How to keep starting five and add bench support for upcoming years.

[mgent]

Extend Pierce and Allen up to 2012 when Garnett's contract expires, and extend Perk and Rondo for at least that long.  Re-sign House and Powe for multiple years.  Re-sign Davis and Marbury for 2 years.
Sign Hudson.
Use the MLE to sign an additional bench player.
Sign 3 players using minimum salaries and the bi-annual exception or save it for next year.
T Allen, Scalabrine, Pruitt, Giddens, and  Walker all have contracts expiring in 2010 worth approximately 8 million.  Make a trade for another bench player.
Say good-bye to Moore.
Lastly, pay your rather large luxury tax.
09 bench:
C- (TBD)
PF- Davis, Powe
SF- (TBD)
SG- House, Hudson
PG- Marbury
The C and SF positions will be filled by the trade (8mil) and the MLE sign (5.5mil).  The rest of the reserves (at least 1, no more than 3) will by signed by using minimum salaries or the LLE (it can also be saved for the following year).
The following year trade Davis and Marbury whose contracts will be expiring (esimated 6-8mil) for a new PG.  Hudson can also be traded if desired.  Use the MLE to sign a player wherever he is needed.  Also use the minimum salary exception, the LLE if you didn't use it last year, and the draft to refresh the third string reserves.

The purpose of this is to get as many years with our starters as possible without giving up bench support because we're over the cap.  I tried to focus in areas that we need back-up, and i tried to get everything possible out of our guys without losing them to free agency.  I've recently gone over the rules and I'm pretty sure all this can be done while over.  Powe and House should be good for at least the next 3 years.  Davis is gonna be too much money for the small role we want him to play, and there are better back-ups out there than Marbury.  We shouldn't have any problem finding decent mid-level FAs with all the guys out there in the two upcoming seasons.  The players we're looking to trade shouldn't go without a problem either, again due to the nice market and teams wanting to have cap room for 2010.

[BballTim]

Lastly, pay your rather large luxury tax.

  The plan was ok until it hit this little snag...

[toinewalka]

Sounds great in theory, but that's projecting pretty far, especially considering we are coming off a season where KG went down for a good chunk.  I think we might be getting a little ahead of ourselves looking out this far.

[wdleehi]

Stop worrying about the next few seasons.


The team has a window to win now.  Do everything possible to blow through that window. 

[mgent]

Stop worrying about the next few seasons.


The team has a window to win now.  Do everything possible to blow through that window. 

I am sorry sir, but you are wrong.  Looking ahead is very necessary when you are over the cap because when you lose 6th men like Posey (or BBD) to free agency, you can't just sign a guy to replace him.  When Garnett and Powe went down last year, i heard everyone complaining about Scal letting the team down.  Scalabrine's job on this team is not to guard all stars like Rashard Lewis (not Baby's job either), or guys like Noah who out rebounded the crap out of us.  I would have much rather had another decent big man who could've provided support, than had guys like Walker, Pruitt, Giddens, TA, and Moore sitting on the bench the entire postseason.  It's not only the postseason, 20 losses is not our kind of season (Garnett was not out for all of them, and some of the losses weren't to top teams anyway).  If our starting 5 ends up with the third best record again, that would be embarrassing.

[mgent]

Lastly, pay your rather large luxury tax.

  The plan was ok until it hit this little snag...

Boston has made it clear, the championship is our only goal.

[wdleehi]

Stop worrying about the next few seasons.


The team has a window to win now.  Do everything possible to blow through that window. 

I am sorry sir, but you are wrong.  Looking ahead is very necessary when you are over the cap because when you lose 6th men like Posey (or BBD) to free agency, you can't just sign a guy to replace him.  When Garnett and Powe went down last year, i heard everyone complaining about Scal letting the team down.  Scalabrine's job on this team is not to guard all stars like Rashard Lewis (not Baby's job either), or guys like Noah who out rebounded the crap out of us.  I would have much rather had another decent big man who could've provided support, than had guys like Walker, Pruitt, Giddens, TA, and Moore sitting on the bench the entire postseason.  It's not only the postseason, 20 losses is not our kind of season (Garnett was not out for all of them, and some of the losses weren't to top teams anyway).  If our starting 5 ends up with the third best record again, that would be embarrassing.

The Celtics didn't lose Posey because they are over the cap.  They offered the MLE just like NO.


The difference is that the NO offered more years then the Celtics were willing.


The Celtics lost him because they were more worried about 3 years down the road then the upcoming season.


So, if they were willing to use the MLE last year on someone of equal skills, they could have had a chance to get one.  But they decided not to after being turned down by Magette and Posey. 


And any time you pick up 60 wins, it was a good regular season. 

[Jon]

Stop worrying about the next few seasons.


The team has a window to win now.  Do everything possible to blow through that window. 

I am sorry sir, but you are wrong.  Looking ahead is very necessary when you are over the cap because when you lose 6th men like Posey (or BBD) to free agency, you can't just sign a guy to replace him.  When Garnett and Powe went down last year, i heard everyone complaining about Scal letting the team down.  Scalabrine's job on this team is not to guard all stars like Rashard Lewis (not Baby's job either), or guys like Noah who out rebounded the crap out of us.  I would have much rather had another decent big man who could've provided support, than had guys like Walker, Pruitt, Giddens, TA, and Moore sitting on the bench the entire postseason.  It's not only the postseason, 20 losses is not our kind of season (Garnett was not out for all of them, and some of the losses weren't to top teams anyway).  If our starting 5 ends up with the third best record again, that would be embarrassing.

