Will the Celtics rescind Zeller's qualifying offer?

[saltlover]

Through Saturday, outstanding qualifying offers can be rescinded unilaterally by the team. After, Saturday, however, they can only be rescinded if both parties agree.

Zeller's qualifying offer is a shade under $3.7 million.  However, he will continue to take up $6.5 million of cap space, as that is his cap hold based on his Bird rights.  Accordingly, even if the Celtics have no intention of signing Zeller to anything but his QO, he will take up more cap space until he does so, or until he signs elsewhere.  Meanwhile, once Saturday passes, they will be unable to simply clear his cap space by waiving their hands and renouncing him -- his $6.5 million hold is there until an agreement of some sort is reached.

On the other hand, maybe the team simply doesn't have any other way to spend the money that they find suitable.  In this case, waiting Zeller out might make sense.

What do you think? Will Zeller still be a restricted free agent come Sunday, will he be unrestricted, or will his situation have otherwise resolved.  I think he won't be one myself, either having had his QO rescinded or by signing some sort of new contract.  In other words, expect some news soon!

[hagar55voa]

Resign Zeller now...Give him a good contract...He can play when given a chance...

[Beat LA]

Please, god, let him walk, lol . Goodbye, Tyler.  See you at a Lord of the Rings convention, lol .

[86MaxwellSmart]

I'm guessing they have mutually agreed to work him into a trade...increasing his overall salary...like what happen with Thornton a few years ago....He'll be used to match salaries in a sign and trade, if a deal is close.

[greece66]

Nice post.

But I do wonder how much difference these 6 mill make to the C's salary cap situation- I mean, unless we want to offer someone the 18 mill or more, it does not make a difference. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Btw, is Gigi still counting towards our cap? I just saw this in the link below

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/

[saltlover]

Nice post.

But I do wonder how much difference these 6 mill make to the C's salary cap situation- I mean, unless we want to offer someone the 18 mill or more, it does not make a difference. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Btw, is Gigi still counting towards our cap? I just saw this in the link below

http://www.spotrac.com/nba/boston-celtics/cap/

We have a little under $13 million to play with, if we assume that Zeller is renounced, Yab and Zizic are officially off the books (which I don't think is a given) and John Holland is released (which would make me sad because he's a better player than James Young).  $13 million is a good chunk of money, and could either absorb most contracts signed prior to this year, or sign whomever the Celtics think is the best free agent left.  $6.5 million, which is what we'd have if we don't rescind Zeller, is much less useful.  It's not completely lacking in use, of course, but it limits the options to moves just around the edges of the roster.  Say for example you like Rudy Gay -- without Zeller, the Celtics could trade just RJ Hunter or James Young, because they would have the cap room to absorb Gay, and not need to match salaries.  In other words, it makes adding one big player easier, without having to use a potentially helpful player like Amir to make the salaries work.

My gut tells me the Celtics think they have a real chance to make another move, and will rescind Zeller's offer to create the flexibility.  Note also, that they could keep his cap hold and Bird rights -- they'd just lose their exclusivity.

As for Datome, they didn't need to renounce his cap hold last year to fit salaries in, so they didn't.  I'm less sure that they wouldn't have had to renounce him to sign Horford, but if they didn't need to, then I'm sure they kept his rights.  No reason not to.  But those will be the first Bird rights renounced if they do need some kind of cap space, I'm certain.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I'm sure they will wait until they have no choice other than making a decision. For Zeller to still be waiting, I guess no one is offering him much or he would already be gone like Sully. If he stays, he will have to agree to a JJ type deal w/o playing time guarantees b/c we are in the same logjammed position as last season except Horford can/will take more minutes than Sully did.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Through Saturday, outstanding qualifying offers can be rescinded unilaterally by the team. After, Saturday, however, they can only be rescinded if both parties agree.

Zeller's qualifying offer is a shade under $3.7 million.  However, he will continue to take up $6.5 million of cap space, as that is his cap hold based on his Bird rights.  Accordingly, even if the Celtics have no intention of signing Zeller to anything but his QO, he will take up more cap space until he does so, or until he signs elsewhere.  Meanwhile, once Saturday passes, they will be unable to simply clear his cap space by waiving their hands and renouncing him -- his $6.5 million hold is there until an agreement of some sort is reached.

On the other hand, maybe the team simply doesn't have any other way to spend the money that they find suitable.  In this case, waiting Zeller out might make sense.

What do you think? Will Zeller still be a restricted free agent come Sunday, will he be unrestricted, or will his situation have otherwise resolved.  I think he won't be one myself, either having had his QO rescinded or by signing some sort of new contract.  In other words, expect some news soon!

Was planning a thread like this, so thanks for saving me the time. July 23 coming in fast!

[saltlover]

Through Saturday, outstanding qualifying offers can be rescinded unilaterally by the team. After, Saturday, however, they can only be rescinded if both parties agree.

Zeller's qualifying offer is a shade under $3.7 million.  However, he will continue to take up $6.5 million of cap space, as that is his cap hold based on his Bird rights.  Accordingly, even if the Celtics have no intention of signing Zeller to anything but his QO, he will take up more cap space until he does so, or until he signs elsewhere.  Meanwhile, once Saturday passes, they will be unable to simply clear his cap space by waiving their hands and renouncing him -- his $6.5 million hold is there until an agreement of some sort is reached.

On the other hand, maybe the team simply doesn't have any other way to spend the money that they find suitable.  In this case, waiting Zeller out might make sense.

What do you think? Will Zeller still be a restricted free agent come Sunday, will he be unrestricted, or will his situation have otherwise resolved.  I think he won't be one myself, either having had his QO rescinded or by signing some sort of new contract.  In other words, expect some news soon!

Was planning a thread like this, so thanks for saving me the time. July 23 coming in fast!

You're welcome!  I'm glad I'm not the only one with July 23rd circled on the calendar!

[TheSundanceKid]

I think he'll still be restricted. If we fail to make a trade he's coming back on a rich 1+1 or something similar. If we do make a trade it looks like he'll be involved in some way. Alternatively if we both agree to rescind the QO, a team like the Nets would jump at the chance to add him to the rotation

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I think he'll still be restricted. If we fail to make a trade he's coming back on a rich 1+1 or something similar. If we do make a trade it looks like he'll be involved in some way. Alternatively if we both agree to rescind the QO, a team like the Nets would jump at the chance to add him to the rotation

People said the same about Sully. Even if they snap up Z, he's not helping them win more than a game or two if at all.

[LilRip]

...fireworks? 

[PhoSita]

At this rate I think it may be in the team's interest to offer him a deal similar to what they gave Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko last year.  1+1 team option.

Means he makes more than his qualifying offer, while the team has the ability to use his contract as convenient salary filler in a potential trade.  If he takes his qualifying offer, he will effectively have a no trade clause, if I'm not mistaken.

[Otsje P]

Let Zeller just go, please. In the role of the 5th big, I would much rather develop a young player. In this case, I would rather have Mickey be our 5th big.

There is no need for Zeller. Saves us a roster spot, so there is nothing in the way of signing Ray Allen for some shooting of the bench and for some floor spreading in late game situations

only half joking....

[SHAQATTACK]

His game , as a decent backup fell off a cliff last season.

Not sure how he can be so different from one year to next.

I was hoping after Lee was let go , he'd play with new energy.