Clearing the Celtics cap space

[BK_2020]

Who wants,

Jaylen Brown ($27 mil, $28 mil the next two seasons)
Marcus Smart ($16 m, $19 m, $20m, $22m the next four seasons)
Al Horford ($26.5 m [$14.5 m guaranteed])
Josh Richardson ($12 m)
Rob Williams III ($10.7 m, $11 m, $12.4 m, $13.2 m)

And what sort of picks/ prospects can they offer?

[Warriorfan]

I think Bos instead of blowing it up to build around Tatum are get into the Liliard sweepstakes as Cowherd expounds.

[hugepatsfan]

Jaylen Brown would obviously have big value but not sure you'll be able to clear cap space in that deal.

Smart on his extension has little value. I think you could probably do LAC for Bledsoe. No pick/prospect coming back because you're saving so much money. But I think a contender like LAC would be willing to pay that to have Smart there next year when Kawhi is back.

Horford definitely isn't clearing space in a deal this year. The $14.5M buyout you could probably pay a cap team to take with a first rounder.

JRich for $12M would probably hold the same value as when he was traded for him as an $11M expiring this year. We took him into a TPE for no value. Maybe a cap team or a team with a TPE would do the same next year. His play has been pretty solid this year vs a down year last year.

Rob Williams I think has pretty solid value with how he's played. That's a guy I could see younger cap space teams wanting to bring in for a palatable salary. But if you're not taking back money, you're looking at a reduced return.

I don't see any need for BOS to clear cap space. Brown is a young stud with high value. Horford/JRich are expiring. Smart/Rob are good players who figure to be quality players for the duration of their current deals. All of those guys are very movable pieces in terms of trades for under-contract stars or S&Ts for free agents that have BOS on their wish list. BOS also has all of their 1st rounders available for trades and Langford/Grant Williams have emerged as decent rookie scale depth guys to throw into any deals.

Basically, I don't see what BOS can't accomplish via trade that they'd need to clear cap space for. No sense in taking reduced returns or straight up giving away good players for purposes of saving money.

[Godaddycurse]

Why are you clearing cap space?

[BullyKing]

Why are you clearing cap space?

Beal

[BullyKing]

Why are you clearing cap space?

Beal

[MagicBagley18]

They don’t need to clear cap space for beal if beal wanted to go there. They can get beal via a sign and trade and that makes more sense then blowing the team up just for beal because what’s left?

[babyjax13]

They don’t need to clear cap space for beal if beal wanted to go there. They can get beal via a sign and trade and that makes more sense then blowing the team up just for beal because what’s left?

Makes more sense for Washington, too. At least they get something for him if he leaves. But, in reality, Washington is going to look to trade him at the deadline if they aren't doing well. Beal is not the kind of guy who is going to leave his plans unclear if they are struggling, he is going to say "hey, I plan on leaving this offseason, here are some teams I would like to play for." I could see Boston being on that list.

[jbk1234]

Before I trade Brown to clear space in order to sign Beal, I'd at least contact the Wizards and see about a S&T next summer. You don't want to clear Brown's cap and then have something happen.

[Resistance]

If Beal is going to get a 35% Max applied against a $119 million Salary Cap, then that is $41,650,000. If he gets a 30% Max against a $119 million Salary Cap, then that is $35,700,000.

....................Beal 30% Max......Beal 35% Max
Jayson Tatum....$30,351,780........$30,351,780
Jaylen Brown....$28,741,071........$28,741,071

Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466

Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466

Beal...............$35,700,000........$41,650,000
____________________________________________
Team Salary.....$104,587,511......$110,537,511


Rather difficult to sign Beal into Cap Space and still have a respectable team. A Sign & Trade makes more sense but needs the cooperation of Washington.

[BK_2020]

If Beal is going to get a 35% Max applied against a $119 million Salary Cap, then that is $41,650,000. If he gets a 30% Max against a $119 million Salary Cap, then that is $35,700,000.

