The Celtics Can Sign a Max Free Agent Next Summer

[guava_wrench]

I still dont know why everyone loves Bradley..

I still don't know why anyone like Carmelo..

Why would we want years of playoff futility with a guy who would be jumping from team to team instead of looking at himself as the reason he isn't winning?

[Moranis]

So if I get the gist of this post it is to say the obvious, i.e. Boston has no cap space for anything more than a MLE type player without using first round picks or other assets to move bad long contracts.  Like anyone on here didn't know this.  The people, like me, that say we don't have cap space say it because we don't have cap space unless we can move contracts.  That isn't cap space.  Every team in the league can have cap space to sign a max contract if they move enough contracts to create it.

Nothing to see here.

The Celtics have contracts that are easy to move and spare assets which can be used to move those contracts.  The Celtics can keep their core intact while moving those contracts.

Not every team can move those contracts.  The Celtics couldn't do it this summer.  Teams like the Knicks, Clippers, and Thunder won't be able to do it.  The Celtics will be able to do it next summer because they aren't bogged down by having a ton of money tied up in just a few players and their payroll isn't wrecked by the bad contracts.  Gerald Wallace may have a bad contract, but it's not a cap killer that keeps the team from improving through free agency if anything is available.

They don't have contracts that are easy to move or they would have been moved already.  And you don't just go moving all of these first round draft picks to create cap space.  It is a waste of assets.  Now sure if someone agrees to come here a sign and trade makes some sense where you give up some first rounders (and some filler like contracts), but you don't need cap space for that (you just have to be below the luxury tax line).

Other teams don't always agree to facilitate a sign-and-trade.  Sometimes, being able to threaten to sign a free agent outright is what induces another team to agree to a S&T.  You'd probably have to send over at least a couple of firsts if you agreed to a S&T anyways, so it doesn't matter how you burn them.

Sure, but then you are trading the draft picks for a player (you just have to make sure the player is worth the picks) not for cap space which may or may not lead to anything.  I mean if a team like Dallas in a state without income tax, that has great weather during the season, and has an owner that spends money (on players and perks) can't sign a major free agent with a ton of cap space, what do you think Boston is going to be able to do?

Cap space isn't worthless, but it also isn't worth unloading draft picks just to get it for some mythical player that may or may not come here.

[LooseCannon]

So if I get the gist of this post it is to say the obvious, i.e. Boston has no cap space for anything more than a MLE type player without using first round picks or other assets to move bad long contracts.  Like anyone on here didn't know this.  The people, like me, that say we don't have cap space say it because we don't have cap space unless we can move contracts.  That isn't cap space.  Every team in the league can have cap space to sign a max contract if they move enough contracts to create it.

Nothing to see here.

The Celtics have contracts that are easy to move and spare assets which can be used to move those contracts.  The Celtics can keep their core intact while moving those contracts.

Not every team can move those contracts.  The Celtics couldn't do it this summer.  Teams like the Knicks, Clippers, and Thunder won't be able to do it.  The Celtics will be able to do it next summer because they aren't bogged down by having a ton of money tied up in just a few players and their payroll isn't wrecked by the bad contracts.  Gerald Wallace may have a bad contract, but it's not a cap killer that keeps the team from improving through free agency if anything is available.

They don't have contracts that are easy to move or they would have been moved already.  And you don't just go moving all of these first round draft picks to create cap space.  It is a waste of assets.  Now sure if someone agrees to come here a sign and trade makes some sense where you give up some first rounders (and some filler like contracts), but you don't need cap space for that (you just have to be below the luxury tax line).

Other teams don't always agree to facilitate a sign-and-trade.  Sometimes, being able to threaten to sign a free agent outright is what induces another team to agree to a S&T.  You'd probably have to send over at least a couple of firsts if you agreed to a S&T anyways, so it doesn't matter how you burn them.

Sure, but then you are trading the draft picks for a player (you just have to make sure the player is worth the picks) not for cap space which may or may not lead to anything.  I mean if a team like Dallas in a state without income tax, that has great weather during the season, and has an owner that spends money (on players and perks) can't sign a major free agent with a ton of cap space, what do you think Boston is going to be able to do?

Cap space isn't worthless, but it also isn't worth unloading draft picks just to get it for some mythical player that may or may not come here.

