Wyc Grousbeck isn’t the only guy with a financial stake in this team, but he is THE owner. And while Wyc did a great job of making sure the rest of the ownership team tagged along when the cameras were on… It’s Wyc that we look to when we think about ownership.
And its Wyc that we think about when it comes to cutting checks… and Wyc will be cutting a few this offseason.
A year ago today, we were debating whether the Celtics should extend Doc Rivers by a year as a show of good faith. The added year (2008-09) would be the insurance Doc needed to go into this season without fear of the Sword of Damocles.
Now Doc’s a champ going into the final year of his contract… and I’m sure he’s looking for a raise. He’ll make $5 mil. next year… but what will he make beyond that? Will he be looking for a 2 or 3 year extension? Will he be looking for 6 or 7 mil? At some point this summer… we’ll hear something about extending Doc.
The Celtics have a decision to make about Tony Allen. He is a restricted free agent, and the C’s have to make him a qualifying offer of $2.7 million by June 30 or he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. I’ve believed from early in the season that the Celtics would, and should, part ways with Tony… but I’m starting to wonder. Tony can be a lock-down defender and a pretty good scorer when his head is on straight…. and it was NOT on straight this year. But with a healthy year under his belt… and maybe a stronger bond with his championship teammates… it might be worth a good, long talk with TA to see where his head is at. And with James Posey potentially in limbo, it might make sense to take a $2.7 million gamble on Tony. If they both go, then we’re left without a go-to defender off the bench. Of course, another team can still come in and make a higher offer for Tony and force the C’s to make another decision… but for now… I’m open to the idea of making that qualifying offer… especially if the C’s don’t think they can retain Posey.
Leon Poweand Big Baby are both entering the final years of their initial contracts. Leon will make just under $800k this year… and Baby will make $711k. Will either of them get extended THIS offseason? Will both? I think it depends on the draft. The Celtics will still have needs at the back-up point guard and center positions. Gabe Pruitt will get his shot to back up Rajon… so I’m guessing the C’s go big in this draft. At least one mock draft (HoopsWorld) has Roy Hibbert falling to the C’s at 30. If the C’s DO get Hibbert… Powe or Davis will become expendable… and in my view right now… its Davis. Powe is just a better rebounder and scorer.
Of course, none of this takes into account what might be spent on James Posey. With Poseyand Tony Allen, we’ve got an 11 man roster under contract. If they both go, we’re at 9 and the payroll is still $68 mil. We’ll have at least one draft pick to bring it to 10 (the mandatory guaranteed salary for the 30th pick: $797,600 in ‘08-09, $857,400 in ‘09-10)… but there are still a couple of slots to fill. The Celtics will have to probably split up their mid-level exception (in the mid $5 mil. range) to lure some lower-level free agents to town. Could someone like Chris Duhon get a chance in Boston? And what about Eddie House? I’m thinking he’s earned himself more than the Celtics are willing to pay.
Danny Ainge built this championship team by not only trading for Ray and KG… but through key signings like House, Posey and PJ Brown (… and I guess Sam Cassell). The core is coming back. The Celtics will have their same starting 5… but their role players could be much different. No matter what the final team looks like at training camp in a few months… Wyc will be writing some big-time checks to make it come together.
Hey… check out ABC News correspondent (and friend of Red’s Army) TJ Winick’s piece on the journey of a life-long C’s fan. Captures what a lot of us were feeling over the past year.
Herald: Postseason report card | Booster Shot | What a trip | Globe: Commemorative Championship Section | Fellowship of the ring | Draft: 2 for the show | Kidd will lead team USA | RIP Former Celtic Bennie Swain | Souza: Repeating no easy task | Megliiola: Emotions ran high with Garnett | Patriot Ledger: Owners were committed to a championship | EnterpriseNews.com: Ainge makes up for one of Celtics biggest blunders | Burlington Free Press: C’s fan gets revenge on Pistons fan….. Vermont Style | NewsHerald.com: Bill Russell had a good week too | SacBee: Big mid-season trades had little playoff punch | LA Times: LA doesn’t have to worry about expensive victory parades | ESPN: Questions and Answers after the series | Hollinger: Rating the draft’s big men
If I had to make a choice, I believe I would much rather have Posey than TA. Posey came up REALLY big for us in a few very important playoff games. When his number was called he stepped up whether it was shutdown defense or hitting a clutch 3. I know he is going to be asking for a lot, but in my book if you have a choice between Tony Allen, who “could” be good if like you said, “his head is on straight”, you take Posey, who has ice water in the veins and comes up big when you need him.