The Celtics didn't lose Posey because they are over the cap.  They offered the MLE just like NO.


The difference is that the NO offered more years then the Celtics were willing.


The Celtics lost him because they were more worried about 3 years down the road then the upcoming season.


So, if they were willing to use the MLE last year on someone of equal skills, they could have had a chance to get one.  But they decided not to after being turned down by Magette and Posey. 


And any time you pick up 60 wins, it was a good regular season. 

I agree with the general idea mgent suggests about extending Ray and Paul through the end of KG's deal.  While both would likely see a pay reduction in such an extension, we'd still then have three large expiring deals to play with in the summer of 2011 like we do now and three completely expired deals (if we choose to let them expire) in the summer of 2012.  That's not a bad thing considering if we keep Rondo and Perk, we'll already the two toughest positions to fill on a team filled. It also means that if we don't like the 2012 free agent class, we can just not sign anyone, muddle through the year, get a high pick, and look at the 2013 class. 

However, I also agree with wdleehi that while it's nice to look down the road, I would unquestionably jeopardize the team 3-4 years down the road if it increased our chances of winning in the next year or two.  If this team wins two more titles, they'll surpass what the Cowens-led '70s teams did and match what Bird's '80s teams did.  To jeopardize that in the hopes of doing better 5 years from now is just crazy.  While there's a chance we may rebuild and turn into a dynasty, the far more likely scenario is that we'll rebuild and be the '90s Knicks or Jazz, or worse yet become the late '90s Bulls (who seemingly did things right, but made some bad picks in some bad drafts and got spurned by some big free agents). 

[mgent]

Stop worrying about the next few seasons.


The team has a window to win now.  Do everything possible to blow through that window. 

I am sorry sir, but you are wrong.  Looking ahead is very necessary when you are over the cap because when you lose 6th men like Posey (or BBD) to free agency, you can't just sign a guy to replace him.  When Garnett and Powe went down last year, i heard everyone complaining about Scal letting the team down.  Scalabrine's job on this team is not to guard all stars like Rashard Lewis (not Baby's job either), or guys like Noah who out rebounded the crap out of us.  I would have much rather had another decent big man who could've provided support, than had guys like Walker, Pruitt, Giddens, TA, and Moore sitting on the bench the entire postseason.  It's not only the postseason, 20 losses is not our kind of season (Garnett was not out for all of them, and some of the losses weren't to top teams anyway).  If our starting 5 ends up with the third best record again, that would be embarrassing.

The Celtics didn't lose Posey because they are over the cap.  They offered the MLE just like NO.


The difference is that the NO offered more years then the Celtics were willing.


The Celtics lost him because they were more worried about 3 years down the road then the upcoming season.


So, if they were willing to use the MLE last year on someone of equal skills, they could have had a chance to get one.  But they decided not to after being turned down by Magette and Posey. 


And any time you pick up 60 wins, it was a good regular season. 

I agree with the general idea mgent suggests about extending Ray and Paul through the end of KG's deal.  While both would likely see a pay reduction in such an extension, we'd still then have three large expiring deals to play with in the summer of 2011 like we do now and three completely expired deals (if we choose to let them expire) in the summer of 2012.  That's not a bad thing considering if we keep Rondo and Perk, we'll already the two toughest positions to fill on a team filled. It also means that if we don't like the 2012 free agent class, we can just not sign anyone, muddle through the year, get a high pick, and look at the 2013 class. 

However, I also agree with wdleehi that while it's nice to look down the road, I would unquestionably jeopardize the team 3-4 years down the road if it increased our chances of winning in the next year or two.  If this team wins two more titles, they'll surpass what the Cowens-led '70s teams did and match what Bird's '80s teams did.  To jeopardize that in the hopes of doing better 5 years from now is just crazy.  While there's a chance we may rebuild and turn into a dynasty, the far more likely scenario is that we'll rebuild and be the '90s Knicks or Jazz, or worse yet become the late '90s Bulls (who seemingly did things right, but made some bad picks in some bad drafts and got spurned by some big free agents). 

Jon, please tell which part of what i proposed would jeopardize our team.  I am all for being over the cap if it means having the best starting 5 in the game.  All I am trying to do is take advantage of the little other options we have (exceptions and draft) to make our team as good as possible for as long as possible.  Since our good record will continue to give us lousy draft picks, let's use as many exceptions as possible.   I want us to use the MLE (no point in not using it), i want us to get something in return for the guys we're not gonna keep around, and i don't want guys that are worth something sitting on our bench doing nothing.  If anything i am RISKING our future because in 5 years guys like Walker, Pruitt, and Giddens will be in their prime and probably worth more then.
As for wdleehi's comment, i never said we lost Posey because we were over the cap.  I'm saying because we are over the cap it's harder for us to replace him and other guys like him who are inevitably gonna leave Boston.