Will Mickey bet on himself?

ESPNBOSTON

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Staff Writer

Rookie contracts are typically pretty boring. First-round picks are subject to scale-based contracts and teams like the Celtics pay 120 percent (the maximum possible) to lock in those players for four seasons (two guaranteed years, two team options) and own their rights at the end of it all.

The Celtics, once they are content with roster construction, will formally ink first-round picks Terry Rozier (16th overall) and R.J. Hunter (28th) to their deals; delaying saves them a tiny sliver of cap space because current cap holds only account for 100 percent of the scale.

Second-round picks, however, are not subject to a scale, which makes things a bit more interesting. Most second-round picks are content to sign any minimum-salary contract they can get if they can make an NBA roster. But there's a bit of tug of war going on with high second-round picks.

Enter Jordan Mickey.

Mickey, the 33rd overall pick in last month's draft, is having a pretty good summer league (which history suggest doesn't mean much, but it's encouraging, nevertheless). The Celtics, with cap space to utilize, would prefer to lock him up long term.

As a team that utilized cap space this summer, the Celtics do not have a midlevel exception to utilize in signing Mickey. They do have the room exception, but it's limited to contracts with a maximum length of two seasons. So what are Boston's options?

• (1) Sign Mickey to a minimum-salary contract. The good for Boston: It's cheap (starting at $525,093 in year 1). The bad: Mickey becomes an unrestricted free agent after two seasons and the team risks losing him on the open market without his rights.

• (2) Sign him into cap space. Boston would be interested in going this route because it can offer a little bit more guaranteed money up front, while protecting itself by including nonguaranteed seasons on the tail end (the Celtics utilized chunks of the midlevel exception to ink the likes of Chris Johnson, Phil Pressey, and Vitor Faverani to these sort of deals in recent years). Another good example of this is Jae Crowder, the No. 34 pick in 2012, who Boston will re-sign to a five-year, $35 million extension thanks to the rights that came along in the trade with Dallas last season.

If neither of these options satisfy Mickey and his reps -- or if Boston holds firm to only a long-term offer -- he can simply wait until early September when teams must tender a one-year, minimum contract offer to second-round picks. Those deals are completely nonguaranteed, however, leaving Mickey vulnerable in his first season, but banking on himself down the road.

The most recent example of that is K.J. McDaniels, the No. 32 pick for the Philadelphia 76ers last summer. McDaniels had no interest in Philly's long-term offer and signed the tender. It contributed, in part, to him being traded to Houston in February (he's now a restricted free agent, though it appears the Rockets are considering using at least part of the midlevel to retain him).

Through three games at Vegas summer league, Mickey was averaging 12.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game. He sat among the summer league leaders in those final two categories.

What will Mickey do? It's fitting that he just turned 21 last week and finds himself in Vegas now. Is Mickey willing to roll the dice on himself -- especially with Boston's overstocked frontcourt -- in hopes of a quicker payday?

112288

This is an excerpt from a Herald article by Steve Bulpett on 7/17.  The rest of the article is just the usual rehash...


Mickey sticking point

Jordan Mickey will be on the Celtics roster this season — barring any as-of-now-unforeseen trade — but the contract that gets him there was very much in question yesterday.

Sources told the Herald there had been a breakdown in negotiations on a deal for the second-round draft pick, who has been extremely impressive the last two weeks.

The sticking point was whether it would be wiser for Mickey to take more money and be locked in longer or go for a shorter deal — if he plays as well as he and the Celts hope, he would be able to get his market value more quickly. (The latter has become a major concern for players, with increases in NBA revenue leading to much bigger contracts.)

According to sources, the Celtics were offering the No. 33 overall selection a four-year deal — two years guaranteed and two more at the team’s option — that was the richest given a second-round pick.

League sources here at the summer league said Mickey was looking for a shorter-term commitment and, when it appeared neither side would move, the 6-8 forward was prepared to sign the tender offer — a one-year, non-guaranteed rookie minimum of $525,093. Players who sign such deals become restricted free agents at the end of the season.

By the afternoon, however, the sides were back discussing a longer-term arrangement.

“I’m comfortable,” said Mickey. “I’m still feeling good about it. I’m confident everything will work out.”



bob
MY NOTE:  Pretty gutsy/ballsy for a 2nd round pick to roll the dice on a one year contract ESPECIALLY when Danny just acquired Amir Johnson and David Lee and already has Sully and KO at his position.  Who is to say he'll get the minutes to showcase himself?  Nevertheless, I'm happy to see Danny is trying to rope him into a 4 year contract.  I think, in the bigger picture, it makes sense since either Kelly or Sully or both will be gone and Danny knows that.


.

So, if Mickey opts for a cheap, one-year commitment, he'll be a restricted free agent at the end of that year? I'd say, "Fine" as long as the Celts can match any offer. But I have a funny feeling (without spending time poring through financial verbiage that puts me to sleep) that one-year deal will result in Mickey's being able to jump ship more quickly down the road. Is that right?

Sam