be an advocate of the triangle offense. and i believe in that offense point guards dont play a key role.

but maybe shaw will adjust to chris paul and toss the triangle.

[hpantazo]

Celtics Ainge wants deal, has LAC 1s prioritized: No on No. 25 next week. Wants 2014 but can't get it. 2015 may work on chance LAC implodes

MarkHeisler

Glad to hear. 2014 1st rounder or no deal Danny, hold firm. Even with Doc, KG, and Pierce, if CP3 somehow goes down next season, that could be a superstar with that pick. If not, late 1st in that draft is still excellent value.