Sources: Walker, Celtics to finalize deal Sunday

by **dboss** Sat Jun 29, 2019 6:42 pm

Kemba Walker plans to be in Boston on Sunday to finalize a formal agreement for a four-year, $141 million deal with the Celtics, league sources tell ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.
The Celtics have targeted Walker, 29, as the No. 1 priority in free agency, an elite level replacement for the departing Kyrie Irving, sources said.T
NBA free agents can begin negotiating agreements with teams at 6 p.m. ET Sunday. Contracts can be officially signed July 6.
Walker is coming off his best season as a pro during his eight seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 25.6 points while playing in all 82 regular-season games.
After a season of locker room turmoil often centered around Irving's discontent, the Celtics crave the stability and leadership that Walker will provide -- along with an All-Star talent in the prime of his career.

Boston can renounce the rights to restricted free agency Terry Rozier to clear the space to start Walker on a four-year deal beginning at $32M annually.
Walker can plug into a Celtics lineup that includes Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown. Boston can still pursue a center with its $4.8 million exception and deliver a team to the start of the season that could be competitive with the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.
Walker won a national championship at nearby UConn in 2011, and is a New York City native.

by **tardust** Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:20 pm

Should be a upgrade from Irving. He is well liked and respected. Hopefully he isn't ball dominant as Irving was. I think he may turn out very well being on a winning team. Now if we can get something done with center and power forward.

What bothers me is Gordon is the only decent passer that we have, maybe Smart. I hope Walker can up his assist totals and look to be someone that makes people better and not just another shooter.

Note: It would be funny if Irving signs with Nets and then Durant backs out and doesn't come to Brooklyn. I will never have any respect for Irving again. Maybe he can throw a wrench in the Nets team like he did ours.

by **RosalieTCeltics** Sat Jun 29, 2019 8:36 pm

I am truly happy with this deal . A quality player, a solid addition to a team that needs direction. Good move Danny. Now we have to find a decent center to fill the 5 spot. I know it will not be easy but Danny is the right guy

We have landed on our feet after a horrible year. If it starts going south, someone big is going. Let’s hope they have learned a hard lesson.

Walker
Brown
Tatum
Smart
???
Williams??

by **jrleftfoot** Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:43 pm

I have a feeling he will be a refreshing change from KI, and he'll tie up less money. Reportedly , he is taking less money to join the Celtics because he WANTS to play with the young guys who annoyed Irving. He's even been rumored to play defense.

by **112288** Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:44 pm

NBA rumors: Kemba Walker intends to sign four-year contract with Celtics

NBC SPORTS BOSTON

The Boston Celtics have found an excellent replacement for Kyrie Irving in NBA free agency.

Kemba Walker has informed the Charlotte Hornets he intends to commit to joining the Celtics once free agency opens on Sunday night, per The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell. Players (with a few exceptions) cannot officially sign any contracts until July 6. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the deal is a four-year, $141 million max contract.

Walker is one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market. He's coming off his best pro season in which he averaged a career-high 25.8 points with 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. He also shot 35.6 percent from 3-point range and 84.4 percent from the free throw line. Walker has proven to be quite durable, too, playing in all 82 games for the Hornets last season and missing only six total over the last four seasons combined.

UConn men's basketball legend Jim Calhoun, who recruited Walker to the Huskies and coached him for three seasons, praised the 29-year-old guard's leadership and ability to make his teammates better during a recent interview with NBC Sports Boston.
Irving's two-year stint with the Celtics ended poorly this past season, with the team struggling to the No. 4 seed and a disappointing second-round playoff exit to the Milwaukee Bucks. Irving is reportedly focused on joining the Brooklyn Nets in free agency and is 'pressing' Kevin Durant to join him. C's president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has done very well to find a great replacement for Irving so early in free agency.

The next position the Celtics must upgrade is center.

112288

by **112288** Sat Jun 29, 2019 9:45 pm

EXCELLENT !

NOW WE HAVE A MATURE LEADER IN THE FOLD!

2019-2020 SEASON LOOKING BETTER!

112288

by **bobheckler** Sun Jun 30, 2019 12:28 am

Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach
yesterday
No NBA team has ever had a wilder two-year All-Star point guard roller-coaster than Isaiah to Kyrie to Kemba.

reply retweet like

bob

.

by **Berlin-T** Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:02 am

Great move.

Now Danny, please get me a center!

Berlin-T

by **gyso** Sun Jun 30, 2019 11:47 am

The best part of signing Kemba is that we have to renounce Rozier to make the numbers work.

I hope Rozier does sign with the Knicks. One of my sons-in-laws is a Knick fan. While watching a Boston game last season, I made the statement that I would trade away Rozier for a bucket of balls and change. He said that he thinks Rozier is a good PG (based on the playoffs two years ago) and he could see Rozier in a Knick uniform.

Now he'll see.

gyso

by **NESportsfan12** Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:21 pm

Cool; now let’s sign Nerlens Noel and Looney to fill out the bigs.

by **cowens/oldschool** Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:22 pm

gyso wrote:The best part of signing Kemba is that we have to renounce Rozier to make the numbers work.

I hope Rozier does sign with the Knicks. One of my sons-in-laws is a Knick fan. While watching a Boston game last season, I made the statement that I would trade away Rozier for a bucket of balls and change. He said that he thinks Rozier is a good PG (based on the playoffs two years ago) and he could see Rozier in a Knick uniform.

Now he'll see.

gyso

He’ll be the backup for Dennis Smith, Rozier seems to think things are given to you, not the way it works, you have to earn playing time, last year he played too much....

by **jrleftfoot** Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:18 pm

Walker was ball dominant, out of necessity, at Charlotte. He has expressed a desire to play with more talented teammates so he doesn't have to do it all. Now is his chance.

by **kdp59** Sun Jun 30, 2019 3:55 pm

hold the papers!!

