Marcus Smart and KO next contracts?

[saltlover]

I would keep Smart + IT going forward (past 2018 as well - long term).

Ideally you sign a max FA and hope Jerebko or Green comes back on a cheap, exception deal.

Zizic, 2017BKNPick, and Yabu may join next season as well.

But in all this I think KO is gone UNLESS Ainge has zero faith he can sign a max-FA (even Ibaka or Millsap).

You've got it wrong on the order.  Ainge will give KO his qualifying offer.  KO will not accept it.  Ainge then has several days to negotiate with free agents.  By the time a decision needs to made on KO, all the top free agents will have gone elsewhere (or signed here).  It won't be that Ainge has zero faith in signing a max FA -- it's that they'll defintively be none left.

[spikelovetheCelts]

Smart is a Celtic. He will get paid. KO has to decide if he wants to win or a little more money. Evan Turner got the money. KO skill set gets money, period. Brooklyn will over pay for him. Toronto would love to have him too. Dallas to replace Dirk. Hopefully we can get an asset for him. I am hopeful to keep him but I don't see if with the cap rising and 5 teams under the cap now.

[Real World]

I think the worst thing a team can do under the new cap, is sign marginal players like KO to $15-20 million per year contracts.  Limited, dimensional players that only do one or two things on the court, but are deficient elsewhere, can't get big bucks.  Generally speaking anyway.  KO can shoot, but what else does he do that warrants $17 million per?  The mistake I think some teams are making under the new cap, is that they're overpaying players and eating up valuable cap space.  Horford isn't a $28 million per talent, but the market dictated that rate.  His being overpaid is a result of the territory, but it means you can't go and overpay elsewhere.  I think KO is as good as gone.  I thought the Celtics made a mistake in not picking up his other season.  Another year at cheap money made much more sense than having to now overpay or lose the player a season sooner.

I think only one of the two is here long term, and of the two I'd sign Smart.  He's a more valuable player at this point, and has the much higher ceiling.  KO is limited.  He's a stretch big man who doesn't give you much around the rim on either end of the court.  A good player to have, but not worth $15-20 million per.

[Phantom255x]

I would keep Smart + IT going forward (past 2018 as well - long term).

Ideally you sign a max FA and hope Jerebko or Green comes back on a cheap, exception deal.

Zizic, 2017BKNPick, and Yabu may join next season as well.

But in all this I think KO is gone UNLESS Ainge has zero faith he can sign a max-FA (even Ibaka or Millsap).

You've got it wrong on the order.  Ainge will give KO his qualifying offer.  KO will not accept it.  Ainge then has several days to negotiate with free agents.  By the time a decision needs to made on KO, all the top free agents will have gone elsewhere (or signed here).  It won't be that Ainge has zero faith in signing a max FA -- it's that they'll defintively be none left.

TP @saltlover, I don't know where I'd be without a cap expert on here lol 

[Tr1boy]

One team I can see throwing money at these two are the Mavs.

Celts need to lock up KO and Smart. Both played well vs Mavs.