Will Kris Humphries Be Bought Out After the Trade Deadline?

[LooseCannon]

I am pessimistic about some team trading for Humphries to bolster their bench near the trade deadline.

For one, his salary is just too large to be easily moved at the deadline to a playoff team that is likely to be over the cap and without good options for matching salary.

The other team almost has to be sending out a big salary (I'd say big enough so that the other team is allowed to send that player plus a minimum salary guy and take Humphries back) and I just don't see likely candidates for that purpose on possible contending teams.  It'd probably take a season-ending injury to a player on a big expiring contract who the team doesn't mind trading because they don't care about having his Bird rights.

As a big expiring contract, Humphries is perhaps most valuable as a matching salary if a team is looking to dump a big contract signed beyond next season.  The best target is probably a team which has had a disappointing season and is planning to shift into rebuilding mode (i.e. tanking) but has a good player signed to a long-term deal who they think is too old to be on a team that is rebuilding.  It could happen, but it might not.

There's a decent chance that the Celtics young players will be progressing so that after this season, Ainge will be looking to add actual players who can contribute now rather than future assets such as draft picks, so I don't think the Celtics will be in the market of trading Humphries for a bad contract and future picks that are unlikely to be one of those coveted 2014 first rounders.

Additionally, since Humphries is an expiring contract and most outsiders looking in on the Celtics will probably think that it doesn't make sense for him to be in their long-term plans, teams that might be interested in Humphries are probably going to wait to see if he gets bought out.  Teams that might want to deal for him are going to be those teams interested in being able to re-sign him to a new (and smaller) contract next summer.  The rumors that AInge is interested in Humphries beyond this season may just be posturing to make teams think that they can't wait for Humphries to be bought out.

I just don't think it is likely that there will be good deadline deal for Humphries.  I'd be more optimistic about being able to get something of value in return for Brandon Bass.

So, I think it might be more likely that Humphries gets bought out after the trade deadline rather than he gets traded before then.

[Fafnir]

Why would Humphries accept a buy out that would save the C's significant money? He'll want to play well and put up numbers to try and latch on to another big money deal.

He'll also want to maintain his bird rights with the C's as an option for sign and trades or reupping in Boston. So he has every reason to play out his contract here instead of seeking a buyout even if the C's approach him and his agent.

[LooseCannon]

Why would Humphries accept a buy out that would save the C's significant money? He'll want to play well and put up numbers to try and latch on to another big money deal.

Maybe he ends up hating it in Boston for some reason and it becomes clear the Celtics have no interest in bringing him back after the season.

If he's playing 5mpg in February, maybe he would prefer to latch on to a play-off team where he has a shot of proving he can perform in the post-season.

[Fafnir]

Why would Humphries accept a buy out that would save the C's significant money? He'll want to play well and put up numbers to try and latch on to another big money deal.

Maybe he ends up hating it in Boston for some reason and it becomes clear the Celtics have no interest in bringing him back after the season.

If he's playing 5mpg in February, maybe he would prefer to latch on to a play-off team where he has a shot of proving he can perform in the post-season.

But why burn any side and trade bridges? Also why would the C's do it unless it saves them some serious money?

Does Humphries seem the type who'd sacrifice a meaningful chunk of $12 million to latch on with a playoff team for the veteran's minimum?

[Cman]

Why would Humphries accept a buy out that would save the C's significant money? He'll want to play well and put up numbers to try and latch on to another big money deal.

Maybe he ends up hating it in Boston for some reason and it becomes clear the Celtics have no interest in bringing him back after the season.

If he's playing 5mpg in February, maybe he would prefer to latch on to a play-off team where he has a shot of proving he can perform in the post-season.

But why burn any side and trade bridges? Also why would the C's do it unless it saves them some serious money?

Does Humphries seem the type who'd sacrifice a meaningful chunk of $12 million to latch on with a playoff team for the veteran's minimum?

^^for the pro-rated vet min, since he'd only be playing for a few weeks....

In any case, I don't see any reason for either side to do a buy out.

[LooseCannon]

Why would Humphries accept a buy out that would save the C's significant money? He'll want to play well and put up numbers to try and latch on to another big money deal.

Maybe he ends up hating it in Boston for some reason and it becomes clear the Celtics have no interest in bringing him back after the season.

If he's playing 5mpg in February, maybe he would prefer to latch on to a play-off team where he has a shot of proving he can perform in the post-season.

