RealGM

I'm wondering if Danny Ainge is working on extensions for Ray and Rajon, but he's doing due diligence to make sure the team wouldn't be better making a different move.

I'm sure Ray's agent (does he have one, or is he negotiating his own deal) would want Ray to get a very healthy deal. Rajon just had a coming out party in the playoffs and is set to cash in. But I keep coming back to the thought that this might all be positioning and protecting the team's ability to stock a bench and retain Baby and House.

Remember when Paul Pierce almost was traded to the Trailblazers? Danny showed him the offers that he was getting, and he showed Paul that he could get shipped out of Boston only to land in Portland. I remember Paul saying that he realized that being traded wasn't the answer, and he waited for Danny to put something together.

I'm wondering if Danny is being aggressive with Ray and Rondo? He can quietly field offers, while talking to their agents about the parameters around extensions for both. Either agent make unreasonable demands and Danny can talk about relocation and the ability to replace their client with low cost draft picks and more cap flexibility. And if you think Danny is just playing hardball and that the owner would never trade Ray or Rajon, then the owner does an interview about adding a major piece 1 year in the future...

Just food for thought.

I expect they've had exploratory talks about a Rondo extension, even if it is internal and just trying to understand what is affordable given other things they want to do around cap and contract extensions. I'm sure if they could reach a middle ground where everyone was happy, they'd settle. Not the same numbers as Perk but a similar contract middle point - a lot of money for a player with flaws, while also being a good deal for the team.

I really doubt they're talking extension with RA at this point, and frankly I hope they're not. Time to see if Giddens or Walker with another year can be a near term replacement (backup in 09/10, starter in 10/11). Or perhaps they draft someone this year as a repacement. I really don't know what figure to put on Ray for an extension, last year frankly I think he was spectacularly overpaid, and he's not getting better. (Assuming he isn't moved), I'd just let the year run it's course and see how he and the team makes out.

No way they will do extensions now, it's stupid.

Ray won't be extended. Rondo, only if it's a good deal. I got killed for saying this last month, but Rondo isn't worth $10 million a year.

He isn't a top 5 PG, and won't be. They could just as easily win a title with Andre Milller, Jameer Nelson etc. at the PG spot. Rondo is good, but he is by no means irreplaceable. I would say Rondo gets 5 for $ 35 million or celts let it go to next year when he is restricted.

On a practical side, Celts aren't going to sign anyone on the current roster to a longterm deal because it will hurt flexibility this summer and perhaps next summer.

He said he's waiting til September...

jfs1000d wrote:No way they will do extensions now, it's stupid.

Ray won't be extended. Rondo, only if it's a good deal. I got killed for saying this last month, but Rondo isn't worth $10 million a year.

He isn't a top 5 PG, and won't be. They could just as easily win a title with Andre Milller, Jameer Nelson etc. at the PG spot. Rondo is good, but he is by no means irreplaceable. I would say Rondo gets 5 for $ 35 million or celts let it go to next year when he is restricted.

On a practical side, Celts aren't going to sign anyone on the current roster to a longterm deal because it will hurt flexibility this summer and perhaps next summer.

Totally agree with ya about Rondo. Heck, even the best PG in the league isn't worth max money. Is Chris Paul going to win it all without a decent 5,4, or 3? Nope. You have to go back to Magic as the last legit superstar PG that won it all. And he only won with Kareem.

Look at the list... Fisher, Rondo, Parker, Williams, Harper, Maxwell, Paxson, and Thomas (I don't hold him in that high esteem.

In order to win it all you need a dominate 5 with some above average players, or a VERY good 5 and 4 paired up with above average players, or an adaquate 5 with VERY good 4, 3, and 2. That is the main recipe for winning championships. Point is, YOU CANNOT give max money to a PG. You can get by with a decent one. You save your cash for the 5, 4, and 3 positions.

If Rondo is serious about a max deal or something close to it... you have to explore in trading him if your Danny. I love Rondo, but like I said, even Chris Paul, I would not give a max deal to.

In order to win it all you need a dominate 5 with some above average players, or a VERY good 5 and 4 paired up with above average players, or an adaquate 5 with VERY good 4, 3, and 2. That is the main recipe for winning championships. Point is, YOU CANNOT give max money to a PG. You can get by with a decent one. You save your cash for the 5, 4, and 3 positions.

Agreed. Rondo has essentially played himself out of a job, IMHO. He has been too good and gotten too much hype. Teams that sink max dollars into a PG don't win championships. it's a total money sink. The gap from decent to good in the PG world is the smallest of any of the positions. Rondo might earn 5x as much as Rafer Alston (post extension) but Alston will still beat him from time to time. That would never happen with in his prime Shaq guarding Andrew Declerq.

Pete

jfs1000d wrote:No way they will do extensions now, it's stupid.

Ray won't be extended. Rondo, only if it's a good deal. I got killed for saying this last month, but Rondo isn't worth $10 million a year.

He isn't a top 5 PG, and won't be. They could just as easily win a title with Andre Milller, Jameer Nelson etc. at the PG spot. Rondo is good, but he is by no means irreplaceable. I would say Rondo gets 5 for $ 35 million or celts let it go to next year when he is restricted.

On a practical side, Celts aren't going to sign anyone on the current roster to a longterm deal because it will hurt flexibility this summer and perhaps next summer.

Definitely not a max contract guy but no reason for him to sign an extension at 5M either. He will easily get 2x that next year as a restricted FA if not more.