Adrian Wojnarowski: Sources: Boston’s showing interest in a 3-team sign-and-trade w/ Kyrie Irving (Nets), Kemba Walker (Celtics) and Terry Rozier (Hornets). Boston wants to create a full MLE and would likely need to surrender at least a first-round pick to Nets. So far, talks are exploratory. – via Twitter wojespn

Bobby Marks: Math 501 Rozier/Kyrie combination would create a $32.7M trade exception that would allow BOS to take back Kemba and still have the full $9.3M midlevel exception available (they would be acting over the cap). Rozier would go to Charlotte in the trade exception created by Walker. – via Twitter BobbyMarks42

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ainge trying to get that full MLE it seems for a big man.

Sam Amick: Follow up here: Kings had significant interest but “massive offer” was overstating it. The mystery surrounding Horford’s destination continues... – via Twitter sam_amick

Kevin O’Connor: There are some league executives that believe the “mystery team” for Al Horford is…the Boston Celtics. But keeping Horford’s rights would require a number of complicated maneuvers […]. – via Twitter KevinOConnorNBA

Mark Murphy: Per source: For now, Al Horford has not scheduled any meetings with teams. – via Twitter Murf56
Top Rumors, Free Agency, Al Horford

hmmmmmmmmm.........????

by **gyso** Sun Jun 30, 2019 4:28 pm

kdp,

I don't care about giving up a first round pick in that trade, as long as it is one of our own (and not the Memphis one, for instance). In the long or short run, it will be worth it, IMO.

If we can trade Kyrie for Kemba, throw in Rozier to match salaries and include only one our future unprotected first round picks, I would do it in a heartbeat. It sounds like this trade allows us many rewards:

1. Kyrie Gone. (x5) Woo-Hoo!!
6. Rozier Gone. (x3) Woo-Hoo!!
9. Kemba added by a method that does not use cap space.
10. Horford can now re-sign with the Celtics for enough to make Al happy. Very Happy

11. The full $9.3M midlevel exception would now be available to the Celtics

Yes, in a heartbeat.

Depending on who else was available for the full MLE after this, I may still take the DeMarcus Cousins pledge. (LOL).

gyso

by **kdp59** Sun Jun 30, 2019 4:38 pm

gyso wrote:kdp,

I don't care about giving up a first round pick in that trade, as long as it is one of our own (and not the Memphis one, for instance). In the long or short run, it will be worth it, IMO.

If we can trade Kyrie for Kemba, throw in Rozier to match salaries and include only one our future unprotected first round picks, I would do it in a heartbeat. It sounds like this trade allows us many rewards:

1. Kyrie Gone. (x5) Woo-Hoo!!
6. Rozier Gone. (x3) Woo-Hoo!!
9. Kemba added by a method that does not use cap space.
10. Horford can now re-sign with the Celtics for enough to make Al happy.
11. The full $9.3M midlevel exception would now be available to the Celtics

Yes, in a heartbeat.

Depending on who else was available for the full MLE after this, I may still take the DeMarcus Cousins pledge. (LOL).

gyso

i agree and if this happens, the draft makes much more sense too.

I hope Ainge can get it done and Al is back by midnight!!

by **gyso** Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:17 pm

The full $9.3M midlevel exception is only available to us if we stay under the Apron. In other words, we would be hard capped at the Apron in order for the full MLE to be available.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q25

Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ wrote:NON-TAXPAYER MID-LEVEL EXCEPTION -- This exception is available only when a team is below the "Apron" (see question number 20). This determination is made after the exception is used, so a team below the Apron cannot use this exception if doing so takes it above the Apron. It cannot be used by a team that has already used the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception or the Room Mid-Level exception.

Also, a team that receives a player in a sign-and-trade is hard capped at the Apron.

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q92

Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ wrote:The team receiving the player [in a sign-and-trade] cannot be above the "Apron" (see question number 20) at the conclusion of the trade1, 2. A team above the Apron can receive a player in a sign-and-trade if the trade reduces the team's payroll and the team finishes the trade below the Apron.

So we are hard capped at the Apron. Good thing is that this also resets the Luxury Tax penalty clock.

Definition of the Apron:

Once again,

http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q20

Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ wrote: In 2017-18 the Apron is the point $6 million above the tax threshold. In subsequent seasons the Apron rises or falls by one-half the percentage that the salary cap rises or falls.

The Apron is set at $138,928,000. That number is a little more than $6M over the Tax Level set for next season.

gyso

by **kdp59** Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:30 pm

OK

so IF this does happen

we're at about $72M with our two first round picks in salary

Kemba's what $32M first year?

Say Horford at $25M?

that about $129M with 11 players under contract by my count.

that would leave lees than $10M for 3 or 4 other players, If I understand correctly.

by **gyso** Sun Jun 30, 2019 5:59 pm

kdp,

Do those numbers include both first rounders at 120% of rookie rate [most likely event] and the two player penalty for not having 13 players signed?

OK, if so (and even if somewhat not so),

Two players need to get signed with real NBA contracts (not 2-ways) so that the "under 13 player" penalty goes away. I would sign the best two out of three of the two second round picks and Tacko Fall to a real NBA contract.

Either:
Both of the second round picks
or
One of the second round picks and Tacko Fall.

That puts us at 13 and leaves two spots (plus both 2-ways) open.

gyso

by **worcester** Sun Jun 30, 2019 9:04 pm

Makes sense Gyso.

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