adding up the roster

[Gant]

Marquis is inked. Here's the current roster:

Rondo, Ray Allen, Pierce, Garnett, and Perkins,
Rasheed, Daniels, Big Baby, House, and Scalabrine,
Shelden Williams, Giddens, Walker, and Tony Allen.

That's 14.

Since the bi-annual exception is gone only a vet minimum offer remains as a signing possibility.

So one of five things is about to happen:

1) Nothing: They enter the season with 14 players.
2) A Trade: Doubtful.
3) Cut a Signed Player: Highly unlikely since they'd eat the salary and lose an expiring contract.
4) Sign Lester Hudson.
5) Sign Someone to the Vet Minimum: Arroyo? Iverson? Tinsley? Marbury? Someone else?

I think it will be #4 or #5. If I had to bet I'd go with Lester.

[Celts17Pride]

If I had to bet I'd go with #5.

[Red2]

Hudson makes the team, no question because he has something they need- scoring and point guard skills. The real question is whether they keep both GIddens and Walker. They tried as hard as they could to get rid of scal and tony and in retrospect, the tony allen signing last year was one of danny's biggest mistakes. I'd rather have an aging ,over paid posey than tony allen. Scal is another huge question mark but they love him so I expect him to be back. Seriously, where does tony allen fit in? Daniels will get time at the 1,2 and 3 and giddens probably gets minutes at the 2 and 3 so I don't see where tony gets PT. We need a 2 for 1 deal where we send tony allen and walker or giddens ( take your pick) and get back a serviceable piece or at least drop some salary. I still can't believe we lost leon powe and we're still stuck with tony allen. geez!

[chas0x01]

Either 4 or 5, but I hope it's 5. We don't even know if Hudson can contribute on this level. I'd rather have someone signed who can definitely step up.

[ParticleMan]

We keep Hudson.
It's just very unlike Danny to give up on a guy before he's even given a chance to show anything. Hudson has potential, it's not like his injury was career-ending, in fact he should be available by TC. we've got to at least give him a chance.

TA signing was not a mistake. it was a good gamble, but TA was hurt. hard to predict that. Scal was a bigger mistake since it was for 5 years not 2. but thank goodness we didn't sign Posey. they're an ocean's difference between 2 yr/5 mil and 4 yr/30 mil. if we'd signed Posey we'd have a contract albatross like NO has now, instead of a manageable expiring contract that might even fettch us a good player at the deadline.

[MVP16]

Hudson makes the team, no question because he has something they need- scoring and point guard skills.

When did this happen? From the little that I saw in summer league, he is more of a Flip Murray type of player. I didn't see many pg skills and looking at his college stats it looks like he's more of a scorer.

[Avalanche]

they bring in bobby jackson or ty lue IMO

[Jammer]

Gant, you are sometimes brilliant, often insightful, and even funny once in a while.

The Lester Hudson vs. veteran will work itself out, in terms of best available player. Don't worry about it.

As far as pruning the roster of a player or two, Danny won't force anything. I don't expect a trade deadline deal adding more salary, as Particle Man suggests.

Rather, I expect Danny to keep an eye out to injuries to teams with cap room, or trade exceptions, and a roster spot. If a significant wing player goes down in Oklahoma City, Portland, Sacramento, Denver, and a few others (a total of 21 teams have trade exceptions), Danny will consider moving one of Tony Allen, Billy Walker or Giddens, depending on where he thinks they are at and what they might or might not fetch back. Giddens is obviously attractive being on the 2nd year of a 5 year rookie deal. Walker has this season guaranteed, with 2 more team option years behind it. And Tony is expiring and likely not back next year. So, if a significant wing player goes down before mid-January, Danny may shed some salary that he would otherwise be paying luxury tax on (tax is calculated based on salary on the books at the end of the season).

[Mahoney_jr]

I think we're done until February. Hudson gets signed for a minimum 2 year deal (so no bird rights eventually). During February we will chip in some players (e.g. Tony, Scal, Walker, Giddens) and if Danny manages to do a 2 for 1 deal, we have room to sign a veteran PG before March.

