Winning championships and resigning the Big Three...

[Ed Pinkney]

What are peoples thoughts on what we should do once the Big Three's contracts start running out, particularly if we do win a championship or two in the next couple of years. From memory their max contracts run out one after the other starting with Ray from 2010.

Assuming they remain injury free and can still contribute significantly to the team, what do you think we should do. If we were to win a championship it would be really good if all three can finish out their careers in Green.

Do we resign them with mid level money? Would they accept mid level money? They might still ask for money (and be able to get it elsewhere) that would make it hard for us to remain as competitive as their careers start to run out.


Thoughts?

[GregB]

If Dannys comments about trading the Big 3 during the eighties still rings true. Then I would expect Danny to try and move Ray within the next year or two. Dont expect us to keep Ray past his contract.

I could see us keeping Pierce though. IMO, He will prob resign at a reduced rate after his deal is over. Kind of like Reggie Miller with the Pacers.

[Ed Pinkney]

I am torn between wanting to do right by players that helped get us the championship (hopefully) and not crippling our roster and cap flexibility the way the Heat did with Shaq's extension.

If we win it all then I would really like if all three retired with us, but I am a realist and realise that is probably unlikely.

[TheSheriff]

Trade Ray as an expiring contract with one year left, maybe we can get a younger superstar who is in a lousy situation.

KG may retire before his contract is up.

I do not give Pierce another max deal.

[stretch]

KG won't retire before his contract up. If anything, he may even play for some time after his contract. And like Jordan, he is still going to leave the game, on top of his game (playing at a superstar level)


People who say we have a 2-5 year window are missing the point. Look at how drastically our roster changed between two seasons. Consider how the Celtics are the most popular franchise alongside the Lakers, in the world. The Celtics command the best road attendance in a long time.

And players will want a part of that success. Ainge has already build relationships with Kevin Durant and Allen Iverson and Elton Brand, and many others. The Celtics have a relationship and contacts with many players. Iverson loves the organization.

You never know who will join the Celtics titlewagon in the next few years if we win a title this season.

If Kevin Durant doesn't like the Sonics situation or after they move out of Seattle and his contract expires, he might just sign with the Celtics alongside a veteran KG, star PG in Rondo, and a great cast.

You just never know what will happen or who will join. But the Celtics are a title contender and they might be able to draw this out for 5+ years... until 2012 perhaps. and that more success could easily build on top of that.

[Hemingway]

I agree that Ray is the real question mark. It would/will break my heart if and when we trade him. I think an option that lets us keep the big three in green is if we can get someone on a MLE discount. Someone up and coming that can play with the big as they fade and be groomed to be our next star.

If we can say win the title the next years I think won't have to worry about money. Ideally I'd love to have the big groom their replacements. Right now we have the ideal learning and growing environment.

In any event, we have a great problem to have as far as problems go.

[Fencer reregistered]

I think KG and Pierce are going to retire as Celtics, and not soon.

Ray will represent most of the expiring-contract firepower the Cs have for a long time, so he's apt to be traded on that basis. Even so, a team that wanted Reggie Miller is likely to welcome him for a number of years as well.

[GuyClinch]

I kinda hope Pierce gets out early - cause I don't want to listen to haters when he really starts to slip. KG likely though can play forever. Parish was still effective when he was kinda old.

Pete

[Celts17Pride]

The answer to this question all depends on what happens over the next few years. Do they win a championship? Are they healthly? Are they contenders? Will Ray sign for something close to the MLE after his contract is up or go for the money?

A lot of things can happen between now and then.

Ray has a special skill (shooting) that can make him a real valuable role player when he is 36-38 years old. Are the Celtics contending at that time? Will Ray be a 15-20 minute role player?

Who knows?

[bruno sundov]

[quote="Ed Pinkney"]I am torn between wanting to do right by players that helped get us the championship (hopefully) and not crippling our roster and cap flexibility the way the Heat did with Shaq's extension.




Let me make it easy for you. We want to trade these people on the downsde of their careers. You don't need to feel bad for them. they had a good run.

[sully00]

The salaries play out in a way that dealing Ray will not be a necessity. KG will be 36 at the end of his deal, he may not be finished but he is likely finished making 20 million bucks. Pierce on the other hand has an early termination at 32 years old that goes hand in hand with Ray expiring deal basically in 10/11 the C's have KG and Perkins under contract and Perk is expiring. I would expect Pierce to get a contract that gives him an additional 4 years that is likely back loaded to make room for the team to be players in FA.

It took him a while but Danny Ainge has figured this GM thing out.

[Celtics_85]

If you are Wyc, him and Danny have already started talking about the future and how to make money. Wyc seems to have a pretty good buisness mind and has time to set up the future seeing he has a champoinship caliber team now.
His buisness mind leads me to believe that he might be actually working on bringing Yao Ming here in the rumored Ray and Perk to the Rockets. This would definately bring money to this team right away. The funny thing is I sit here and wunder if he doesn't try to go the extra mile and try to bring Yi in the year KG expires. If Yi wants to play with Yao he can be an unrestricted FA the year KG expires and the thought of these two together will definately bring a lot of money to this organization. This would be a good buisness deal that Wyc would definately think about.

