Agree 100%. I love Smart. But Cuban has the money to make that godfather offer, and presently the Mavs are $35M below the 90% salary floor (or maybe more, depending on what happens with Nowitzski and McDermott). Someone is going to get paid in Dallas, and I haven't heard any rumors about big name free agents going there. Cuban is also the kind of owner who would love to stick a pin into Ainge and twist it a little.
Rozier's leap this year has actually made it MORE likely that Smart remains in Boston since you aren't going to pay your backup PG the type of money he'll be able to receive as another teams starter which Rozier certainly will be. Smart's injury probably cooled his market to where keeping Rozier over Smart longterm doesn't appear to be an option now.
Well, to be fair, many of us want to get rid of him
It's not really Smart vs. Rozier, either. It's most likely Smart or neither since Rozier isn't going to be happy spending his prime as a sixth man and Boston isn't likely to pay what it will take to keep him there.
Cuban has, for the most part, managed his cap well and hasn't let emotions (aside from his sentimental attachment to his future HoFer Nowitzki) color his actions. If he throws 4/80 at a backup guard we'll know that he's officially gone senile.
What about 3/45 with year 3 being a team option? I won't even get into paying more up front as a signing bonus, trade kickers and all of that. Does Ainge match?
The NBA cap is a bit difficult, but I believe the Celtics cannot currently sign anyone until they dump 15 million in 2019 salary. Dumping Morris (8 million), Yabu (3.1), and Nader (1.6) still leaves them 2 million short. So Rozier (4.3) would have to go, but then if you sign Smart and go back over the cap (but under luxury), I have no idea how you fill out a roster. Probably with exceptions I don’t fully understand, but the bench is taking a hit unless you flip one of them for assets that immediately cash in.*
With all due respect, the NBA cap is a soft cap. A team could have a $200M payroll if it were willing to pay the tax. The Celtics have full Bird rights in Smart and if they so desired, could give him a 5 year deal starting at 25% of the cap ($24,773,250 under the present $99M cap). In fact they have full Bird rights in every player except four: Baynes, Monroe, Larkin and Theis.
I think it’s both hard and soft. You can go above the cap if you are below the cap when someone signs, but you cannot sign someone if you are above the cap. So if the Celtics were 5 under the cap, they could sign Smart to a 20 million dollar deal and be fine as they stay under the luxury cap, but if they are 2 million over the cap, they couldn’t sign Smart for even one million. They are currently 15 million over the cap for 2019, (but still below the luxury tax line). I believe this means they need to shed salary before they can sign anyone.
You can sign your own players in perpetuity for the maximum number of years and dollars possible if you're willing to pay the tax.
A hard cap only exists is a team does certain things to trigger it (use non-tax payer MLE, use BAE, engage in a sign and trade). In addition, that hard cap is not the salary cap, it is a number that is north of both the salary cap and the luxury tax line. Its referred to as the apron, and it is 6MM above whatever the tax line is for the league year. Basically, its a way of limiting what teams who have taken advantage of certain exemptions that are only available to non-taxpayers can do given that choice.
Thank you both!
Theoretically, yes. But they will have big ticket re-siginings coming soon for Kyrie, then Jaylen, then Jason.
True, but Al and Hayward are coming off as Brown and Tatum are due, respectively. The only way they’d ever be able to come back is on the cheap anyway. Hopefully they’re willing to take massive cuts, but I would never count on it.
I think Horford will, at least. He's going to be the right age for it, loves it here, and is becoming the David Ortiz Honorary Godfather of Boston Sports before our eyes.
The NBA doesn't have a hard cap, anyone that they have Bird Rights to can be re-signed without regards to the cap. The only guys on their roster that they can't re-sign to whatever they like are Theis (two year deal) and Baynes/Monroe/Larkin (one year deals). They have Bird Rights everywhere else.
More precisely takes the reduced annual salary in return for a five year deal where the last couple will be clear overpays (say something like four to five years in the $16-$18 million per range) in order to reduce salary and tax hit in the early years (a la Pierce's final contract with Boston).
I believe nighthob addressed it upthread in that the NBA salary cap is a soft cap; Bird rights apply to certain players, which would include Smart and Rozier.
I think Smart makes sense for any team with playoff hopes, but that team must have two guards who can shoot. The Celts have that in KI and JB, so Smart can pair with either one. Smart can cover small/quick guys if he's paired with JB; he can cover big guys if he's paired with KI.
There was a reset last year, but teams still did make some signings that probably have Smart thinking he can get some decent coin from someone.
Yep. I have two words for anyone who is sure that the big offer won't be there--Evan Turner. Ainge wouldn't match the 2018 equivalent of that deal, nor should he.
To what extent does the surprising success of both Rozier AND Smart hurt both each of their markets because one has to wonder how much is Brad's system and genius, complicating what each might be worth to some other team?
I've resigned myself to the insane 3 point attempts because I believe him/them when it is said that Brad tells him to keep shooting. I have to assume, then, that it's part of his spacing genius and opening the floor...
Evan Turner happened the summer that the entire NBA had room for max deals. Some teams with room for multiple max deals. This summer there are eight teams. Most of whom aren’t in the market to sign a sixth man to an 80% max deal.
Smart's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
I'm willing to go on the record as the latter. I'd be very surprised if he got over $10M AAV.
He's not a star yet. He's good. He's a rising player with a very bright future. But he's not a star yet. Remember, going into this season, he averaged 13.9 minutes a game. Even this year, through the first 47 games, he averaged just 23.0 minutes. I mean, good minutes, but not remotely star minutes. From that point on, he averaged 30.0 minutes a game, and in the playoffs, it's been 37.1.
Dallas has been the spot I've thought is the most likely spot to land if he leaves Boston as well.
I'm pretty skeptical of a team in Dallas' position in the rebuilding cycle wanting Smart. I guess they could talk themselves into it if they think he could help lay down a winning culture and defensive mentality for young guys, which is something the Celtics seem to value a lot from him.
You have to remember that teams need to hit the salary floor too. I think has some work to do to get to the floor for next year.
If a team makes a significant (i.e. more than the MLE) offer to Smart its not going to be because of the floor. There is no actual requirement that a team get above the floor with player salaries. Teams under the floor just have to pay he delta to their existing roster. Even if there was a requirement, the smarter play is to sign guys to one or two year deals, not make a long term commitment.
They don't really need to reach the salary floor, and this early in the rebuilding process you're better off signing some Amir Johnson types to provide clubhouse stability. I'm pretty sure that Dallas wants one more bite of the lottery apple to help assemble their new core.
Sure, but those "better ones" must want to go there, and why would they? Smart is from Dallas area and has a mother with cancer who lives in the area. It might be a more attractive destination for him.
