Re: Free Agency DISCUSSION Thread 2024-2025

[bobheckler]

We are now almost two full days into free agency.  

1.  All of our starters are signed for the long-term.
2.  Three of our top bench players are signed (Luke, Sam and Payton)

The only player that we haven't signed that we have Bird Rights on and, therefore, can go over the cap to sign, is Xavier Tillman Sr.  

It is curious that this is still an outstanding issue.  Brad has really been "Johnny on the spot" with taking care of locking up everybody else and yet Tillman is still hanging.

I think, and this is pure speculation being expressed on a DISCUSSION thread, is that he's waiting to see how other players that fill his need set the market.  If he can get a lot more from someone else then he'll be gone, is my gut feeling.  If he wanted to come back, and it was for a reasonable asking price, it'd already be done.  I do not think that Brad thinks he can do a lot better than Tillman given our 2nd Apron financial constraints.  It makes sense to me this delay is driven by Tillman's agent who is waiting to see what he thinks his client can make.

With KP out for the first 2-2 1/2 months this uncertainty makes me uncomfortable.   I know, I know, "In Brad We Trust", and he has certainly earned the benefit of every doubt, but our bigs are, and has been, our most fragile position due to age and injury.


Here is a free agent tracker.  

https://www.nba.com/players/free-agent-tracker/2024


My top centers still available, with their last contract $, are:

1.  Xavier Tillman Sr. - $1.9M
2.  James Wiseman - $10M/year
3.  Daniel Theis - $8.9M
4.  Mo Wagner - $8M (option declined by Orlando)

There are others further down the list, but I'd take any of these.  Other than Tillman their last contract shows them too expensive for us, but that was then and this is now.  Wiseman's career hasn't taken the arc expected of him.  He's 23 years old, STILL on his rookie contract.  As the #2 pick that explains why he is making so much as a back up center.  Theis is 32 years old.  Wagner is a German Plumlee.  He's a 27 year old banger with no finesse and limited skills, but plays hard.

C'mon, Brad!  Put me out of my misery!  I want to relax for a few days before Summer League begins and you're not helping.


Bob


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[willjr]

Xavier Tillman agrees to terms with the Celtics

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40484042/sources-celtics-bringing-xavier-tillman-back-2-year-deal

[bobheckler]

Now that Tillman is reportedly resigned where are we?


J1
J2
J3
DW
Z
OG
Playoff P
Sam
Luke
X
Q
Walsh
Springer
Baylor


There's 14 players.  We have room for one more.

Any suggestions as to what position we look thin at?


Bob


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[bobheckler]

The Lakers’ interest is genuine, and the Bulls are open to sign-and-trade possibilities, sources confirmed. But any sign-and-trade would have be for at least three years and at less annual salary than what DeMar DeRozan wants. Thus, a potential scenario is DeRozan playing next season—possibly with the Lakers—on the $12.8 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception and then re-entering unrestricted free agency next offseason.


Bob
MY NOTE:  Jeannie Buss is freaked that we got #18 and is pulling out all the stops.  DeRozan is 34 years old but still got game.  As we all know DeMar DeRozan is the reigning (and sole remaining?) king of the mid-range game.  The Lakers would immediately become tough with his addition.


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[bobheckler]

Reports are that Denver is hot for a trade with LAC for Russell Westbrick.  Lord knows they could use a floor general other than The Joker.

The "great" Russell Westbrook exercised his $4M Player Option.  The 2024 MLE Exception is $12.822M for non-taxpaying teams (how many of those are there?!), $7.98M for teams under the salary cap and $5.17M for tax paying teams.  Teams over the 2nd Apron, like the Celtics, have no MLE.  So, Russell Westbrook just agreed to play for less than the MLE, and that should tell you all you need to know about his perception of his own worth to a team. He knows that $4M is more than he'd probably get on the open market, so he's taking the sure, short money.


Bob


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[bobheckler]

Shams Charania: The Charlotte Hornets are waiving former OKC first round pick Aleksej Pokusevski, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.



Adrian Wojnarowski: The Washington Wizards are declining the $11 million option on guard Landry Shamet’s contract, sources tell ESPN. A career 38.4 percent three-point shooter, Shamet will join the free agent market.



Bob
MY NOTE:  


Aleksej Pokusevski - 7'0", 190#, 7'3" wingspan.  A VERY long toothpick.  Still only 22 years old.  Shot 36.4% from 3 last year.  Decent assist-to-turnover ratio.  Drafted #17 by OKC, played there 3 years and was traded to Charlotte last year.  Played 405 minutes total last year, 345 in Charlotte.  Last year's salary was $2.3M.  If we can't bring back Oshae Brissett this kid might be a viable "Stay Ready" player for the bottom 1/3 of the bench.  When you only play 405 minutes in a season and get cut from a bad team when you only made $2.3M last year you are a marginal player and might be exactly what we're looking for to round out the bench.  He has 4 years of NBA experience, has played a total of 3429 NBA minutes, so there should be little-to-no learning curve.  Let Watson develop as a two-way in Maine, he's not ready yet.  Poky might be who our 15th man should be.


Landry Shamet is 6'4", 190#, 27 years old.  The last few years his offense and defense have been slipping.  He played 726 minutes last year and shot 33.8% from 3.  He's clearly not worth $11M, that explains why his option wasn't picked up.  Would he sign for the veteran's minimum?  I doubt it and, to be honest, I don't think I want him.  He doesn't stand out on either side of the ball, so what's the point?


