Zach Lowe: Extensionville, (Or, is this summer almost over already?)

[Hemingway]

Good piece on upcoming rookie-extension eligible guys, with a bit on the three Boston guys below.



The Boston Brigade

Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III: The Celtics have the flexibility to do almost whatever they’d like with these three. If they land on agreeable salaries, Boston could re-sign all of them without imperiling its cap room — especially since Boston somehow convinced Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko to swallow fully nonguaranteed contracts, worth about $17 million combined, for 2016-17. Boston can waive them any time before July 3, per league documents, giving the C’s two days to court big-money free agents who would justify opening up that extra $17 million in room.

...

Boston could always trade a big to ease the roster crunch, and Sullinger might be the likeliest candidate to go. He’s had constant conditioning issues, he’s still a sub-30-percent shooter from deep after two years of hoisting, and he’s probably never going to be a plus defender. His agent, David Falk, does not mess around in extension talks. If Falk can’t get Sullinger a huge deal, he will have no qualms taking him into free agency.

Zeller was one of last season’s pleasant surprises, scoring efficiently in a variety of ways and providing on-again, off-again rim protection for a Boston defense in desperate need of it. Depending on team context, Zeller looks like either a dynamite third big man or a very nice fourth/fifth starter. Those guys are going to run into the eight figures in the new NBA, and if Boston can snag Zeller long-term for anything under $12 million, it may jump at the chance.

[ahonui06]

Ainge keeping the flexibility alive in the upcoming seasons. Great financial moves on his part.

[Smartacus]

Zach Lowe has some interesting projections on how DA might look to handle some of our upcoming extensions. I'd be particularly interested in Perry Jones III receiving the KJ McDaniels deal if he shows promise this year.

What do you think of Lowe's insights?

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/welcome-to-extensionville-the-nbas-next-big-money-community/

Tyler Zeller, Jared Sullinger, Perry Jones III: The Celtics have the flexibility to do almost whatever they’d like with these three. If they land on agreeable salaries, Boston could re-sign all of them without imperiling its cap room — especially since Boston somehow convinced Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko to swallow fully nonguaranteed contracts, worth about $17 million combined, for 2016-17. Boston can waive them any time before July 3, per league documents, giving the C’s two days to court big-money free agents who would justify opening up that extra $17 million in room.

Jones has almost no NBA track record and may not even make Boston’s final roster; once Boston waives Zoran Dragic, it’ll have 16 players on its roster — one over the limit it must hit before the season starts. But the Celtics appear intrigued with Jones’s positional shape-shifting, and if he somehow sticks, they might be open to bringing him back on the kind of deal K.J. McDaniels just got from Houston.

Boston could always trade a big to ease the roster crunch, and Sullinger might be the likeliest candidate to go. He’s had constant conditioning issues, he’s still a sub-30-percent shooter from deep after two years of hoisting, and he’s probably never going to be a plus defender. His agent, David Falk, does not mess around in extension talks. If Falk can’t get Sullinger a huge deal, he will have no qualms taking him into free agency.

Zeller was one of last season’s pleasant surprises, scoring efficiently in a variety of ways and providing on-again, off-again rim protection for a Boston defense in desperate need of it. Depending on team context, Zeller looks like either a dynamite third big man or a very nice fourth/fifth starter. Those guys are going to run into the eight figures in the new NBA, and if Boston can snag Zeller long-term for anything under $12 million, it may jump at the chance."

[saltlover]

Already posted:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=80241.0

[littleteapot]

[BudweiserCeltic]

That's what my Uncle Ralph would say.

[Smartacus]

Already posted:

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=80241.0

Threads were merged, nice work Mods.

[Smartacus]

Jones has almost no NBA track record and may not even make Boston’s final roster; once Boston waives Zoran Dragic, it’ll have 16 players on its roster — one over the limit it must hit before the season starts. But the Celtics appear intrigued with Jones’s positional shape-shifting, and if he somehow sticks, they might be open to bringing him back on the kind of deal K.J. McDaniels just got from Houston.

KJ McDaniels signed this contract after receiving next to no time in Houston. If Jones III cant crack the rotation this year would you still consider locking him up at this number? (Basically 3 years/ $10 million with a team option in 2018)

Think that would give us more flexibility to either take an extended look at him without forcing him into the rotation or to move him as a chip down the road.