How we can get 2 max players

[gpap]

So, I understand everyone is thinking about how the team can move into the top 10 of the draft but I am thinking the opposite (not to mention, I don't think we'll be able to move into the top 10 anyway.)

First, I don't know if Philly would consider this but the first idea is getting rid of that bum Wallace and is 10 million albatross so I would package Wallace along with our 16th pick to Philly (or whatever team can take on that contract) to free up cap space.

Second, I would actually take Cleveland up on their offer and trade them  Isaiah Thomas and his 7 million dollar contract for Haywood's non-guaranteed deal and the 24th pick. Then waive Haywood obviously

We would've then freed up 17 million in cap space, which if I am not mistaken brings us down to only 25 million dollars in guaranteed salary for 2015-16. Relinquish all cap holds on Bass, Jerebko and Crowder (even though I like Crowder.)

This would give us close to 40 million in cap space.

Then we could go after 2 max players.

If the team really wants Jimmy Butler, they could not only offer him the max, but offer the Chicago the chance to sign and trade Butler to Boston in exchange for Bradley, Olynyk and 2-3 1st round draft picks.

Maybe that could be the only way Chicago lets Butler go.

Or we could just sign two of Love, Aldridge, Monroe and Gasol (or Aldridge and Matthews as he's reportedly looking for 15 million.)

I guess this could be ONE way we could free up enough space to make two big signings.

[Denis998]

All you need to do is trade off Wallace and we have room for 2 max free agents.

[gpap]

All you need to do is trade off Wallace and we have room for 2 max free agents.

Really?

I thought we need to shed more than Wallace's deal to get 2 max guys. My mistake.

[GetLucky]

All you need to do is trade off Wallace and we have room for 2 max free agents.

Really?

I thought we need to shed more than Wallace's deal to get 2 max guys. My mistake.

We'd have to renounce the rights to some guys (Bass, Jerebko, etc.), but that's the general gist of it.

[saltlover]

All you need to do is trade off Wallace and we have room for 2 max free agents.

Really?

I thought we need to shed more than Wallace's deal to get 2 max guys. My mistake.

It depends what you define as max.  We would have room for two 6-year or less max players (Monroe, Leonard, Middleton, etc.), but not room for to 7-9 year max (Aldridge, Love, Jordan).

[gpap]

All you need to do is trade off Wallace and we have room for 2 max free agents.

Really?

I thought we need to shed more than Wallace's deal to get 2 max guys. My mistake.

It depends what you define as max.  We would have room for two 6-year or less max players (Monroe, Leonard, Middleton, etc.), but not room for to 7-9 year max (Aldridge, Love, Jordan).

The guys I had in mind are either Love or Aldridge and then Butler.

[Denis998]

All you need to do is trade off Wallace and we have room for 2 max free agents.

Really?

I thought we need to shed more than Wallace's deal to get 2 max guys. My mistake.

It depends what you define as max.  We would have room for two 6-year or less max players (Monroe, Leonard, Middleton, etc.), but not room for to 7-9 year max (Aldridge, Love, Jordan).

The guys I had in mind are either Love or Aldridge and then Butler.

we can do one of Aldridge or Love, and Bulter. There will be like 1m of cap space left, not counting the incoming rookies. We would have to trade off all the picks and let go of the second rounders. (I'm using 68m reference for next seasons cap)

[JOMVP]

So, I understand everyone is thinking about how the team can move into the top 10 of the draft but I am thinking the opposite (not to mention, I don't think we'll be able to move into the top 10 anyway.)

Why not do both?

We all know we would have to dump Wallace's contract. I don't think it would be that hard to do on a team that isn't going anywhere. Great way for them to add extra picks and dump salary at the endmof the year.

Then, we Sully, AB and a bunch of picks to Knicks for #4.

Now you have Sully, AB, and Wallace's contracts off the books allowing you to add two max free agents no problem.

I said it in another post, my dream scenario is to trade up with the Knicks to grab D'Angelo Russell with that proposed deal, sign Monroe and Aldridge and have a team of:

Russell/IT4
Smart/Turner
Crowder/Pierce
Aldridge/Olynyk
Monroe/Zeller

[mmmmm]

I've outlined this before, in other posts, but Danny can potentially bring in two max contracts without ever dropping below the salary cap.

He can use the Rondo & Prince TPEs and a third team to funnel one or two contracts from some other team  to his target trade team to provide salary matching.

Those contracts could be players that the receiving team wants or they could be non-guranteed deals that can be waived or some combination.  There are a lot of variables possible and for the central point, that doesn't matter.  The main point is that it is possible to convert the TPE(s) into player contracts that can match up to a lot more in incoming salary AND be combined with additional contracts.  So, if he can find all the right pieces to sprinkle on top of it, Danny can basically use one or more of the TPEs to bring in a max contract.

Similarly, the Wallace contract is expiring and stretchable.  It would cost a draft pick or two to use this way, but it can match up to 15M in incoming salary.  So it can be sent out, with a draft pick or two plus possibly another player with a modest contract, to match a max incoming salary.

