Lebron James in Green

[ddb]

Nobody EVER talks about Lebron ending up with the Celtics. WHY NOT?? You guys do realize that it's possible, right? And FYI, Lebron putting on a Celtics uniform would be a far bigger story then Lebron in New York. Imagine the history of the Celtics + Lebron James? It would be the biggest story in Sports and the BIGGEST story in the history of the NBA. Lebron, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Perk, Rubio?

If the Rubio rumor is true then that means MAJOR shake-ups in Boston. That pretty much means Ainge is swinging for the fences. And why shouldn't he? He's already won a title. He knows he's going to compete for a title next season with KG, Pierce, and Ray. He can sign Kidd or another veteran PG to hold the fort down, mentor Rubio, and get the ball in the right hands.

Look forward to next offseason all of a sudden Ainge has Ray off the books, doesn't have to re-sign Rondo, has a player with perhaps GREATER upside in Rubio, can probably acquire a guy like Warrick or another bench caliber player in the deal which gives Ainge even more leverage in making other minor deals to free up cap space. It just makes sense. Doesn't it???

Jumping ahead again...If Ainge finds a way to bring in Lebron James it would turn the basketball world upside down. Celtics/Lakers, Kobe VS Lebron. Lebron takes the Celtics torch and has veterans Pierce and KG as his supporting cast. Lebron would extend their careers. Does anyone else see KG and Pierce being effective as # 2's and 3's well into their 30's? 35, 36 years old? I DO. And then Pierce and KG come off the books eventually and Ainge has the money to surround Lebron for 10-12 years. It just makes sense.

[Yoshi2kx]

....

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

I think it would be a bigger story if Lebron James signed with the Raptors. It would be an even bigger deal, because we're now pitting one country vs. the other. Imagine the storylines - Canada vs. USA. LA vs. Toronto, both huge sprawling metropolitan cities. Lebron and Bosh vs. Kobe and Gasol. Then when Lebron applies to the Minister for Canadian Citizenship, he, Nash, and Matt Bonner could probably fetch at least a bronze. It would be spectacular.

[Snip]

Would you like to add Wade, Carmelo, Bosh to your squad as well?? I mean they all will come at a very reasonable price.......psych!

[gpguy25]

Where do you supose we get the money to pay for this one eistein?

[Celtics_Champs]

Where do you supose we get the money to pay for this one eistein?

Lol. Sorry, but if you're going to insult someone, spell the mans name right.

[SonicYouth34]

I don't want that D-Bag on the Celtics. Bosh is another story.

[Celtics_Champs]

Of course I would take him. But he is going to take bank and go to new york. He is gonna be the evil arch enemy.

[ddb]

Matt Bonner is from New Hampshire. Get your facts straight.

Unload salaries is how you do it. Helps that 18 mil comes right off the books from Ray Allen. Helps that he wouldn't have to resign Rondo in this scenerio. Scal is off the books. House (if he reups with his player option is off the books. He has to make sure that besides Pierce, KG, Rubio, and Perk that everyone else or close to it is off the books in 2010. Any luxury tax they would have to pay would be made back plus some through the global merchandising a Lebron James and Ricky Rubio would bring... Celtics would become one of the most famous sport organizations in the world.

Just remember that this is all coming from the guy who FIRST PEGGED Kevin Garnett coming to Boston the day after we learned we'd have the 5TH PICK instead of the 1st. So before you go ahead and bash me why don't you spend some time figuring out how this is posible. ANYTHING IS POSSIBBLLEEEEEEEE!

[Dave_From_NB]

I've never been under the impression that James has any positive feelings about the Celtics or Boston, and I've got to think it's a stretch for most athletes that you go to your arch enemy team when you have the choice to go anywhere you want for the same compensation.

James coming to Boston, no matter what he becomes just one of the great Celtics, he'll never hold the franchise record for most championships, and winning the first championship in what might be a few years would be of course great for Celtics fans, but I don't think that would really interest him.

Instead he'll go to the biggest market in the world, where he has a strong affinity for other sports teams and has noted friends, and he'll have the opportunity to turn around one of the most disfunctional organizations in the recent history of sport. His legacy will become the guy who turned the Knicks around from the disaster they were and are, to a championship team. He'll become the unqualified greatest player ever to play for the Knicks. That's the sort of legacy I think would interest him.

