Question About Big Baby

[Bulldog]

Can anyone confirm for me if my understanding of the salary implications for signing Big Baby are correct? As a second year player getting minimum salary now and a free agent at the end of the year, he's has only early Bird rights. Therefore, if the Celtics want to sign him or match an offer sheet for somewhere in the $3-4 M range, the Celtics must use part of their MLE to do this. Is this right??

It seems that this would put them at a real disadvantage in trying to sign some of the better free agents (Sheed, McDyess,...) who might be offered full MLE money from other contenders next year. I guess there's no way around this....is there??

[Three34]

the Celtics must use part of their MLE to do this. Is this right??

No. The Early Bird exception allows you to sign your free agent to a contract starting at the value of the mid level exception, but you don't use the actual mid level exception to do it. You don't need to; the Early Bird Exception IS the exception that you do it with.

[Bulldog]

Thanks for the info.....