....................Beal 30% Max......Beal 35% Max
Jayson Tatum....$30,351,780........$30,351,780
Jaylen Brown....$28,741,071........$28,741,071

Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466

Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466

Beal...............$35,700,000........$41,650,000
____________________________________________
Team Salary.....$104,587,511......$110,537,511


Rather difficult to sign Beal into Cap Space and still have a respectable team. A Sign & Trade makes more sense but needs the cooperation of Washington.

Not if Brown, Smart, J-Rich, Schroder, etc. are turned into fungible, low-salary assets like prospects and picks. Let's say the roster is cleared to a point where it's just Tatum plus 5 - 6 guys on rookie contracts (for the sake of argument, let's give them average salary of $3.5 mil). That's
Tatum - $30,351.780
6 guys - $21,000,000
Beal - $41,650,000
-------------------------
Team at $93 mil with 8 dudes, leaves $26 mil in cap space, plus the MLE and the $17 mil TPE from Evan Fournier doesn't expire until Aug 22, 2022.

Tatum, Beal, plus a $26 mil. FA (that's a Lonzo Ball, for example), supported by higher value rookie-contract players than what they have now, plus an MLE guy and whoever they can get for the TPE--That's a far better place than where the Celtics are now.

[Resistance]

If Beal is going to get a 35% Max applied against a $119 million Salary Cap, then that is $41,650,000. If he gets a 30% Max against a $119 million Salary Cap, then that is $35,700,000.

....................Beal 30% Max......Beal 35% Max
Jayson Tatum....$30,351,780........$30,351,780
Jaylen Brown....$28,741,071........$28,741,071

Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466

Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466
Min Salary............$979,466............$979,466

Beal...............$35,700,000........$41,650,000
____________________________________________
Team Salary.....$104,587,511......$110,537,511


Rather difficult to sign Beal into Cap Space and still have a respectable team. A Sign & Trade makes more sense but needs the cooperation of Washington.

Not if Brown, Smart, J-Rich, Schroder, etc. are turned into fungible, low-salary assets like prospects and picks. Let's say the roster is cleared to a point where it's just Tatum plus 5 - 6 guys on rookie contracts (for the sake of argument, let's give them average salary of $3.5 mil). That's
Tatum - $30,351.780
6 guys - $21,000,000
Beal - $41,650,000
-------------------------
Team at $93 mil with 8 dudes, leaves $26 mil in cap space, ]plus the MLE and the $17 mil TPE from Evan Fournier doesn't expire until Aug 22, 2022.

Tatum, Beal, plus a $26 mil. FA (that's a Lonzo Ball, for example), supported by higher value rookie-contract players than what they have now, plus an MLE guy and whoever they can get for the TPE--That's a far better place than where the Celtics are now.

plus the MLE and the $17 mil TPE from Evan Fournier doesn't expire until Aug 22, 2022

26. How do exceptions count against the cap? Does being under the cap always mean that a team has room to sign free agents? Do teams ever lose their exceptions?

If a team is below the cap, then its Disabled Player, Bi-Annual, Mid-Level (either the Taxpayer or Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level, whichever applies to the team) and/or trade exceptions are added to their team salary, and the league treats the team as though they are over the cap1. This is to prevent a loophole, in a manner similar to free agent amounts (see question number 37). A team can't act like it's under the cap and sign free agents using cap room, and then use its Disabled Player, Bi-Annual, Mid-Level and/or trade exceptions. Consequently, the exceptions are added to the team salary (putting the team over the cap) if the team is under the cap and adding the exceptions puts them over the cap. If a team is already over the cap, then the exceptions are not added to their team salary. There would be no point in doing so, since there is no cap room for signing free agents.

So being under the cap does not necessarily mean a team has room to sign free agents. For example, assume the cap is $100 million, and a team has $90 million committed to salaries. It also has a Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception for $9 million and a trade exception for $6 million. Even though its salaries put it $10 million under the cap, its exceptions also count toward team salary, increasing the total to $105 million, or $5 million over the cap. So the team actually has no cap room to sign free agents, and instead must use its exceptions to sign players.