[Banks2Pierce]

It's a decent proposal...will he want to go to the Knicks? They will have a depleted roster in the aftermath of clearing the pallet for him or a team with Pierce and KG still there? Boston is also a huge media market. I thought his NIke contract listed Boston, LA and NYC as the 3 places for a bonus to kick in.

The key for this would be to renounce Ray Allens cap hold or to trade him and to trade Rondo, so I agree with you. The Rondo trade scenarios could be interesting for this reason. Danny knows he can swing for the fences. This summer is his best opportunity to get something done. Get JKidd to sign for MLE and we're just as good as ever.

[Bad-Thoma]

So.. I see it's the long, crazy off-season again...

[Celtics_Champs]

Boston fans were ticked after Brady was seen casually wearing a yankee hat in santa barbara, or wherever. Imagine there reaction if LBJ jocks his NY gear everywhere.

[wigglestrue]

Matt Bonner is from New Hampshire. Get your facts straight.

Unload salaries is how you do it. Helps that 18 mil comes right off the books from Ray Allen. Helps that he wouldn't have to resign Rondo in this scenerio. Scal is off the books. House (if he reups with his player option is off the books. He has to make sure that besides Pierce, KG, Rubio, and Perk that everyone else or close to it is off the books in 2010. Any luxury tax they would have to pay would be made back plus some through the global merchandising a Lebron James and Ricky Rubio would bring... Celtics would become one of the most famous sport organizations in the world.

Just remember that this is all coming from the guy who FIRST PEGGED Kevin Garnett coming to Boston the day after we learned we'd have the 5TH PICK instead of the 1st. So before you go ahead and bash me why don't you spend some time figuring out how this is posible. ANYTHING IS POSSIBBLLEEEEEEEE!

Even with just KG, Paul, and Perk on the books for 10-11...that's a little over 45 million. The cap is expected to be around 55 million, 60 million max. So, LeBron signs with us for a contract that starts at somewhere between 10 and 15 million? And we fill the other 11 spots on the roster with whatever exceptions are allowed? (Not even including Rubio in this scenario.) Impossible, I think. Any unlikely scenario where we get LeBron would have to be a trade, this offseason. No?

[lakersrule]

No chance of Lebron in green. Celtics Blog does a nice job recapping:

21) Looking at the above chart, it looks like the Celtics only have around $50 million in salaries committed for 2010. If the cap goes up to around $60 million, does that mean they can spend $10 million on free agents? Could they then resign Ray Allen with their Bird rights?

No and no. Surprising to many, free agents continue to count against a team's salary cap until they're either signed or renounced. This is called a "cap hold". Free agents essentially count against the cap at a figure greater than their previous salary.

The amount of these cap holds varies significantly; for actual percentages, see here. For purposes of the Celtics, Ray Allen would have a cap hold in excess of $20 million. While the team could renounce Ray, if they did so they would only be able to pay him the minimum salary.

Of even more significance is the cap hold of Rajon Rondo. Even assuming we don't sign Rondo to a large extension, as a restricted free agent, he would carry a cap hold of 300% of his previous salary, or approximately $6.3 million. Thus, under the above scenario, the Celtics actual cap room would be approximately $6.5 million, rather than the $10 million anticipated. Further, there would be additional salary slots or cap holds for any other players on the roster. For instance, teams must have 12 players on their roster; for every player less than 12, the team is charged a "cap charge" equal to the rookie minimum salary ($457,588 in 2010). Assuming we had only six players under contract, there would be cap charges equal to a minimum of $2,745,528. That means our cap space is reduced to approximately $3.755 million, an amount significantly less than the mid-level exception (which we would have to renounce if we wanted to use our cap space). That's assuming we renounce *all* of our free agents other than Giddens and Walker. If we let Giddens and Walker go, that brings our available cap space to $4.85 million, or still less than the amount of the MLE.

In summary: Assuming a salary cap of $60 million, a roster of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo leaves us with less than $5 million in cap space in 2010, which is less than the amount if we utilized the MLE. Even worse, reports are suggesting that the cap may be as low as $55 to $57 million in 2010, meaning we'd be right at the salary cap with only four players under contract.

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

Matt Bonner is from New Hampshire. Get your facts straight.

