Report: The Time Lord Signs 4 Year Extension

Chris Grenham @chrisgrenham
about 15 minutes ago
If Robert Williams can stay healthy, $13.5M per year is really great value for the Celtics.



Bob
MY NOTE: More to come on this thread, but $13.5M X 4 years is $54M total. VERY reasonable for a starting NBA center IF he can stay healthy and on the court.

Brad never sleeps.


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https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/08/robert-williams-agrees-to-four-year-extension-with-celtics-worth-54-million.html



Robert Williams agrees to four-year extension with Celtics worth $54 million


Updated: 1:34 p.m. | Published: 1:29 p.m.




Boston Celtics' Robert Williams III (44) blocks a shot by Houston Rockets' Christian Wood during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, April 2, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)AP



By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



The Boston Celtics have agreed to a four-year extension worth $54 million with Robert Williams a league source confirmed to MassLive.com on Friday. The deal will take effect during the 2022-23 season. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com was first to report the news.

Williams, 23 moved into the starting lineup at center last year for Boston after the team traded away Daniel Theis. He averaged a career-high 8.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 blocks in 18.9 minutes per game.


The biggest concern in the deal for the Celtics involving Williams will be with his durability as he has played just 113 games during three seasons after being taken No. 27 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Williams is the second Celtic player to earn an extension this week after the team agreed on a four-year deal with Marcus Smart on Monday. Those contracts will eat up the majority of the team’s cap room heading into the 2022 free agency, meaning any top-tier target for the Celtics in the next offseason or two will need to be acquired via trade rather than cap space.

Much more on this story as it develops.


Bob


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And now a word from the principal himself...


Robert Williams @rob_williamsIII
about 5 minutes ago
Man shoot done got serious


Bob
MY NOTE:  Henry David Thoreau he is not.


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btw, Woj was the first to report this, as usual.  HTF does he find this stuff out faster than the local reporters who have been a part of Brad's life and travel on the road with the team and its players for the last 7 years?!  He's been doing this for years!  He must have pictures of David Stern and Adam Silver naked...together...in flagrante delicto...


Bob


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There is someone who gives him this information, but you are right, he is almost always first and usually does not report unless he is sure. This why he is so highly regarded. Does not dwell on rumors like Mannix, who will say "I have talked to several GM's and they have told me....." Doesn't drop names, just job titles. That is why it is hard to ever take him seriously. Woj, on the other hand, let's the information out the minute AFTER whatever has taken place, i.e. trades, signings, etc You wonder, when will someone else figure out that it is better to be right than first

Cool! This was expected after Smart signing. Very reasonable deal given everything.

bobheckler wrote:btw, Woj was the first to report this, as usual.  HTF does he find this stuff out faster than the local reporters who have been a part of Brad's life and travel on the road with the team and its players for the last 7 years?!  He's been doing this for years!  He must have pictures of David Stern and Adam Silver naked...together...in flagrante delicto...


Bob


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You just caused me to lose my lunch...

Reasonable money. A big enough figure, however, that they must be expecting that the leg issue is solvable.

If RWIII can stay on the floor, the starting lineup looks much better.

Shamrock1000 wrote:

bobheckler wrote:btw, Woj was the first to report this, as usual.  HTF does he find this stuff out faster than the local reporters who have been a part of Brad's life and travel on the road with the team and its players for the last 7 years?!  He's been doing this for years!  He must have pictures of David Stern and Adam Silver naked...together...in flagrante delicto...


Bob


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You just caused me to lose my lunch...

Rock,

Could have been worse.   I could have pointed out that David Stern is dead.


Bob


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gyso wrote:This is great news.  I hope he can stay on the floor.

If he pans out, it is a bargain for a starting center.  If it doesn't work out by the trading deadline, the math says his $13M + $17M (Player X signed with the Fournier TPE) = $30M.

Even if we don't get full value of the Fournier TPE, we could easily throw in a GWill~ish contract to make up the difference.