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[bobheckler]

Bobby Manning @RealBobManning
yesterday
Reminder that Sam Hauser becomes extension-eligible on Tuesday July 9 as the #Celtics continue their run of agreeing to extensions under Brad Stevens.


Bob
MY NOTE:  This is on the Discussion thread because today is 7/8 and not 7/9 and so it's not done.  When (presumably, when) the extension is announced that will be on the Signings and Trades thread.


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[bobheckler]

I have been waiting for the Celtics to report that they have resigned Sam to a long-term extension, like they have with every other member of our core.  The first day an extension could be discussed publicly was Tuesday 7/9.

So far, not a peep, and that makes me uncomfortable.  Brad has been Johnny-on-the-spot with everybody else, he's resigned every other player in the core like they are two-legged dominos.  They have picked up Sam's $2.1M Team Option, but he is an UFA after this season.  GYSO is better at this than me but I think:

1.  If we don't get below the 2nd apron next year, and with everybody's extension kicking in that seems unlikely, then we won't be able to do a sign-and-trade with Sam.

2.  If we trade him this coming season he will only be able to contribute $2.1M towards whatever salary is involved in the trade.  So we'd be giving up a rotation player making roughly the vet minimum and should expect only a veteran minimum player at the end of someone's bench in return.

3.  I don't think we can trade multiple players (Sam + another) while we are over the 2nd apron.

4.  If no extension and no mid-season trade then would we lose him for nothing next year? I'm sure we all have high hopes for Baller Shooterman but he has yet to lace up a pair of NBA sneakers. I wouldn't expect him to be a replacement for Sam for at least 2 years.


Bob


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[gyso]

I did a quick search for "Sam Hauser contract talks july 2024" and all of the results were from July 2 (one article) and the end of June. Nothing more recent.

IMO, the reason for the holdup could be because they are trying to find the sweet spot for his salary to land. Here is the upper limit:

Boston could offer up to four years and $78 million for a full max extension for Hauser.

Yeah, the Celtics want to whittle that down a bit. That may take some time.

[bobheckler]

John Wall was in Vegas for SL and talked with the announcers.   He said he would "accept any role to get back into the NBA".


Bob


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[bobheckler]

As long as shooting guard Zach LaVine and, for that matter, center Nikola Vucevic are on the roster, it’s like Arturas Karnisovas got up from his desk halfway through the test to take a break and hit the vending machine. What Karnisovas and the rest of the Bulls’ front office have on their side is time. Not a lot but enough. The growing concerns, however, are that possible destinations for LaVine seemingly have dried up and that there is still no market for Vucevic at age 33 and $41 million-plus guaranteed over the next two seasons.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times


Bob


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[bobheckler]

This is from a "mailbag" on MassLive:


Did Jay Scrubb sign with the Celtics? I saw a report out there can you confirm this. Is there anyone in Summer League management is really high on? — Michael P

Checked in about this after his agency posted something. Nothing is officially done with the Celtics yet but there is interest in getting something done. Would be a cool story for him to get a chance again after suffering such a brutal injury during preseason. Would expect him to try to find a two-way deal somewhere but he may have to show he’s back first physically in the G-League. A lot of rave reviews so far in Summer League on Anton Watson, especially with his defense.


Bob
MY NOTE:  It might be a camp invite, an Exhibit 10 contract, but nothing more than that if that.


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[bobheckler]

Interviewed by Meridian Sport in the Slovenian capital, the 36-year-old veteran center Boban Marjanovic revealed his will to stay in the NBA. “Every time you make plans, it doesn’t work out. Plans always change. Here, I first wanted to come by plane, but we arrived by car. I have no plans. I enjoy every segment of life. I’m waiting for the NBA, but if it doesn’t happen, there is a lot on paper going on. But let’s move on”, he said.
Source: EuroHoops.net



Danilo Gallinari rules out comeback to Italy, remains open to NBA options


2024 August 24 08:23


Danilo Gallinari isn't willing to give up on the NBA after 16 seasons in the top league. The Italian forward would prioritize becoming part of a competitive team over anything else.


Danilo Gallinari has just concluded his 16th season in the NBA. However, his 2023-24 campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks was a particularly difficult one, which did not go as expected.

Danilo Gallinari
Danilo  Gallinari
Position: PF, SF
Age: 36
Height: 208 cm
Weight: 102 kg
Birth place: Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Italy

The 36-year-old forward averaged a career-low 2.8 points on just 17.6% from distance over 17 appearances and 9.1 minutes per game. Overall, last season was the first in Gallinari's NBA career since 2009 (excluding his rookie season with the Knicks in 2008-09) in which his scoring average amounted to single-digits.

A return to Europe initially seemed like a real possibility. However, in an interview with 'La Repubblica', the former Olimpia Milano player declared that he wanted to continue looking for an opportunity in the NBA, excluding the possibility of a final season in the EuroLeague.

"A return to Italy? Not yet," he replied.

"There is still time for [me in] the market, anything can happen at any time. Miami? It's not my time yet, there are other free agents and we'll decide later. It could be anywhere, as long as it's a competitive franchise," he argued.

Gallinari is currently training with Treviglio, a Serie B team. According to 'La Prealpina' , moreover, next season will probably be Gallinari's last as a player. After retiring, Gallo would intend to continue his career as an executive -- preferably in the NBA.


Bob


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[NYCelt]

Good luck to Danilo, but I think his time in the NBA is done.

Hopefully he gets to pursue his goal of gaining an NBA executive position.

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