Re: Official Paul Pierce 2010 Offseason thread

[jeb]

We add a couple of good pieces to a great core and give it another run. We DAMN NEAR WON IT last year. A little more scoring and rebounding and we are back in business.

I well remember watching the finals for 22 years without the Celtics and thats why i say make a couple a key additions and take another pop at it.

With Doc coming back I think that's exactly what the celts will do.

[RosalieTCeltics]

It's funny, we want loyalty from our team, especially it's stars. Yet, if one is
"getting old", we should get rid of them as fast as we can. I hardly think that Paul Pierce is losing "it". Ray defended the heavy hitters in each of the series, Wade, LeBron (when Pierce got into foul trouble, which he did quite often), and then Kobe. He played hard, and in the final game, played 45 minutes.
Why wouldn't his shot be off . Kobe wasn't exactly killing them, it was Gasol in the end and Artest. Ray was close to Rondo as the best player on the team during the second half of the season. Yet, you are ready to kick him to the curb?

Sorry, Mazz, stick to baseball. Basketball is not your sport.

[mrkleen09]

Mrkleen,

Isn't Mazz' specialty baseball, not football? He had a baseball column for years.

You are right Sam.

IMO - all my other comments stand - and Mazz doesnt know JACK about basketball.

[gyso]

Rather than watching multiple separate threads about Paul Pierce, we thought it might be wise to have one official thread.

If another thread gets started about Pierce, we will merge it into this one.

We hope this is agreeable to all members.

gyso

[gyso]

Paul Pierce re-signs!!!

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1265319

Paul Pierce will remain a Celtic. The club has reached agreement with its captain on a new contract, according to sources. The deal is said to be for four years, with only the first three fully guaranteed. The papers cannot be signed or officially announced until next week.

The numbers were not available, but Pierce will in the 2010-11 season make significantly less that the $21,513,521 he was scheduled to receive. That will aid the Celtics’ position versus the luxury tax.

[gyso]

Paul says, Hoo-Rahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gyso]

Checklist...

1. Doc ... Check!!

2. Paul ... Check!!

3. Next up ... TBD

[bobheckler]

Checklist...

1. Doc ... Check!!

2. Paul ... Check!!

3. Next up ... TBD

gyso,

I would venture to guess the TBD will be Ray.

bob

.

[gyso]

Checklist...

1. Doc ... Check!!

2. Paul ... Check!!

3. Next up ... TBD

gyso,

I would venture to guess the TBD will be Ray.

bob

.

bob,

That would be my guess. Ray may want to look around a bit. Players that he beats stat-wise (but not age-wise) are collecting max or close to max contracts.

Getting Ray on board quickly may help with further signings with the Brad Millers, etc. Still, nothing can be finalized until the 8th, so we all have to wait a little more.

Nice news about Paul, IMO.

gyso

[bobheckler]

Checklist...

1. Doc ... Check!!

2. Paul ... Check!!

3. Next up ... TBD

gyso,

I would venture to guess the TBD will be Ray.

bob

.

bob,

That would be my guess. Ray may want to look around a bit. Players that he beats stat-wise (but not age-wise) are collecting max or close to max contracts.

Getting Ray on board quickly may help with further signings with the Brad Millers, etc. Still, nothing can be finalized until the 8th, so we all have to wait a little more.

Nice news about Paul, IMO.

gyso

gyso,

Why can't anything be finalized before the 8th?

bob

[tjmakz]

Bob,

The 2010-11 salary cap and max contract numbers will be out on 7/7.
Teams can't sign players until those numbers have been finalized.

[bobheckler]

Bob,

The 2010-11 salary cap and max contract numbers will be out on 7/7.
Teams can't sign players until those numbers have been finalized.

TJ,

thanks. That makes sense. Can't know if you can sign someone until after you know if they'll put you over the cap.

bob

.

[Matty]

Paul is ours!!!!!!!!!!!

wooooooo!!!!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AuVbXuOGfnkDYoCclkm41k68vLYF?slug=ap-celtics-pierce

[gyso]

Bob,

Between July 1 and July 8, there is a thing called the July Moratorium.

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q92

92. What is the July Moratorium?


It is a period during the month of July in which teams may not sign most free agents or make trades. Free agents become free on July 1, but the salary cap is not set until the audit report is completed later in the month. Teams and players must wait for the salary cap to be set before trades and most free agent signings can commence. Teams may negotiate with free agents beginning July 1, but they have to wait until the moratorium ends before signing a contract.

In other words, we wait for the salary cap numbers to get finalized. This affects a teams exact sal-cap status, the MLE numbers and maybe a couple of other things that are based on the final sal-cap number. (last prediction, 56.1 mil)

The text above says "later in the month", but the reality of it is "by the end of the moratorium as scheduled in the NBA CBA".