Danny has all the tools to make these kinds of deals happen.  There is no need to renounce all his FA rights and TPEs to get under the salary cap.

[PhoSita]

We can get two max players by overpaying a couple of second or third tier free agents with max contract offers.


Ainge and Co can figure out the cap gymnastics to make it work.  Question is, do you want to commit 40-50% of the team's cap for the next few years to a couple of players like that?

[Hemingway]

We probably do. Normally, no, don't pay the Bon Gordon type guys big money, but the soon to come cap increases change everything. The cost of not being a top 10 team by this time next year is huge. Almost every team will be able to sign a max guy. Even us if we sign 2 third rate max guys. If we want to be a top team in the next 3 or 4 years, we need to move now. If we miss out this summer we miss out the next summer and then again the summer after as the cap goes up again.

Its hard to find a way to spend a lot this summer that would be a bad idea. The cap increases will make them underpaid down the road. Obviously I want us to get the best possible players, but I do not want Danny to come home empty handed. Anyone out there that is a clear step above anyone we have right now is probably worth getting. We have so many options...

[crimson_stallion]

Second, I would actually take Cleveland up on their offer and trade them  Isaiah Thomas and his 7 million dollar contract for Haywood's non-guaranteed deal and the 24th pick. Then waive Haywood obviously

Umm....

If it were that easy, wouldn't Cleveland just Waive Haywood themselves? 

[crimson_stallion]

We probably do. Normally, no, don't pay the Bon Gordon type guys big money, but the soon to come cap increases change everything. The cost of not being a top 10 team by this time next year is huge. Almost every team will be able to sign a max guy. Even us if we sign 2 third rate max guys. If we want to be a top team in the next 3 or 4 years, we need to move now. If we miss out this summer we miss out the next summer and then again the summer after as the cap goes up again.

Its hard to find a way to spend a lot this summer that would be a bad idea. The cap increases will make them underpaid down the road. Obviously I want us to get the best possible players, but I do not want Danny to come home empty handed. Anyone out there that is a clear step above anyone we have right now is probably worth getting. We have so many options...

This....

The cap last season (2014-15) was $63M, and this upcoming season (15-16) is $67m.  The year after next season (16-17) it's projected to raise to $89m, which is a $22m increase. 

So in 2016-17 the max contract for a player with up to 6 years experience will be around $22m, which is coincidentally the exact same amount as what the cap will be rising by...so that means that EVERY NBA TEAM who is either at or under the cap at the conclusion of the 15-16 season is automatically going to have enough cap space to sign a max contract free agent with up to 6 years experience.

But if a team has enough cap space ($32m) to sign to max contracts this coming year, then by the end of the 15-16 season that cap space will only be enough to get you one max contract free agent...hence the increase of the cap means that any cap space a team has right now, dramatically loses value in one year.

Now another interesting point is that because so many teams are going to have cap space, every young talented player coming off rookie and post-rookie contracts (guys like Monroe and Tobias Harris of today) are basically going to have control of the market, because they will have almost complete freedom to sign with any team they want. 

If you are one of these guys, why on earth would you bother signing with a lottery team if you can make the same money playing on a playoff team? 

Hence why all the teams that suck one year from now are going to have a LOT of trouble attracting free agents...while all the teams that are already competitive will have free agents knocking at their doors.

For this reason i feel like it makes little sense to hold on to cap space past next season.  If there is a player you like, that you feel will make your team significantly more competitive, then you may as well just throw a max contract at them and hope to lock them in for the next 3-4 years at (what will by then be) a discount price.

Even if you Greg Monroe and LaMarcus Aldridge this year, for example, then those two guys will be costing you about $35m combined.  By the time the cap jumps comes in 16-17 that will only be 39% of your cap taken up, and when the REAL big rise comes in 17-18 (rumoured to be $108M) that will drop to 32% of the cap.

That's a lot of spare cap space still remaining to add talent during those cap-inflated seasons.

In the grand scheme of things, right now is the perfect time to throw max contracts at any young, talented players that you feel have star potential...even if it means overpaying a little.

[BDUB2112]

This all assumes that you can get two max players in the door. Only "Max" guy I'm hearing that is likely on the move is Greg Monroe (Knicks most likely). Butler is not looking for a max deal.  Aldridge is the same position as Monroe. Gasol is going nowhere. Leonard is going nowhere. Love probably back to Cavs (and who wants him anyway?).

So you've freed up space for two max players and you don't have two max players to freely sign.

[PhoSita]

The cost of not being a top 10 team by this time next year is huge.

Perhaps, but that cost will be a lot higher if the team makes win-now moves that fail to really make a difference and Ainge has to spend another year, and perhaps multiple draft assets, to disassemble another expensive yet mediocre veteran-laden team.

There is no writing in the sky that says the Celtics need to become a top team in the next 2-3 years, or else.  If that chance comes along, fantastic.  If, more likely, it doesn't, I'd rather see Ainge focus on organically building a team that can enjoy sustained success with a really quality core.