Get my facts straight? I'd be willing to bet you anything that Matt Bonner suits up for the Canadian Olympic Basketball team.

[Hemingway]

I have been pulling for LBJ in Green for some time now. Yes it is a long shot BUT the guy is so good that Ainge would not be doing his job if he didn't try to get him. The way it would work would have to be in a trade because we will never be under the cap enough to sign him and if we magically were than we would suck and LBJ would not want to come here. A trade will be hard because first it requires LBJ wanting out of CLE and then we have to convince the Cavs to trade him within their own conference. I think any trade for LBJ would focus around Rondo and an expiring. If we re-up Ray for 1 more year we could offer an expiring Ray Allen and an extended Rondo for LBJ. If Rondo keep improving that may be the best deal that can be put on the table for LBJ. I have got blased for saying this in the past but now I hear Rondo trades all the time so maybe people will consider it now?

If the Cavs are going to lose LBJ anyways they will want a few things in a trade. First they will want a young allstar. Rondo looks to be one of the best young stars in the leaugue if he keep improving. They will also want as much talent as possible. Ray gives them this. They might also want an expiring so they can net another player, a resigned Ray also gives them this. Ray + Rondo might let the Cavs add a smaller bad contract to the deal as well.

The other option is trade Pierce and Rondo for LBJ.

[Celtsfan1980]

You'd have a few very good players and mostly scrubs. From what I've read, he absolutely loves NY so there's little chance Boston would have.

[TheOGJabroni]

I hate the fact that it makes more sense to trade Paul and Rondo for LBJ, rather than Ray and Rondo. Because Ray and LeBron as the 2 and 3 would be unreal. But Pierce is the long time C that you just can't trade. And I'm sure Pierce and LeBron would find a way to make it work as well LOL... still not happening though.

[wigglestrue]

No chance of Lebron in green. Celtics Blog does a nice job recapping:

21) Looking at the above chart, it looks like the Celtics only have around $50 million in salaries committed for 2010. If the cap goes up to around $60 million, does that mean they can spend $10 million on free agents? Could they then resign Ray Allen with their Bird rights?

No and no. Surprising to many, free agents continue to count against a team's salary cap until they're either signed or renounced. This is called a "cap hold". Free agents essentially count against the cap at a figure greater than their previous salary.

The amount of these cap holds varies significantly; for actual percentages, see here. For purposes of the Celtics, Ray Allen would have a cap hold in excess of $20 million. While the team could renounce Ray, if they did so they would only be able to pay him the minimum salary.

Of even more significance is the cap hold of Rajon Rondo. Even assuming we don't sign Rondo to a large extension, as a restricted free agent, he would carry a cap hold of 300% of his previous salary, or approximately $6.3 million. Thus, under the above scenario, the Celtics actual cap room would be approximately $6.5 million, rather than the $10 million anticipated. Further, there would be additional salary slots or cap holds for any other players on the roster. For instance, teams must have 12 players on their roster; for every player less than 12, the team is charged a "cap charge" equal to the rookie minimum salary ($457,588 in 2010). Assuming we had only six players under contract, there would be cap charges equal to a minimum of $2,745,528. That means our cap space is reduced to approximately $3.755 million, an amount significantly less than the mid-level exception (which we would have to renounce if we wanted to use our cap space). That's assuming we renounce *all* of our free agents other than Giddens and Walker. If we let Giddens and Walker go, that brings our available cap space to $4.85 million, or still less than the amount of the MLE.

In summary: Assuming a salary cap of $60 million, a roster of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo leaves us with less than $5 million in cap space in 2010, which is less than the amount if we utilized the MLE. Even worse, reports are suggesting that the cap may be as low as $55 to $57 million in 2010, meaning we'd be right at the salary cap with only four players under contract.

Forgot about the minimum cap holds...that would leave us with 5.5 to 10.5 max to spend on LeBron if we only kept KG, Paul, and Perk. The only not totally impossible scenario would include unloading Ray AND Paul. Even if we signed Rondo to something where he'd make 11 million in '10-11, a core of KG/Perk/Rondo would leave us with about 20 million if the cap is 60. Anyway, ddb you'll have to stimulate our brains a little more if you expect us to figure out whatever scenario you think is realistic.