It seems odd that with today's instant info, computers, etc, that this number hasn't already been calculated.

gyso

[NYCelt]

I'm glad we have gyso and a few others who take time to track things like cap details and can explain them. I respect their knowledge and value the fact they keep reality on track when discussing player movement.

Too many details for me, however. Just let me know who's taking the floor and if there's enough air in the ball.

[NYCelt]

Paul Pierce Deal Done

Good to know the captain is locked up.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-celtics-pierce

You knew as soon as Doc said he was coming back this was next.

Now we can focus on Ray and bigs.

[RosalieTCeltics]

Nice Avatar, NY!!

[NYCelt]

Thanks Rosalie.

I was happy to see we've got Pierce coming back.

Now we can work on your main man Ray. I've been thinking Danny was sincere in saying he's trying to maintain the starting lineup a little longer and build the bench; it looks like that's exactly where he's going.

Regards

[NYCelt]

Upon Further Review...

ESPN is now reporting other media reports about the Pierce deal being complete are premature.

According to ESPN the money is set in the 60-62 mil range, and that Pierce is giving the Celts a significant discount because he wants to see Ray signed among other things.

The point being debated is supposedly the 4th year being guaranteed. ESPN further reported that the deal will either be final in the next 24 hours or Pierce will pursue the free agent market since Johnson and Gay are now locked up and have established a price range for him while he remains the best small forward/scoring option for most teams to pursue.

Sounds like it's pretty much done but stay tuned...

[RosalieTCeltics]

If you listen to what Doc has been saying, there is no way he is going to let Ray go! Read the Boston Herald today, he is adamant about the importance of Ray in the lineup. If they could get another good two guard, I would bring Ray off the bench. He plays so well with the second string guys and gets them to play up to and over their ability. I have been saying for a while that he would make a great 6th man, but, there has to be someone other than Tony Allen to start the game. I know Mike Miller's name is all over the place, but I don't think they can afford him. How the Laker's can, I don't know. I guess they just don't mind paying the luxury tax. Supposedly they offered him 5 years, 30 million. Then again, the rumor mill is crazy out there right now!

All I do know is that I want Ray back. I would be disappointed if he were to leave. Donny Marshall said last night on TV that he would be shocked if Ray
left the Celtics, he wants to settle his family down and finish out his career here. I guess he has alot of business opportunities here also, and he is on the board of directors of the Joselyn Clinic. He is so well spoken that he would be a great addition to the Celtic Front office at some point!!

[NYCelt]

...All I do know is that I want Ray back. I would be disappointed if he were to leave. Donny Marshall said last night on TV that he would be shocked if Ray left the Celtics, he wants to settle his family down and finish out his career here. I guess he has alot of business opportunities here also, and he is on the board of directors of the Joselyn Clinic. He is so well spoken that he would be a great addition to the Celtic Front office at some point!!

Or maybe he'll run for elected office and there will be an honest politician out there for a change!

[beat]

Rosalie

I know what you mean about being well spoken and intelligent. The other day listening to ESPN radio with the lingo these guys were chirping it became almost unbearable. They all sounded like Steven A Smith trying to get the last word in about all this free agent BS, and the truth is none of them or us knows what will happen.

Ray IS a class act 10 times over and whatever he does after hoops, I am sure will also be done with CLASS!

And although well spoken I do hope he forgoes the NBA comentator route. I would consider him well above that.

beat

[sinus007]

Hi,
NYCelt,
Sorry, but honest politician is oxymoron.
As for RA, it'd be great to get him, say, 2y contract and retire in green.
Unfortunately, it became very hard for him to defend the likes of Kobe, Wade and be a consistent treat from long range with the minutes he's getting, IMHO.
I wonder if he can go from the bench. But who's going to start @2?

AK

[NYCelt]

AK,

I think if we sign Ray he starts; why have him come off the bench?

He's still one of the best shooters in the game and can defend better than anyone imagined when he arrived here. I can certainly see him getting less minutes and maybe someone like Tony Allen (if we retain him) getting more time. It's hard for Ray to defend Bryant or Wade and still have anything left, but that's true for anyone so no real negative there.

How are things in Cleveland? Have they offered to rename the city LeBron yet?

Regards

[sinus007]

NYCelt,
Cleveland is still here. But LJ is gone, IMO. Thank goodness! What a waste of talent.

Sorry for hijacking PP's thread. But I think that current Celtics are one of those teams that if you pull one piece of its core the others would fall by themselves. Thankfully KG and RR are here to stay. That leaves PP and RA. I don't know how Perk was interconnected - we'll find out in the first half of upcoming season. I hope whoever comes as his substitute will adapt and fit into C-machine.

AK

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