But why burn any side and trade bridges? Also why would the C's do it unless it saves them some serious money?

Does Humphries seem the type who'd sacrifice a meaningful chunk of $12 million to latch on with a playoff team for the veteran's minimum?

I don't see Humphries as a candidate to get paid more than the MLE, so a sign-and-trade probably isn't a huge possibility.  The Celtics are likely to have other contracts that can be used, so the team is not likely to need a sign-and-trade to provide matching salary in a deal.

It might be that the Celtics need Humphries to give up no more than $1 million to get below the luxury tax threshold.  I don't think it is impossible that Humphries would give up that much to go to a contender.

[LooseCannon]

^^for the pro-rated vet min, since he'd only be playing for a few weeks....

If he signs early enough after being bought out quickly, he could be under contract for 30% of regular season games with a new team.

[JBcat]

Ainge has a history of trading overpriced players for other overpriced players (with more years while aquiring picks.) example would be the Lafrentz Ratliff deal.  If he doesn't see the Celtics being a player in the 2014 free agent class I could see him doing something similar again. 

[Fafnir]

Why would Humphries accept a buy out that would save the C's significant money? He'll want to play well and put up numbers to try and latch on to another big money deal.

Maybe he ends up hating it in Boston for some reason and it becomes clear the Celtics have no interest in bringing him back after the season.

If he's playing 5mpg in February, maybe he would prefer to latch on to a play-off team where he has a shot of proving he can perform in the post-season.

But why burn any side and trade bridges? Also why would the C's do it unless it saves them some serious money?

Does Humphries seem the type who'd sacrifice a meaningful chunk of $12 million to latch on with a playoff team for the veteran's minimum?

I don't see Humphries as a candidate to get paid more than the MLE, so a sign-and-trade probably isn't a huge possibility.  The Celtics are likely to have other contracts that can be used, so the team is not likely to need a sign-and-trade to provide matching salary in a deal.

Courtney Lee came here in a sign and trade.

Having that option available allowed him greater options in FA to receive an MLE size deal from a team of his choice. I imagine keeping more money and more options in FA will make Humphries decline a buyout.

[thirstyboots18]

I don't get why everyone wants Humphries cut.  Are we suddenly in overabundant supply of big men who have NBA experience?  He is not an all star, but neither does he hurt a team.  He and his salary may be a good trade chip at the trade deadline by some team that needs a back up center/power forward.   At this point, I think there is little chance that the Kards will follow him to Boston,   .

Do we need to dump his salary at the present time, or is there a better way to get under the cap?

[Boris Badenov]

Ainge has a history of trading overpriced players for other overpriced players (with more years while aquiring picks.) example would be the Lafrentz Ratliff deal.  If he doesn't see the Celtics being a player in the 2014 free agent class I could see him doing something similar again.

I think you may remember that one backwards. Ratliff had one fewer year than LaFrentz when we acquired him, and we gave away a pick in that trade (#7). We also got Telfair back, but the key to the deal IMO was getting rid of Raef's longer contract - and thereby having Ratliff's large expiring contract to use in the KG trade.

[LooseCannon]

I don't get why everyone wants Humphries cut.  Are we suddenly in overabundant supply of big men who have NBA experience?  He is not an all star, but neither does he hurt a team.  He and his salary may be a good trade chip at the trade deadline by some team that needs a back up center/power forward.   At this point, I think there is little chance that the Kards will follow him to Boston,   .

Do we need to dump his salary at the present time, or is there a better way to get under the cap?

I don't think anyone has suggested cutting Humphries.  I just have doubts about the Celtics being able to trade him. And if he isn't traded, then I think he is a legitimate buy-out candidate as a veteran who may not be in a team's future plans and who may be rotting on the bench because the team prefers that young players get those minutes.

[gar]

He is an expiring and a useful player in the meantime. Don't see any real advantage to buying him out. Wallace is another story, but we are not overstocked in at the 3.

[nickagneta]

Humphries most useful contribution to this team will be cutting salary for next season or being used in a sign and trade to bring in someone extremely good. For those reasons, this whole scenario seems fairly illogical.

[TA9]

No I dont believe that its going to happen.
According to a source, (Cant remember which  ) Humphries is a player that Ainge really likes, for some reason. I wouldnt be surprised if we ended up keeping him for a long term, if it isnt possible to trade him for something good.