Boston is far from a small market NBA team. they have the sixth largest media market in the US and a rabid money spending sports viewership marketplace. They have around the 10th highest ticket price in the NBA and are one of the few NBA teams that holds an equity partnership with their television broadcasting partners.
The Celtics are worth more than 27-28 other NBA teams and has been a regular payer of the luxury tax without it being a problem while they have been contending.
This team is not afraid to spend money to put a winner on the floor and win championships. That can't be said for about 25 or so other teams in the league.
The reason for a lack of free agents is because the Celtics have been over the salary cap for what has been well over a decade acting like a big market team, spending money to put a winner on the floor.If you are spending monet trying to win and constantly in the luxury tax, it means you are not way under the salary cap and hence have no way of signing a big name free agent.
The Celtics have never tried to clear enough cap space to get so far under the cap to sign someone because that means allowing assets to walk in free agency, not resigning your own star players you have developed through the draft and trading away players to get nothing in return.
If you have followed Danny Ainge's management philosophy, that isn't his style. He doesn't let players walk unless they are outpricing themselves and he doesn't trade players away for nothing and he tries like heck to resign his excellent well developed drafted players so that he can get them to play well in Boston or to trade away to get some other asset.
Don't conflate Boston not signing big name free agents recently with not being a big market team because quite honestly, before Steve Nash, the Lakers haven't exactly been signing big name free agents recently either. Bynum, Gasol, Kobe, Shaq, Gasol....none of the Lakers biggest names during the 2000's were signed as free agents and yet, no one is accusing the Lakers of being a small market team.
Shaq didn't leave Orlando as a free agent for the Lakers?! Really? Malone Payton also joined as free agents (that team did make the finals) you cannot compare LA and Boston because there is no comparison. Free agents love the bright lights of LA. They love endorsements and movie roles and the glitz of the area. Same as in NY. Boston would never be able to compete with those locations. Think about it. Say you're an NBA player and you have no family ties to Miami or Boston but both are offering the same amount of money. Where do you go? A young NBA player...come on its a rhetorical question. South Beach or the Cape? Weather is a major factor whether you want to admit it or not.
If you challenge others to name good young players, then you need to hold yourself to the same standard. You do not get to use a 35yr old Gary Payton and a 40-year old Karl Malone as examples. If you do, then Shaq signed as a free agent with the Celtics.
The statement was all free agents. I limited it to young free agents. My post on Payton and Malone was a response to the ridiculous statement that the Lakers haven't signed any high profile free agents. Besides for all of you non tankers out there I have a simple question. If Boston is a great destination then how come Melo isn't knocking down the door to come here? He wants to play with Rondo that bad...right? Because Boston has nothing to offer for elite players. Just admit it and let's get on with the conversations
Not just Melo, no one is or has considered Boston as a top tier FA. Dwight Howard was very clear that he had no interest in Boston, despite the reputation we had with KG and Doc still around, and Rondo.
Melo, who really wants to play with Rondo, never once considered coming here.
Josh Smith, who is not even a top tier FA, but is a close friend of Rondo, never talked about coming here.
These are just very recent examples. There is no example in the past of any top tier FA ever saying he was seriously considering Boston. I don't know why people still think otherwise. It's well known that the top FA spots are LA, NY, and Miami. Weather and media exposure are huge factors. When your a young talented guy entering your prime, the flash and glam and the nightlife will attract you, not the bitter winters and hard nosed life of Boston.