[...] championship Hoopsworld Who belongs on Team USA? Mavs as good as the Celts? Red’s Army Money will be spent Paul’s first pitch Dime Boozer and Deron in for Beijing; Melo out for Denver? NBA Insider [...]
Is the 30th pick a guaranteed contract? Do we have to keep it? I find it hard to argue for giving up either Big Baby or Powe. Tony Allen can walk, though a sign and trade might be in the mix. Cassell also is expendable, unless he is still willing to play for minimum. How much are we paying Scal?
In my opinion, Posey is the focus of this off season. With out him, I don’t think we won a championship this year. If he likes it here (and why wouldn’t he) then in my mind he is every bit a Celtic player (drive, emotion, attitude) as we have had coming off the bench.
Funny how I am still nervous about Ainge running the show. But I am resolved to sit and see what he comes up with this off season and season to come. He proved a lot the past 360 days.
Posey!
All first round picks are guaranteed contracts. The 30th pick is the cheapest of them all.
Scal is making $3.2 this coming season and $3.4 the following season.
2 more years of Scal… unless he’s traded.
And I’d LOVE to resign Posey… but the C’s don’t have much money to play with. I’m wondering if the C’s have much choice here. Allen might be their guy.
Do you think there is any chance that Mario Chalmers could fall to #30? I would love to get him or Brandon Rush, but Rush won’t slide that far.
I don’t think either will be there. I really think the c’s will go big in the draft if they can.
I still like Tony, I never gave up on him. But I’d rather have Posey if we can have only one.
Wyc needs to keep a deep bench again next year. The Celts were rather lucky with limited injuries this season (KG’s ab strain is all I can remember) and getting more rest for the Big 3 would be a nice luxury next season. Why not go further into the luxury tax to win another ring while you have the chance. I’ve noticed more Celtics items being sold out at the NBA store and Celtics.com, so the money should be coming in anyway. I know Jerry Buss will be way over the cap the next few seasons, I think Wyc can afford it too.
Any 7-footer in the draft and especially Hibbert would be fine.
Mario Chalmers is no different than Gabe Pruitt. I’d use that 30th pick on a big guy. Maybe a European player that can develop over the next couple years.
I think you are so wrong about Tony’s head not being here. That being said, I think it’s best for Tony to go elsewhere where he can get some more money and playing time. It’s best for the Celtics to keep him, but it’s best for him to go elsewhere.
I’m guessing Posey will get offers of mid-level money $5.8 million for 3 years….not sure if the Celtics can squeeze that in…
that would be awful to lose eddie and pose, resign both of them their to valuable
i agree that the celtics need to go big in this draft and replace pj with a forward who has some length and height unlike powe and big baby
wouldn’t it be great if we could somehow sign delonte, gomes or gereld
ok more delonte or gomes i love those guys and would love to see them back in green
Well… Delonte seems to be staying in Cleveland. Gerald…. who knows what’s up with him.
Gomes…. I know he’s restricted… I wonder what it would take to sign him away.
that would be great gomes back in boston, he’s a great bench guy and the robert horry and james posey type, his games is at his best when playing for a good team, cause when your down by 30 the little thing he does just doesnt matter as much
Gomes had a good year… Minnasoata won’t let him go easily.
I want to know about Antoine though.
John, if you find one could you post a list of all unrestricted free agents in order of quality/ value? I’ve been looking for one, and can’t find a good one.
ainge should ask mchale to sign gomes for 3.2 mil/year and then trade him straight up for scal.
or with the way memphis is we might be able to trade scal and a retired pj for mike miller.
Well… here’s a list of the 2008 free agents. The thing is… there are A LOT of early termination and player option guys that could make this a block buster free agent year.
Thanks. Yeah you are right.
Iverson has already opted to stay in Denver. But that still leaves Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas, Elton Brand, Shawn Marion, and Jermaine O’neal all have ETO’s.
Gilbert is opting out I believe. I wouldn’t be surprised if Elton Brand opts out, and same with J O’neal. Baron Davis should be happy in GS and I don’t think Miami would have made the Shaq deal if they thought Marion would opt out.
However, if Baron decides to stay in GS, other teams will probably make HEAVY runs at Monta Ellis. I heard that Monta might be heading for a max contract this summer.
Add Ron Artest to the list of guys with ETO’s.
I think if E House leaves we should try to get Jannero Pargo who is an unrestricted free agent.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Sasha Yousabitch in Boston… I don’t think it would happen… but I like his game aside from his crying.
NO WAY, no Lakers or ex-Lakers. Or ex-Celtics that are now Lakers soon to be ex-Lakers (Mihm).