[floyd]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some undrafted free agents in camp to fight it out with Hudson for that spot. We do it every year.

[JR Hawks]

Hudson makes the team, no question because he has something they need- scoring and point guard skills. The real question is whether they keep both GIddens and Walker. They tried as hard as they could to get rid of scal and tony and in retrospect, the tony allen signing last year was one of danny's biggest mistakes. I'd rather have an aging ,over paid posey than tony allen. Scal is another huge question mark but they love him so I expect him to be back. Seriously, where does tony allen fit in? Daniels will get time at the 1,2 and 3 and giddens probably gets minutes at the 2 and 3 so I don't see where tony gets PT. We need a 2 for 1 deal where we send tony allen and walker or giddens ( take your pick) and get back a serviceable piece or at least drop some salary. I still can't believe we lost leon powe and we're still stuck with tony allen. geez!

LOL. Yeah, no question that a throw away second round pick is kept rather than bringing in a seasoned vet. Because Hudson has proven himself at this level and all.

[chas0x01]

But who do you sign? Lue was still in street clothes when Nelson went down. Knight is old. Who's out there? I would sign Head if we could get'm for the vet min, and send Hudson overseas. But can we get Head?

[chakdaddy]

I bet Hudson gets a Brandon Wallace style partially guaranteed contract; we see if he can help, but dump him if we want to use the spot later.

[LongTimeFan]

I think the roster is almost back in balance again. The Garnet trade threw everything up in the air. We had three very highly paid stars and very little but prospects surrounding them. Incredibly we have a number of quality vetern role players, prospects of varying capability and our picks for next year.

I'd think we'd pace the stars, showcase some of the prospects and try to get DA pick in the 15 to 25 range. That's where we got Rondo, Perk, Al, Delonte and Tony.

I'd be surprised if Hudson did not get a contract. I think House and Daniels are a fine backup backcourt, so there is little need at this point for a backup PG.

[sweatdog]

When did Luster Hudson develop PG skills? That notion is being thrown around and people are posting as if its fact. Its not. Same with Daniels being a real backup point guard. He simply brought the ball up to exploit matchups and make up for his teams lack of true playmaking, i.e. PG in a pinch.

Both of these guys could pan out to be what we hope for but lets not spread opinions in the guise of facts, its too misleading. I want to see Hudson make the team, but if we can get Arroyo or Tinsley for the vet min, I would do that instead.

[Dirty Water]

We finally got our true PG in Rondo now everyone expects any other PG we ever get to be a "true PG" Lue, Iverson and most of the guys you mention are not "true PGs" I'd rather we sign Hudson and see what he has (hell, he prob won't play) and if we find outselves in a crunch can't we just cut someone and bring in a vet?

[chakdaddy]

I think the roster is almost back in balance again. The Garnet trade threw everything up in the air. We had three very highly paid stars and very little but prospects surrounding them. Incredibly we have a number of quality vetern role players, prospects of varying capability and our picks for next year.

I get your idea, but the biggest thing we lost in the trade was prospects - Powe and BBD were the closest things to prospects we had at the time, and I'm not sure that we have any real prospects at all right now - maybe Walker and MAYBE Giddens.

I think you're using the term prospect where I would use the term fringe player.

We had decent balance 2 years ago, actually, after signing Posey/House/PJ. Last year we were horribly unbalanced, with a thin bench and way too many roster spots wasted on fringe 2 guards (Pruitt/Walker/Giddens/TA). We're more balanced right now with Daniels and Sheed on board, but in an ideal world, we would only have space for one out of Walker/Giddens/TA. TA stays as expiring trade ballast, but Walker and Giddens are kind of another Powe/Davis logjam - except at a dime a dozen position!

[hairybyrd]

Lester Hudson will make the team. Tony Allen will be traded for 2 second round picks. We'll enter the season with 14.

[Avalanche]

i dont mind enterring the season with 14, always interesting come mid season when the buy outs start

sometimes they work, sometimes they dont.. but usually they are better than the leftovers of the off-season