Amir Johnson to Celtics

[Lucky17]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

LOL. No, there isn't. Before this season, Ainge has never had cap space to use on a FA.

Wait.... Did you just seriously try to use cap space as an excuse for the complete lack of a top FA in Boston in the last, say 20 years?

Cap space is what you're going with?

LOL. In free agency, Rule #1 is "money talks." No money, no talent.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4719228/2015-boston-cap-space-journey

[MJohnnyboy]

Don't know if anyone mentioned this. ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton had Johnson ranked 18th on his list of free agents, ahead of Monta Ellis, Brandon Knight, Robin Lopez, Tobias Harris, Jae Crowder, JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson, Brook Lopez.

Pelton estimated his worth as $48 million over the next three years, and suggested his best position might be center.

Yeah lots of non-Celtics fans love this deal. I think some fans are mainly frustrated because Johnson isn't the top notch name we were hoping for. I think its a good fall-back option and better yet Johnson's contract can be used in a trade for a superstar if one gets on the trading block.

It's nice to see a guy who actually helps a team because of the little things he does on the court. It's like Jeff Green. Only the exact opposite.

[Scintan]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

LOL. No, there isn't. Before this season, Ainge has never had cap space to use on a FA.

Wait.... Did you just seriously try to use cap space as an excuse for the complete lack of a top FA in Boston in the last, say 20 years?

Cap space is what you're going with?

LOL. In free agency, Rule #1 is "money talks." No money, no talent.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4719228/2015-boston-cap-space-journey

If an elite FA had ever wanted to come to Boston, Ainge would have maneuvered enough to fit him in, even if it meant taking a beating on the needed moves.  If you claim he wouldn't have, you're out of your mind.

[Rondo9]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

Specific examples?

I'm not playing the game of trying to prove a negative when the answer is obvious.  Feel free to provide specific examples to the contrary, which would obviously be the easier one to prove.

If the answer is obvious then surely you should tell us at least one instance where a top free agent didn't want to come to Boston. If you can't provide that, then your claim is bunk.

[Lucky17]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

LOL. No, there isn't. Before this season, Ainge has never had cap space to use on a FA.

Wait.... Did you just seriously try to use cap space as an excuse for the complete lack of a top FA in Boston in the last, say 20 years?

Cap space is what you're going with?

LOL. In free agency, Rule #1 is "money talks." No money, no talent.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4719228/2015-boston-cap-space-journey

If an elite FA had ever wanted to come to Boston, Ainge would have maneuvered enough to fit him in.  If you claim he wouldn't have, you're out of your mind.

You didn't read that article, did you?

What you're suggesting is either near-impossible by the CBA, or against it (tampering).

[Scintan]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

LOL. No, there isn't. Before this season, Ainge has never had cap space to use on a FA.

Wait.... Did you just seriously try to use cap space as an excuse for the complete lack of a top FA in Boston in the last, say 20 years?

Cap space is what you're going with?

LOL. In free agency, Rule #1 is "money talks." No money, no talent.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4719228/2015-boston-cap-space-journey

If an elite FA had ever wanted to come to Boston, Ainge would have maneuvered enough to fit him in.  If you claim he wouldn't have, you're out of your mind.

You didn't read that article, did you?

What you're suggesting is either near-impossible by the CBA, or against it (tampering).

No, it's not near impossible.  If, for example, LBJ called Ainge tonight and told him that he wanted to play in Boston, Ainge would find a way to make it happen.  That would have been true any year LBJ was out in free agency.

[M.A.]

For the price I think you have to be excited as a Celtics fan. This guy is solid, and 12per year really isn't an overpay when you look at the current contract negotiations going on in the NBA. Sure, it's not fireworks, but LBJ was never walking through that door.

[MBunge]

I'm relieved that the deals are only for one year, but I'm a bit puzzled by Danny electing to waste a year basically running the team back, wasting our cap space in the process.

If we were going to punt a year, wouldn't it have made more sense to stay under the cap or retain the trade exception, using our flexibility to pick up more assets like we did last year?  This could be the last season in awhile that teams are looking to dump salary to get under the cap.  Why not take advantage of that, if we're not signing an impact player?

I like Johnson as a player.  He does things no one else on the roster really does.  I love the contract.  But deals that get done the first day of free agency are deals that clearly have been worked out before hand.

To make signing Johnson and Jerebko the first move you make in free agency is a worrying sign that...