You'd generally make those sort of cap-clearing deals only if have something lined up to bring in a star.  Golden State didn't dump Biedrins and Jefferson so they could pursue a free agent;  they negotiated a tentative deal with Iguodala, then looked to dump salary (but they probably already knew who was willing to take on those contracts).

If Boston wants to draw a free agent, the draw is going to be a shot at a title, so the Celtics' best chance for acquiring a veteran star next summer (if one is available) is to make the playoffs or come close enough so that the Celtics are perceived as a rising team with a great young coach, where a veteran can come in and put the team over the top and into legitimate title contention.  I think the Celtics are probably looking at 30-35 wins, but the team has enough of a shot of being that good so that it's not some crazy fantasy scenario that the Celtics make the playoffs.

[Galeto]

So if I get the gist of this post it is to say the obvious, i.e. Boston has no cap space for anything more than a MLE type player without using first round picks or other assets to move bad long contracts.  Like anyone on here didn't know this.  The people, like me, that say we don't have cap space say it because we don't have cap space unless we can move contracts.  That isn't cap space.  Every team in the league can have cap space to sign a max contract if they move enough contracts to create it.

Nothing to see here.

The Celtics have contracts that are easy to move and spare assets which can be used to move those contracts.  The Celtics can keep their core intact while moving those contracts.

Not every team can move those contracts.  The Celtics couldn't do it this summer.  Teams like the Knicks, Clippers, and Thunder won't be able to do it.  The Celtics will be able to do it next summer because they aren't bogged down by having a ton of money tied up in just a few players and their payroll isn't wrecked by the bad contracts.  Gerald Wallace may have a bad contract, but it's not a cap killer that keeps the team from improving through free agency if anything is available.

They don't have contracts that are easy to move or they would have been moved already.  And you don't just go moving all of these first round draft picks to create cap space.  It is a waste of assets.  Now sure if someone agrees to come here a sign and trade makes some sense where you give up some first rounders (and some filler like contracts), but you don't need cap space for that (you just have to be below the luxury tax line).

Other teams don't always agree to facilitate a sign-and-trade.  Sometimes, being able to threaten to sign a free agent outright is what induces another team to agree to a S&T.  You'd probably have to send over at least a couple of firsts if you agreed to a S&T anyways, so it doesn't matter how you burn them.

Sure, but then you are trading the draft picks for a player (you just have to make sure the player is worth the picks) not for cap space which may or may not lead to anything.  I mean if a team like Dallas in a state without income tax, that has great weather during the season, and has an owner that spends money (on players and perks) can't sign a major free agent with a ton of cap space, what do you think Boston is going to be able to do?

Cap space isn't worthless, but it also isn't worth unloading draft picks just to get it for some mythical player that may or may not come here.

You'd generally make those sort of cap-clearing deals only if have something lined up to bring in a star.  Golden State didn't dump Biedrins and Jefferson so they could pursue a free agent;  they negotiated a tentative deal with Iguodala, then looked to dump salary (but they probably already knew who was willing to take on those contracts).

If Boston wants to draw a free agent, the draw is going to be a shot at a title, so the Celtics' best chance for acquiring a veteran star next summer (if one is available) is to make the playoffs or come close enough so that the Celtics are perceived as a rising team with a great young coach, where a veteran can come in and put the team over the top and into legitimate title contention.  I think the Celtics are probably looking at 30-35 wins, but the team has enough of a shot of being that good so that it's not some crazy fantasy scenario that the Celtics make the playoffs.

Winning 30-35 games is not going to make a premier free agent think the Celtics are close and just a few players away from winning a championship.  A premier free agent, by the fact that he's a premier free agent, is sure to have a heck of a lot more attractive destinations than an overachieving 30-35 win team. 

[snively]

Paying 2 first rounders to dump Bass/Lee would be very painful.

I'd like to believe there will be cheaper ways to get rid of them. 

Throwing the max at Larry Sanders makes me a little queasy as well, though I do like his game and he fills out a big man rotation pretty nicely with Olynyk and Sully. 

I think I'd prefer to go the trade route. Swap Lee for a contract that expires at the same time as Bass (say JRich from Philly or Gerald Green from Indy), then dangle them along with Bogans non-guaranteed deal and picks to try and land a player next season.