Ill take chances with Pruitt over Pargo. And anybody for Scal, even a draft choice to lower the cap.
Well we already have Pruitt but if House leaves we need another guard. Many NBA experts believe Pargo was the best back-up pg in the league this year… it’s just nobody got to see because he was behind Chris Paul.
No way on Vujacic.
Someone who i don’t think people realize would be a great fit to back up rondo would be tyronn Lue. Doc absolutely loves this guys game as he has said last season, and he is also best friends with garnett. Hes unrestricted from dallas so we might wanna look at that?
Yeah, that’s definately an option. I’d say Duhon, Lue, and Pargo are the top 3 options.
I hate playing against Lue but he’s the type of guy that you’d absolutely love to have on your side. Similar to Posey in that way.
Lue is a great fit!
OK, Lue is an ex-laker 2 or 3 times removed, so maybe. But he is not a shooter like House. Maybe for Cassell, but I still want to see Gabe too. Let’s steal Mike Miller for our shooter off the bench?
tim- there is no way jermaine o’neal opts out of his contract, there is one year and 20 million left on his contract my guess is that he sucks it up and plays (or sits in the training room) in indiana for one more year because there is no way he gets that kind of money ever again
PLEASE KEEP TYRONN LUE AS FAR AWAY FROM BOSTON
jannero pargo will be way to expensive for the c’s to sign, plus he went sam cassell times 10000000 in game 7 against the spurs and completely lost the game for the hornets, i dont see him on the c’s next year thank God
TRADE SCAL AND ILL GO APESHIT
keep him for at least one more year and then you will havea theo ratliff type expiring contract you can use as trading bait
yes signing kwame brown is an option, signing kwame brown then trading him for mike miller or rudy gay sums up the lakers offseason’s plans
danny: ah kevin
kevin: yea danny whats up?
danny: i need one last thing
kevin: you said that last time
danny: no this is really the last thing i promise
kevin: what is it (groaning)
danny: well i sorta want to trade you leon powe and our 1st rounder for al jefferson
kevin: no no way you said the deal for kevin was all i had to do
danny: come on buddy, i thought i could count on you
kevin: you can but but i just dont think i can do it
danny: well im sorry it has come to this
kevin: come to what?
danny: i dont think i can give you a championship ring now
kevin: but but we had a deal?!?!?!?
danny:im sorry kevin
kevin: thats it im telling Larry about this…..to be continued
You are probably right about O’neal… but I still wouldn’t be shocked if he opted out. Indiana is going nowhere… absolutely nowhere. Maybe Jermaine will say to himself, “Well, I already have about $100 million, maybe going to a winning team for 3 years $40 million and picking up a ring is more important than sacrificing maybe my last good year for $20 million.”
Not saying that’s going to happen, but it could.
Pargo’s game 7 was more of a “I’m an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, this is the biggest game I’ve ever played in, lemme make a name for myself, and in the words of Asante Samuel, get paid.”
That is in no way as bad as Sam Cassell
And Scalabrine is no way a Theo Ratliff in terms of contracts. Ratliff was making something like $11 million a year. Scal gets $3 million a year over 5 years.
How about Reggie Miller coming out of retirement for the league minimum? Nice shooter off the bench, veteran toughness. And he missed out this year.
I would love it if we could get Emeka Okafor. He made $5 mil this year and he would bring good defense and rebounding. Oh man that would be sweet. And the team IQ would go up like 20 points too. Maybe Ray Allen and Donny Marshall could hit him up with the UConn connection.
We can’t afford Okafor.
If we sign Poz, that’s probably going to eat up our whole mid-level. That leaves us veteran minimums to fill out the roster.
This won’t be easy. Danny has got some tough work to do.
Eduardo Najera or Diop maybe?
Diop is interesting.
The thing with big men is that teams will tend to overpay them because there are so few good ones out there. I’m willing to look at any talk rebounder/shot blocker that might be available to back up Perk. The only scoring we need is right at the basket on offensive rebounds and when someone drives and dishes. No need to create any of your own offense.
Have to sign Posey again. Let TA, and Davis go (everyone loves Big B, and he must have led the team in Tommy Points this year, but I can’t see him playing like he does for much longer). I can’t imagine anyone taking Veal from us. That still won’t free up enough money I guess but I need to see Pose in green next year.
Promote Sallie into the front office where his salary won’t hurt you. He’s already proven he would be the best team spokesman in the league. Bye Bye Sam, TA and maybe big baby. Need a back up point guard. Maybe pruitt will grow maybe not. Ridnour could be had cheap for insurance