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Explanation:

Note that the First Round Pick that Minnesota owes the Clippers is Top 10 Protected thru 2011,
and unprotected in 2012.

The trade cannot go thru until July due to opening salary cap space with the Clippers.

Donald Sterling has been quoted as saying that the Clippers intend to use their own First Round Pick this year, but will consider offers for the Top Ten Protected Pick that Minnesota owes them.

Obviously he probably wants as much cash as he can get, given his history, but the Celtics can offer two USC graduates in Gabe Pruitt and Brian Scalabrine, and also offer $3 Million Cash (Perhaps in gratitude for the Sam Cassell buyout).

The current salary cap is $55,630,000.

With a 5% increase (estimated) for next season, it will increase to $58,400,000.

The Clippers will have 8 players under contract totaling $52,282,640;
of which Josh Powell's salary of $864,000 will not be guaranteed.

The Clippers will likely not make a qualifying offer to Shaun Livingston, who would then be an unrestricted free agent, with an additional cap hold against the Clippers of $5,285,523 for Shaun Livingston's salary.

If the Clippers renounce their rights to Shaun Livingston, they can still re-sign him since he is an unrestricted free agent, but he can't be used in sign & trades, and a cap hold against them of about $13,213,884 is removed.

The Clippers will also have a hold against them for their 2008 First Round Pick, between $2.1 Million (7th pick) to $3.6 Million (2nd pick).

$58,400,000 - $52,282,640 = $6,117,360
Minus (Pruitt + Scal = 711,517 + $3,206,897 = $3,918,414)

= $2,198,146 = Works for 7th pick in draft

So, if Corey Maggette doesn't opt out (using cap hold), and if the Clippers end up with the 7th pick or worse, they will have "cap room" to accept Brian Scalabrine and Gabe Pruitt without having to send a player (and salary) back to the Celtics.

Why the hell would they ever do that? They won't give up a valuable pick for an unproven, a worthless player, and a some $$.

mr_sunshine wrote:Why the hell would they ever do that? They won't give up a valuable pick for an unproven, a worthless player, and a some $$.

They would never do it. We will be stuck with free agency and late draft picks until we fall apart. We must keep the chemistry tight for some time. Ainge will probably go after young veterans if we want to stay young but not out of draft.

right. I don't see why the Clippers do that. They give up a future lottery pick for 3 million dollars and the right to pay Scal 6 million.

They are losing money in the deal so if you think it gets do because Sterling is cheap it does not get it done.

Take out Scal. and financially it works for the Clippers. However, I think if they deal the pick it will be for a player who has seen court time or more likely that trade it for a high pick this season, something in the teens.

Obviously you would do it but the Clippers aren't even going to pick up the phone. They wouldn't trade the pick for Pruitt and a future first from Boston and the Scal stuff is just crazy. You couldn't find a team that hates money to take that deal if we were giving the pick and the Clippers love money more than air.

Can we at least give them davis and powe? On second thought, Celts are 51-12. Let's talk basketball.

I am so happy no more Oden vs. Durant vs. Al Horford threads. I hate young players. Never want to go that route again.

Keep in mind that the pick we're talking about is likely to be an 11-15 pick in 2011.

The Wolves will likely keep it next year, and in 2010, although they might improve to 10th worst record by then.

Come 2011, the Wolves might break thru, get out of the bottom 10, and who knows, while they could wind up with the 11th pick, they could just as easily wind up with the 15th by then.

And $3 million in 2008, plus Gabe Pruitt (Clips could use a COUPLE of point guards), and Brian Scalabrine (great attitude, ideal for young players to emulate) would be quite a catch for what could turn out to be a 15 or even 17 pick. The Celts just went from the 5 pick one year to the 30 the following year. Minnesota could have a lesser, though significant breakthru, which I suspect is one reason that Donald Sterling has asked teams to submit their best offers for that pick now.

I would not be surprised that anyone offering the full $3 million could get it outright. Any players on top of that are bonuses. The only way the pick turns out to be better than an 11 pick (at best, more likely a 13 or 14) is if the Wolves stink bad for 4 more seasons. I think that by 2012, they will have turned the corner, probably 2011 is more realistic.

Unless the Clippers hire Isiah Thomas as their GM this would never happen.

Jammer wrote:Keep in mind that the pick we're talking about is likely to be an 11-15 pick in 2011.

The Wolves will likely keep it next year, and in 2010, although they might improve to 10th worst record by then.

Come 2011, the Wolves might break thru, get out of the bottom 10, and who knows, while they could wind up with the 11th pick, they could just as easily wind up with the 15th by then.

And $3 million in 2008, plus Gabe Pruitt (Clips could use a COUPLE of point guards), and Brian Scalabrine (great attitude, ideal for young players to emulate) would be quite a catch for what could turn out to be a 15 or even 17 pick. The Celts just went from the 5 pick one year to the 30 the following year. Minnesota could have a lesser, though significant breakthru, which I suspect is one reason that Donald Sterling has asked teams to submit their best offers for that pick now.

I would not be surprised that anyone offering the full $3 million could get it outright. Any players on top of that are bonuses. The only way the pick turns out to be better than an 11 pick (at best, more likely a 13 or 14) is if the Wolves stink bad for 4 more seasons. I think that by 2012, they will have turned the corner, probably 2011 is more realistic.

Dude, give it up. Scal is a throw in to make salaries match and is worth more to a winning team than a losing one.

The Clippers have Brand, Kaman, Thomas and Thornton so Scal would be pretty far back on the depth chart.

They have Livingston returning next season and Brevin Knight. There is a good chance they draft a point this year who is better than Pruitt.

You claim Sterling is cheap but he loses money in the deal.

theman wrote:Dude, give it up. Scal is a throw in to make salaries match and is worth more to a winning team than a losing one.

The Clippers have Brand, Kaman, Thomas and Thornton so Scal would be pretty far back on the depth chart.

They have Livingston returning next season and Brevin Knight. There is a good chance they draft a point this year who is better than Pruitt.

You claim Sterling is cheap but he loses money in the deal.

Depending on who DA decides to go with as a backup PG next year, this is the right type of move for the long term, but including Scal makes it unrealistic.

I absolutely agree that the TWolves pick could be purchased for $3 million cash plus Smilin' Gabe, but Sterling is not taking on additional cash.

Is there any other team out there looking to sell picks? Sarver is always cheap in Phoenix -- any other team you can think of?

I would do it, but not the Clippers. Why do people constantly think other teams exist to help the Celtics?

Pruitt is unproven and Veal is trash.

So in essence, we give them $3 million for a pick, but we dump trash with total contract value that exceeds it... Which means, the Clippers are giving us money and a pick for Pruitt?

How about $3 million, Pruitt for Minn pick and Brevin Knight?

That give Sterling $5 million.