A team has the option to renounce its exceptions in order to reclaim its cap room. So in the example above, if the team renounced its Traded Player and Mid-Level exceptions, then the $15 million is taken off its team salary, which then totals $90 million, leaving the team with $10 million of cap room which then can be used to sign free agent(s)

[BK_2020]

If a team is below the cap, then its Disabled Player, Bi-Annual, Mid-Level (either the Taxpayer or Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level, whichever applies to the team) and/or trade exceptions are added to their team salary, and the league treats the team as though they are over the cap1. This is to prevent a loophole, in a manner similar to free agent amounts (see question number 37). A team can't act like it's under the cap and sign free agents using cap room, and then use its Disabled Player, Bi-Annual, Mid-Level and/or trade exceptions. Consequently, the exceptions are added to the team salary (putting the team over the cap) if the team is under the cap and adding the exceptions puts them over the cap. If a team is already over the cap, then the exceptions are not added to their team salary. There would be no point in doing so, since there is no cap room for signing free agents.

So being under the cap does not necessarily mean a team has room to sign free agents. For example, assume the cap is $100 million, and a team has $90 million committed to salaries. It also has a Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception for $9 million and a trade exception for $6 million. Even though its salaries put it $10 million under the cap, its exceptions also count toward team salary, increasing the total to $105 million, or $5 million over the cap. So the team actually has no cap room to sign free agents, and instead must use its exceptions to sign players.

A team has the option to renounce its exceptions in order to reclaim its cap room. So in the example above, if the team renounced its Traded Player and Mid-Level exceptions, then the $15 million is taken off its team salary, which then totals $90 million, leaving the team with $10 million of cap room which then can be used to sign free agent(s)

Thanks for pointing this out, but I don't think it changes anything in the final analysis. A Boston team with Tatum, Beal, and two or three potentially high upside prospects (from its own tank and picks/prospects obtained) plus a $20 mil FA and a bunch of minimum dudes is better positioned for 2022-23 and for future seasons than where the Celtics are now.

[Resistance]

The teams with cap space might not necessarily be the teams that will have an interest in trading for the players that Boston wants to move. It could require large trades with the possibility of other teams expecting to shave off some value for themselves to justify their participation.

[Karate Diop]

Pairing Beal with Tatum does nothing to fix the Celtics issues. They need a playmaker and / or for at least one of their two top players to develop into one (which seems unlikely at this point).

[Andrew McCeltic]

Boston's not gutting the team to stay home on Friday night hoping Bradley Beal comes calling. And the minute they signal that, they halve the value of their players because it screams fire sale.

Short of a Jaylen Brown trade, the questions are what you can get other than expirings for their mid-level assets. Smart, Josh, Schroeder, maybe Juancho and Horford. And their TPE.

Only thing I've come up with is Schroeder to the Bulls for their run and Coby White coming back, who's a huge bust risk but has had his moments.

[eminence]

I'd love Smart in Utah, what would Bostons interest be in either Clarkson or Ingles (though trading Joe would make me sad)?

[VCfor3]

Yeah talk with Washington about turning it into a S&T. I'm sure they'd be all over Brown. If not then Memphis would be strongly after Brown. We would have to generate a little more cap space but it's very doable so our package could ultimately be pure cap space and a strong pick package if that is what you are after.

[psman2]

Boston's not gutting the team to stay home on Friday night hoping Bradley Beal comes calling. And the minute they signal that, they halve the value of their players because it screams fire sale.

Short of a Jaylen Brown trade, the questions are what you can get other than expirings for their mid-level assets. Smart, Josh, Schroeder, maybe Juancho and Horford. And their TPE.

Only thing I've come up with is Schroeder to the Bulls for their run and Coby White coming back, who's a huge bust risk but has had his moments.

I think you would have to add value to swap Schroeder for White. White has another cheapish year locked in. If Schroeder wants more than 120% of his current salary then the Bulls cannot resign him for that and he likely walks for more money.

[BK_2020]

Pairing Beal with Tatum does nothing to fix the Celtics issues. They need a playmaker and / or for at least one of their two top players to develop into one (which seems unlikely at this point).

It's not pairing Beal with Tatum, it's pairing Beal with Tatum and shedding all excess salary while gaining assets.
Also Beal and Tatum are developing into playmakers whereas Jaylen and Smart are unlikely to ever become playmaking threat--Jaylen because he can't pass, and Smart because no one respects his scoring.