13.5M for a guy that has yet to play 30+ MPG in more than several games in a row is a bit too much for my taste, but I like your logic. Only thing is - if he doesn't work out it means he cannot stay healthy and then who would be willing to take those 13M bags ?

bobheckler wrote:

Shamrock1000 wrote:

bobheckler wrote:btw, Woj was the first to report this, as usual.  HTF does he find this stuff out faster than the local reporters who have been a part of Brad's life and travel on the road with the team and its players for the last 7 years?!  He's been doing this for years!  He must have pictures of David Stern and Adam Silver naked...together...in flagrante delicto...


Bob


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You just caused me to lose my lunch...

Rock,

Could have been worse.   I could have pointed out that David Stern is dead.


Bob


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Lmao!

bobheckler wrote:And now a word from the principal himself...


Robert Williams @rob_williamsIII
about 5 minutes ago
Man shoot done got serious


Bob
MY NOTE:  Henry David Thoreau he is not.


.

must be code

bobheckler wrote:btw, Woj was the first to report this, as usual.  HTF does he find this stuff out faster than the local reporters who have been a part of Brad's life and travel on the road with the team and its players for the last 7 years?!  He's been doing this for years!  He must have pictures of David Stern and Adam Silver naked...together...in flagrante delicto...


Bob


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I got to know Mark Spears when he was at the Globe in 08 covering the C’s. Folks would be surprised as to how these so-called “Woj Bombs actually came about”. Woj gets credit for breaking a lot of stories that someone else actually broke. This practice really escalated itself after he went to ESPN. No disrespect. Dude is good at securing scoops but a lot of this is orchestrated.

Very reasonable deal.  Right around the amount I thought he could get.

I am glad they got this done and hope he can avoid injuries.

For those of you who think $13.5M/year is a lot of money (not seeing many of them, but if there are any lurkers out there...) let me remind you the MLE (Mid-Level Exemption) this year is $9.7M.  It will grow over time.  The maximum number of years you can sign a player to a MLE contract is 3 years. By locking Williams into a 4 year contract that not only secures him for longer it also means that by the time his contract is done his salary will be close to the then current MLE. He's only going to be 24 years old on October 17th, in 4 years he'll still be on the right side of 30.

So when you think about it Robert Williams, our starting center, is getting paid 50% more than than Tristan Thompson, who is getting the full MLE.  Is he worth more than TT?  I think so.  Thompson played 54 games last year.  RWill played 52.  So, close.  You can't compare the average number of minutes each played because RWill started to play much more minutes after Theis got traded and he became the starter.  But which player had the greater impact when they were on the floor?  No knock on Tristan but The Time Lord made penetrators think twice about going all the way to the rim.

It's all about his health, of course.  Forsberg is reporting that the Celtics are feeling very confident about Williams' health.  They think he has no chronic medical issues.  Didn't he come into the league with a chronic medical issue in his leg?

Smart for $19.25M and RWill for $13M.  That's $32.25M for two starters, both of whom are elite defenders.  Not bad, Brad.


Bob


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I do not think his issue is chronic.  Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome is a correctable condition is surgery if required.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/popliteal-artery-entrapment-syndrome-paes

What is the surgical procedure for popliteal artery entrapment syndrome?

Surgery to relieve abnormal compression of the artery is performed in two approaches. In some types of PAES, a 4- to 6-inch incision behind the knee can provide the necessary exposure to relieve the popliteal artery. In other PAES types, a 4- to 6-inch incision along the inner side of the calf is required for complete relief.

How long is the usual recovery after surgery?

Most patients will spend one to two nights in the hospital. Walking will begin right away in the hospital. Physical therapy that includes stretching and exercise programs is also used after patients go home.

Is surgery successful for popliteal artery entrapment syndrome?

The vast majority of our patients recover fully from their surgery and have normal blood flow to the leg immediately. We will further assess the blood supply at four to six weeks after surgery with ultrasound imaging.

Smart had to choke when he read that Rozier got $90 million/ Jordan throwing the money around

One important point is that now that we have extended RWill, he will not be a base year compensation player after six months. So the Celts can use his full contract value in trades next year. Looks like they have maximized their options going forward.

Need some in-season emergency help? There is the $9M exception.

A mid-tier player shakes loose: the Celts have a 17M trade exception.

Bradley Beal says he wants Celts: Horford + Nesmith can get it done.

