Danny 'Tom Sawyer-ing' Again

http://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2014/09/danny-tom-sawyer-ing-again.html


By Lee Lauderdale







My alternate analogy for Trader Dan’s latest machinations was Rumpelstiltskin and while Ainge has not spun gold from straw, he has spun definitive assets from scanty ones.  In the ongoing saga of the Brooklyn heist that keeps on giving, the Bogans’ contract was moved for TPE’s twice in 48 hours.  It is in the details of the outlay and return in these two deals that I find more evidence of Danny’s acumen.

On his new team-a-day plan, Keith Bogans may have set (or at least tied) a record on being on the most teams in a two day period.  The internet ink wasn’t even dry on the opinions of how Bogans might actually play a role, or at least play, on the Cleveland Cavaliers, or perhaps just serve as a trade chip to add a needed player, when presto he joins the ranks of Philadelphia where he almost assuredly will not play.  

The factors in common for these bargains are traded player exceptions, second round draft picks, and the contract formerly known as Keith Bogans.  In moving him to Cleveland, Danny shrewdly used some small piece exceptions to absorb the players returned, gave Cleveland two protected Sacramento 2015 2nd round picks (well, only if the Kings are one of the top five teams in the league [smile]), and Bogans.  In return Danny got the much more useful $5.3M TPE, some non-guaranteed and easily waivable contracts, plus a couple of large (6’10-11”) athletic stretch forward/centers (hmmm, exactly the kind of deep developmental depth you might prefer over veterans unlikely to play a part in the C’s future, cough, cough, [see move, next]) with only a single $0.5M guaranteed contract which would be a minimally painful cut of the 16th man on the roster at the end of camp).  So Ainge ducks well below the Luxury Cap, gets a couple of young athletic bigs on trial, “gives up” only a worthless Sac 2nd rounder and small exceptions of negligible value, and has a bright new 1-year TPE around the size of the MLE along with two more Cleveland second round picks.  

In contrast, two days later Cleveland moves Bogans to Philly, paying them yet another second round pick to take him and getting only a 2015 2nd round pick (well, only if the 76er’s are one of the top five teams in the league [outburst of laughter]) and the now-notorious $5.3M TPE in return.  To repeat and summarize,

Danny sends: Bogans, negligible exceptions, worthless picks, and Bogans,
Danny gets back 5.3 TPE and pick,
Cleveland sends pick and Bogans, and
Cleveland gets back 5.3 TPE and worthless pick.

Breaking news, Danny Ainge is allowing Cleveland GM David Griffin to whitewash Danny’s picket fence and all Griffin had to give Ainge was his pocket knife, a tin soldier, a brass door knob, and a second round draft pick--pictures at 11.  The latest reports say that Brooklyn GM Billy King is still painting Danny’s house but had to give him an apple, six firecrackers, twelve marbles, and multiple first round picks for the privilege.  It has now been reported that all general managers will remove jewelry, cufflinks, and watches before meetings with the Celtics’ executive, and keep one hand on their wallets while Ainge is in the room.  In addition Danny has promised to wear only short sleeve shirts in future encounters with league executives.  The local district attorneys have been quoted as saying “We have ascertained that there are no actionable offenses but are monitoring the activity.  There does seem to be some sense of impropriety, but the only smoking gun was one Bill King used to shoot himself in the foot.




bob



.

Pretty funny analogy, but a pretty good one too.  I've always felt that creative analogies are one of the main indications of a good writer.

Sam

I am pretty sure Lee is wrong again when he said Danny received a TPE.
No, Danny received players for Bogans. Those players have been or probably will be cut.
Cleveland received the TPE, that's why they had to give up a 2018 2nd round pick to Philly.
For trading Bogans, Boston received 2016 and 2017 2nd round picks from Cleveland.
Not exactly exciting, but they are minor assets.
Lee definitely could use some polishing in the details he writes about in his stories.

TJ,
Here's the quote from Stein of ESPN about this trade:
"...Sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman the Celtics also will create a trade exception worth $5.3 million as part of the transaction, which can be achieved by absorbing the various Cleveland players into existing trade exceptions..."

AK

sinus007 wrote:TJ,
Here's the quote from Stein of ESPN about this trade:
"...Sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman the Celtics also will create a trade exception worth $5.3 million as part of the transaction, which can be achieved by absorbing the various Cleveland players into existing trade exceptions..."