A.  Ainge doesn't understand what the tremendous rise in the cap is going to mean, or...

B.  He's locked into the idea of making some KG-like trade again and isn't taking advantage of other opportunities.

Hopefully Ainge will prove me wrong.

Mike

[hwangjini_1]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again. And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.


Since you claim that there's no evidence, however, perhaps you could give us a list of all the elite FAs that have left their team and signed in Boston as free agents since, say, 1995 (that would be a 20 year stretch, which is certainly large enough to have some significance)...?

ha, ha...you are late to the debate. first, name me when during that time boston had the money to lure free agents? then lets talk some more. 

[crimson_stallion]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

Last year in the east there were only 4 wins separating the 10th seed Miami heat from the 6th seed Milwaukee Bucks.

There were 4 wins separating the 5th seed Washington Wizards from the 3rd seed Chicago Bulls.

The 8th seed (who did, and didn't, make the playoffs) was decided by a tie breaker between Brooklyn and Indiana.

That's just in the East.

In the West there was 1 win separating 6th seed San Antonio Spurs from the 2nd seed Houston Rockets...and the 8th and final seed of the playoffs was determined by a tie breaker between New Orleans and OKC.

The playoffs can get very competitive, and the Eastern Conference this year quite clearly showed how adding a few wins to a sub .500 team can make quite a substantial difference.  An extra 6 wins to Boston would have put them in a tiebreaker for the 5th spot.  The Wizards (5th seed) actually won their first round matchup and went on to the second round.

If Boston is good enough to get a top 5 seed, win it's first round matchup, and put up a solid fight in the second round (as Washington did) then IMHO that quite dramatically changes how potential free agents view the team.

You can disagree if you like, but that's merely your opinion (as this is mine).

[hwangjini_1]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

LOL. No, there isn't. Before this season, Ainge has never had cap space to use on a FA.

Wait.... Did you just seriously try to use cap space as an excuse for the complete lack of a top FA in Boston in the last, say 20 years?

Cap space is what you're going with?

just curious, but would you please explain how to sign top free agents without paying them piles of money? that is the most common route i know of.

[hwangjini_1]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

LOL. No, there isn't. Before this season, Ainge has never had cap space to use on a FA.

Wait.... Did you just seriously try to use cap space as an excuse for the complete lack of a top FA in Boston in the last, say 20 years?

Cap space is what you're going with?

LOL. In free agency, Rule #1 is "money talks." No money, no talent.

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4719228/2015-boston-cap-space-journey

If an elite FA had ever wanted to come to Boston, Ainge would have maneuvered enough to fit him in.  If you claim he wouldn't have, you're out of your mind.

You didn't read that article, did you?

What you're suggesting is either near-impossible by the CBA, or against it (tampering).

No, it's not near impossible.  If, for example, LBJ called Ainge tonight and told him that he wanted to play in Boston, Ainge would find a way to make it happen.  That would have been true any year LBJ was out in free agency.

ha, ha, ha... okay, i get it now. scintan is playing jokes on us all. 

[Geo123]

Alex Kennedy ?@AlexKennedyNBA 12m12 minutes ago Florida, USA

Landing Amir Johnson on a two-year, $24 million deal is great for Boston. Doing so with second year being non-guaranteed? That's INCREDIBLE.

[Scintan]

The whole argument of free agents not wanting to come to Boston is unfounded.  There is no clear evidence of this. 

Yes, there is.  It's been shown time and time again.  And adding a few wins to a sub .500 team isn't going to change it, either.

Specific examples?

I'm not playing the game of trying to prove a negative when the answer is obvious.  Feel free to provide specific examples to the contrary, which would obviously be the easier one to prove.

If the answer is obvious then surely you should tell us at least one instance where a top free agent didn't want to come to Boston. If you can't provide that, then your claim is bunk.

You're asking me to prove a negative about something that's been discussed year after year (take a look at Bob Ryan talking about it back in 2012 here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnd9WSyEAa0, for example), and does not necessarily entail players speaking publicly for posterity, and I'm not going to play that game.  However, if you want an obvious example of a top player who did not want to come to Boston, you need look no further than Kevin Garnett.  Before changing his mind after the Allen deal was made, Garnett had blocked a trade to Boston by saying that he'd opt out of his last year.

[Scintan]

ha, ha, ha... okay, i get it now. scintan is playing jokes on us all. 

No, Scintan is trying to point out the obvious to a bunch of people who are blind because they will not see.  Sticking your heads in the sand isn't going to change things.  Ainge and company either have to find a way to change this situation, or they're going to have to get [dang]ed lucky via draft/trades.