[celtics543]

I can definately see Ray getting traded when his contract is expiring, and maybe even see KG not being resigned if he asks for too much, but I just can't see Pierce being sent away. I know that Danny said he would have traded Larry Bird, but even still, I don't think that Pierce will try and ask for too much money and I think that he truly wants to be a Celtic forever.

[JMillott]

I think it has always been important to Paul Pierce to be a Celtic for life, I think that is what kept him from asking out for long enough for Danny Ainge to deliever on his planned rebuilding project.

Now that he will have likely won a title or two I think retiring a Celtic and making a run at the teams alltime scoring marks will be enough to get him to leave money on the table in order to stay here.

I see no possible chance of Kevin Garnett ever wanting to part ways from the franchise that saved him and his career from being wasted.

I don't think he ever actually was aware of classlessly the Wolves were run and it took them trying to trade him for him to actually want to leave, so I see no chance of him asking out from the Celtics.

I think its quite possible that Ray Allen will take his rings here and walk as a free agent if he can get more money and a bigger role in three years if he hasn't been traded by then.

I also firmly believe that Danny Ainge will have his potencial replacement in place by the time next season begins. As I fully expect him to target a SG in this years draft or free agent crop be it Brandon Rush on draft night or CJ Miles in free agency.

[MalReyn]

I'd LOVE to see Ray stick around after his contract is up, maybe for the MLE. Shooting like his is hard to replace.

But I agree that his expiring season will be the big turning point. He certainly won't be traded as an expiring if we're competing that season (and I know we all hope we are).

[Prophet_C]

His buisness mind leads me to believe that he might be actually working on bringing Yao Ming here in the rumored Ray and Perk to the Rockets. This would definately bring money to this team right away. The funny thing is I sit here and wunder if he doesn't try to go the extra mile and try to bring Yi in the year KG expires. If Yi wants to play with Yao he can be an unrestricted FA the year KG expires and the thought of these two together will definately bring a lot of money to this organization. This would be a good buisness deal that Wyc would definately think about.

That deal is bogus

[MyInsatiableOne]

Wow Celtics_85...one of the worst trade ideas ever, even worse than bringing Yao here!

[Celtics_85]

It wasn't a trade idea made by me, it was something that was rumored here last week. It may be bogus and I was just putting an idea to it if it had any legs. The money doesn't match unless we get other players or player in the trade. The idea of this thread was to ask what you would do with the big three expiring, so I ran something that I thought Wyc would do if the deal was on the table. You can say it is a bad move, but for the money this team could make Wyc would definately look at.

[billfromBoston]

...it's of course simpler than most here are making it...

1. It all depends on the production value of RA/PP/KG at the time they are expiring
2. That production value will be in relation to their asking price

3. That in turn will be weighed relative to whomever else is on the market

4. The market will be projected and guaged for each of the three years

5. Ray's walk-year projects to have anywere from 6-12 million depending on who is signed/re-signed

6. Pierce's walk year projects between 10-15 million for the same reasons mentioned above.

My best estimate right now would project the team re-signing Ray as long as he's shooting efficiently. A 40-45% 3 point shooter with Ray's resume is worth 5-6 million at ages 35-38, ala Reggie.

If he's healthy, happy, and price-productive he'll stick. Considering the team most likely won't have top-dollar flexibility his walk year, I doubt they'll let him go if he's playing well. Perhaps there's a trade available that year, but its not the norm and isn't the best business to trade a content star of Allen's prestige.

Even with re-signing Allen, its the NEXT off-season that looks the most likely that the team will aggressively pursue a young star for the future to play with Rondo during his prime.

in 2010/11 the team could make a very strong offer of 10+ million even WITH re-signing both PP and RA...over the next 3 years the team will most likely maintain cap flexibility with an eye toward that season as they can contend by keeping most of this current core in tact.

I doubt the team signs anyone for more than 3 seasons this off-season unless there is exceptional value on the market with the MLE, which is rare.

Most likely, the team will keep most of the core in-tact and give out short-term deals to keep their potential cap figure robust for the free agent market in 2010/11...

..it'll all depend on how the current core is playing, the cost to keep, and the availability of other talent....but the team is in great position to extend this team's run of contention past the next 3 years...

...and FYI-KG will most likely pull a Malone and remain an anchor in the front court for another 7-8 years, so this team will always have a shot to contend while he's here...

[MyInsatiableOne]

It wasn't a trade idea made by me, it was something that was rumored here last week. It may be bogus and I was just putting an idea to it if it had any legs. The money doesn't match unless we get other players or player in the trade. The idea of this thread was to ask what you would do with the big three expiring, so I ran something that I thought Wyc would do if the deal was on the table. You can say it is a bad move, but for the money this team could make Wyc would definately look at.

I remember it being proposed here last week...I just misremembered you as the one posting it...my bad.

I think we could probably do better in a trade for Ray than a center who always gets hurt bad enough to miss the remainder of the season every year.