AK

Sinus,

Thanks.
So, they are using up smaller trade exceptions and getting one bigger one.
Lee is somewhat right.
Boston is getting a $5.3m trade exception but using up smaller trade exceptions to get the $5.3m TPE.

tjmakz wrote:

sinus007 wrote:TJ,
Here's the quote from Stein of ESPN about this trade:
"...Sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman the Celtics also will create a trade exception worth $5.3 million as part of the transaction, which can be achieved by absorbing the various Cleveland players into existing trade exceptions..."

AK

Sinus,

Thanks.
So, they are using up smaller trade exceptions and getting one bigger one.
Lee is somewhat right.
Boston is getting a $5.3m trade exception but using up smaller trade exceptions to get the $5.3m TPE.

TJ,

Where does it say we used up a smaller trade exception? I only see one trade exception mentioned and that's the $5.3M going to Boston.


http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11589630/cleveland-cavaliers-trade-boston-celtics-keith-bogans




bob



.

bob,

Right here.

Sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman the Celtics also will create a trade exception worth $5.3 million as part of the transaction, which can be achieved by absorbing the various Cleveland players into existing trade exceptions.

Boston had other smaller trade exceptions that they used to acquire the players from Cleveland.

Boston received players whose salaries were close to Bogans.
If they didn't use up smaller trade exceptions, then it would have been a Bogans for scrubs trade and no TPE generated.

tjmakz wrote:bob,

Right here.

Sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman the Celtics also will create a trade exception worth $5.3 million as part of the transaction, which can be achieved by absorbing the various Cleveland players into existing trade exceptions.

Boston had other smaller trade exceptions that they used to acquire the players from Cleveland.

Boston received players whose salaries were close to Bogans.
If they didn't use up smaller trade exceptions, then it would have been a Bogans for scrubs trade and no TPE generated.

TJ,

So, what you're saying is that Danny got rid of a small TPE and gained a single larger one.

Teams cannot combine trade exceptions with other exceptions (such as the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception or a taxpaying team's 125% plus $100,000 margin from another simultaneous trade) in order to trade for a more expensive player. For example, a taxpaying team with a $1 million trade exception cannot combine it with their $2 million player to trade for a $3 million player.


You don't have to use every last drop of a TPE, he didn't use all of the one from the Brooklyn trade, but you cannot combine small ones to make a bigger trade for a single player.  I'd say that, by creating a single, larger TPE that expires one year from now and eliminating one or more smaller TPEs that would also have expired in a year or less, Danny's done real good.  A larger TPE lets you trade for a more expensive player without having to give up a bigger player salary as part of it. These smaller TPEs that Danny gave up could only be used on cheaper and, presumably, less valuable players.

I'm still not finding anything about this to not like.


bob



.

Danny The Magician. Has a nice ring to it.


KJ

bobheckler wrote:

tjmakz wrote:bob,

Right here.

Sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman the Celtics also will create a trade exception worth $5.3 million as part of the transaction, which can be achieved by absorbing the various Cleveland players into existing trade exceptions.

Boston had other smaller trade exceptions that they used to acquire the players from Cleveland.

Boston received players whose salaries were close to Bogans.
If they didn't use up smaller trade exceptions, then it would have been a Bogans for scrubs trade and no TPE generated.

TJ,

So, what you're saying is that Danny got rid of a small TPE and gained a single larger one.

Teams cannot combine trade exceptions with other exceptions (such as the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception or a taxpaying team's 125% plus $100,000 margin from another simultaneous trade) in order to trade for a more expensive player. For example, a taxpaying team with a $1 million trade exception cannot combine it with their $2 million player to trade for a $3 million player.


You don't have to use ALL of a TPE, he didn't use all of the one from the Brooklyn trade, but you cannot combine small ones to make a bigger trade.  I'd say that, by creating a single, larger TPE that expires one year from now and eliminating a smaller TPE that would also have expired in a year or less, Danny's done real good.  A larger TPE lets you make a bigger deal without having to give up a bigger player salary.

I'm still not finding anything about this to not like.


bob



.

Bob,

Yes, this is a positive transaction for Boston, as it is for Cleveland and Philly for what they are looking to accomplish right now.
Cleveland sent out some salary, probable late second round picks and received a $5.3m trade exception.
Philly received a 2nd round pick for acquiring Bogans and then we assume he will be waived.
Boston took on a little salary this year and gave up some smaller TPE's and they received a larger $5.3m trade exception and (2) 2nd round picks from Cleveland in 2016 and 2017.

I think all 3 teams got what they wanted out of this transaction.