2015-2016 Free Agent Class

[Nerf DPOY]

On Millsap-- I know it's fashionable to dump on Sullinger lately, but their games offensively are nearly identical, as are their shooting percentages this season. Millsap's elevated his game by extending his range out to three, while Sullinger is shooting slightly better from beyond the arc, and a portion of this blog cringes every time one doesn't drop.

http://vorped.com/1-nba/2014-2015/player/1464/jared-sullinger/

http://vorped.com/1-nba/2014-2015/player/932/paul-millsap/

Admittedly, Sully's body looks like Millsap's if one day a few years back he decided that he was just going to give up on life. That said, I wouldn't commit serious money when I still had another year left on JS's rookie deal to decide how he progresses and what to do with him.

[LooseCannon]

We don't have enough money to sign two big names right?

The Celtics could definitely give out two big contracts if they gave someone a first to take on Wallace's final year.

[LooseCannon]

Wow, you guys are super optimistic. Why would Millsap and Horford leave the team with the best record in the East for one of the worst? Atlanta is not under cap pressure either.

I think Millsap is the sort of player where you can offer more than the Hawks are willing to play.  I'm not saying I offer him the max, but I'm not sure Atlanta matches if the Celtics did.  What do the Hawks do if Millsap has an offer on the table for 4 years/$75 million?

Laugh at us? You want to give Millsap almost 19 mil per? Let the Knicks do that when Phil Jackson resigns after Dolan breaks his spirit.

I'm willing to throw more money at Millsap than DeAndre Jordan or Greg Monroe.

Why?

Millsap will be 30 and we have 2 young PFs already, I don't see the point at all, what's your next move?

My next moves would be trading Sullinger and trying to sign Asik.

[HomerSapien]

I don't think Harrison Barnes would be a bad signing at all if Jeff Green is gone. He's no where near done improving and he's young.

[BleedGreen1989]

The thing here that saddens me even more about the Rondo trade is that one of these guys on the list - Marc Gasol - said during NBA Inside Stuff:

"I'm open to ANYTHING" regarding his upcoming Free Agency. Saw it this weekend on the show as Kristen Ledlow was interviewing him.

So he's going to test Free Agency...I'm sure MEM will get 1st look, but the fact that he is willing to explore other options is HUGE.

I bet he'd take a harder look at BOS if Rondo was still here

Not saying that Smart and the remainder of our team couldn't entice him, but man Danny made his job a bit harder.

We don't have enough money to sign two big names right?

Believe so, but if we could've landed Marc, I'm betting that Rondo would've worked something out..

Marc Gasol would've been a heck of a haul.

I think someone said we could extend Wallace's contract over additional years to lower the cap hit on the next two years. I wonder if this would give us the money to sign two big names.

Also, Gerald Wallace will be a $10mill expiring. Ainge can offer one of his many firsts for a team to eat that contract and create even more space.

Minus Wallace, Green, and Bass the Celtics can carve out enough for almost 2 maxes I believe. Cap may rise as well making it an easier task, but it's possible.

Now the question is what two players want to "team up" on this current Boston roster?

[KeepRondo]

The thing here that saddens me even more about the Rondo trade is that one of these guys on the list - Marc Gasol - said during NBA Inside Stuff:

"I'm open to ANYTHING" regarding his upcoming Free Agency. Saw it this weekend on the show as Kristen Ledlow was interviewing him.

So he's going to test Free Agency...I'm sure MEM will get 1st look, but the fact that he is willing to explore other options is HUGE.

I bet he'd take a harder look at BOS if Rondo was still here

Not saying that Smart and the remainder of our team couldn't entice him, but man Danny made his job a bit harder.

We don't have enough money to sign two big names right?

Believe so, but if we could've landed Marc, I'm betting that Rondo would've worked something out..

Marc Gasol would've been a heck of a haul.

I think someone said we could extend Wallace's contract over additional years to lower the cap hit on the next two years. I wonder if this would give us the money to sign two big names.

Also, Gerald Wallace will be a $10mill expiring. Ainge can offer one of his many firsts for a team to eat that contract and create even more space.

Minus Wallace, Green, and Bass the Celtics can carve out enough for almost 2 maxes I believe. Cap may rise as well making it an easier task, but it's possible.

Now the question is what two players want to "team up" on this current Boston roster?

Gasol and Love.

[dreamgreen]

Wow, you guys are super optimistic. Why would Millsap and Horford leave the team with the best record in the East for one of the worst? Atlanta is not under cap pressure either.

I think Millsap is the sort of player where you can offer more than the Hawks are willing to play.  I'm not saying I offer him the max, but I'm not sure Atlanta matches if the Celtics did.  What do the Hawks do if Millsap has an offer on the table for 4 years/$75 million?

Laugh at us? You want to give Millsap almost 19 mil per? Let the Knicks do that when Phil Jackson resigns after Dolan breaks his spirit.

I'm willing to throw more money at Millsap than DeAndre Jordan or Greg Monroe.

Why?

Millsap will be 30 and we have 2 young PFs already, I don't see the point at all, what's your next move?

My next moves would be trading Sullinger and trying to sign Asik.