Blazers flame out again and Dame wants out: Smart and RWill make up the salary and provide quality. Add a few firsts to fit the Super Star deal mold.

These are just examples of what can happen with some help from providence. Until then, I am getting ready for a very interesting season with its sub-plots.

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2021/08/sources-robert-williams-extension-is-not-fully-guaranteed-includes-multiple-incentives.html



Sources: Robert Williams extension is not fully guaranteed, includes multiple incentives



Updated: 9:24 a.m. | Published: 9:24 a.m.




Boston Celtics' Robert Williams III, left, and Miami Heat's Duncan Robinson, right, wait for a rebound in the first half of a basketball game, Sunday, May 9, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)AP



By Brian Robb | brobb@masslive.com



Robert Williams officially signed his four-year extension with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, which will keep the 23-year-old center under team control through the 2025-26 season.

“Rob has worked hard to turn himself into a very impactful player, and his talent and selfless play give him an even higher upside to reach going forward,” said Brad Stevens in a statement. “Rob has embraced being a Celtic from day one. He is a great teammate and is completely committed to getting better. We’re excited that he will continue to do so here in Boston.


Williams’s deal was originally reported to be worth $54 million over the length of that extension. However, multiple league sources tell MassLive that the deal is only worth $48 million in guaranteed money with the remaining $6 million in earnings serving as ‘unlikely’ incentives that won’t initially count against the salary cap. Jay King of the Athletic was first to report the non-guaranteed portion of the deal.

Here’s a full breakout of the contract year-by year, starting with the 2022-23 season, per sources.

2022-23: $10.7 million

2023-24: $11.6 million

2024-25: $12.4 million

2025-26: $13.3 million

Total: $48 million in guaranteed money

From there, Williams has an opportunity to earn a bit over one million dollars each year of the contract in an array of team-based and individual incentives. The biggest incentive each year involves playing time, with Williams set to earn an extra $446,000 for each year of the deal he plays 69 or more games, per sources.


Williams will also be able to add to those earnings during those 69-plus game seasons based on Boston’s team success. He will receive an extra bonus worth over $200,000 if the Celtics make the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals in any season during which he hits his playing time incentive.

On top of those unlikely incentives is extra bonus money each year during which Williams is voted on the All-Defensive first team or second team over the course of the deal. There is no trade kicker attached to the deal.


Williams will be eligible to be traded again on January 29th after signing the deal but he will be on a ‘poison pill’ contract up until the summer of 2022 when the contract takes effect. That poison pill provision will make his contract challenging to include in any trade for salary-matching purposes until next July.

Williams has played in just 113 games over his three NBA seasons thus far but he suited up in a career-best 52 games (13 starts) last season, producing a career highs in points (8.0 ppg), rebounds (6.9 rpg), assists (1.8 apg), steals (0.8 spg), blocks (1.8 bpg) and minutes (18.9 mpg). He was the No. 27 overall pick during the 2018 NBA Draft.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I don't know how those non-guaranteed incentives are calculated into the team's salary cap, maybe someone else does, but Brad is showing his astuteness by tying The Time Lord's compensation to his time on the court.  69 games is a big step up from 52.  I thought the $54M number sounded pretty good for a starting NBA center with a very valuable skillset, but now?  Even better.  The MLE this year is $9.5M, and it's projected to be $10M next year.  This means that in RWill's first extension year he is guaranteed only $750K more than the full MLE, and I consider that an absolute steal.  Tristan Thompson got the full MLE last year, who would you rather have?  And I have no problem paying him an additional half-a-million dollars if he can stay on the court.  It will help him focus on training, diet and complying with COVID protocol, all good.

Kudos to Brad and his team (I didn't forget about them, ktron) for putting together a package that makes the player happy while also protecting the team against downside.


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Finally, I can sit back and say, yes, some of these young players are going to have to put up or not get paid I think RW is getting good money for the time he has spent on the floor Never mind the "if he had played more games, he would be a stud" comments. I love the kid, love that he approaches the game, finally, with the thoughts that he is on a thin leash. I think this can only work to his advantage, it is like dangling that $$$ in front of him and saying, "come and get it"