Asik would be a decent pick-up. The problem with having a player on the floor that can't score is you need 2 that average 20 points a game to make up for it IMO. I call it the Rondo affect 

[GreenFaith1819]

The thing here that saddens me even more about the Rondo trade is that one of these guys on the list - Marc Gasol - said during NBA Inside Stuff:

"I'm open to ANYTHING" regarding his upcoming Free Agency. Saw it this weekend on the show as Kristen Ledlow was interviewing him.

So he's going to test Free Agency...I'm sure MEM will get 1st look, but the fact that he is willing to explore other options is HUGE.

I bet he'd take a harder look at BOS if Rondo was still here

Not saying that Smart and the remainder of our team couldn't entice him, but man Danny made his job a bit harder.

We don't have enough money to sign two big names right?

Believe so, but if we could've landed Marc, I'm betting that Rondo would've worked something out..

Marc Gasol would've been a heck of a haul.

I think someone said we could extend Wallace's contract over additional years to lower the cap hit on the next two years. I wonder if this would give us the money to sign two big names.

Also, Gerald Wallace will be a $10mill expiring. Ainge can offer one of his many firsts for a team to eat that contract and create even more space.

Minus Wallace, Green, and Bass the Celtics can carve out enough for almost 2 maxes I believe. Cap may rise as well making it an easier task, but it's possible.

Now the question is what two players want to "team up" on this current Boston roster?

Gasol and Love.

A man can dream, huh?

A commitment from KLove and Gasol, plus the top pick in this year's draft. Would love this.

Those two would form perhaps the best frontline in the NBA, right here in BOS.

And getting the 1st pick? Jalil Okafor? Allowing him to be groomed by Marc? That'd be great.

[Robb]

Jimmy Butler. Get creative with the contract and keep the cheapskate Bulls from paying for him.

[bleedGREENdon]

Trade wallace and a first for an Expiring

Sign Gasol, Love and Jimmy Butler.

Smart/Rookie
Butler/Avery
Towns/Young
Love/Sully
Gasol/KO

Playoff team the next 5 years , if Smart becomes the big time player we believe and Towns over time becomes a scorer, we have a championship team

Buttttt that's a lot of chips that need to fall.

Honestly even no Kevin Love. We should go all out after Butler, him and Smart would be able to lock down opposing Points and Shooting guards.

[bobbyv]

Can someone explain to me why any of these players would leave their winning teams to come to a rebuilding Celtics team? 

Out of those listed, we maybe have a chance with Al Jeff, Harrison Barnes and Greg Monroe (looking more and more unlikely seeing how Detroit has improved).

[LooseCannon]

Can someone explain to me why any of these players would leave their winning teams to come to a rebuilding Celtics team? 

The targets I suggested, Millsap and Asik, are guys who I think it is possible to offer more than their current teams are willing to pay.

[manl_lui]

  First things first, as long as we don't sign someone to a long term deal this offseason well basically have everyone off the books in 16 except, Bradley,young, Smart And KO, with this years draft picks and next years so essentially we have openings for 2-3 max players.

Here's a list of players available the next two years that catch my eye

Horford 16
KD 16
Lilliard 16
Ellis 15
Beal 16
Al Jefferson 15
Valancuinas 16
Monroe 15
Drummond 16
Gasol 15
Joakim Noah 16
Dwight Howard 16
Harrison Barnes 16
Hibbert 15
DeAndre Jordan 15
Michael Conely 16
Anthony Davis 16
Lebron James 15 and 16
Kevin love 15

I mean go down that list about 10 franchise changing players the next two years, 6 draft picks, everybody is expiring, this will be a fast rebuild. Who do you guys believe we should build around and or have a chance to build around.

I feel some of these players won't leave their already contending team unless said team is going in another direction. Say for example, this year and next year, Cavs fail to make Finals, LeBron can bolt. But players like Davis, or even KD, I find it hard to believe they will leave their current situation regardless of what happens. Their respective teams will make huge contract extensions before that happens

I can see us grab people like Monroe, Drummond, or Jefferson if their team keeps failing to make playoffs with no clear future in mind.

[2short]

Can someone explain to me why any of these players would leave their winning teams to come to a rebuilding Celtics team? 

Out of those listed, we maybe have a chance with Al Jeff, Harrison Barnes and Greg Monroe (looking more and more unlikely seeing how Detroit has improved).

simple idea right?  tp!
basically with our current roster ainge either needs to  have 3 deals in the works to get better free agents of simply overpay for a few

[Depalma2002]

I feel some of these players won't leave their already contending team unless said team is going in another direction. Say for example, this year and next year, Cavs fail to make Finals, LeBron can bolt. But players like Davis, or even KD, I find it hard to believe they will leave their current situation regardless of what happens. Their respective teams will make huge contract extensions before that happens

While the part of large extension is true about Davis and the other top guys still on their rookie scale contract because they can extend for up to 5 years starting at the max. But for veterans like KD, they are limited to a contract length of four years, so if he's in the last year, he can only add three years. The extension starts at 107.5% of the last salary in the current contract. So veteran extensions are rare among top players because they are leaving years and money on the table vs going to free agency.

The Wizards are going to make an all-out push for Durant and try to bring him home. They have only Wall, Gortat, and Humphries on the books as well as the qualifying offer to Beal who will be restricted and they have plenty of money to give KD his max, add some bench pieces, and then use Bird Rights to retain Beal.

If I'm OKC, I'm more than a little nervous about being able to keep him.