Re: Baker, Wesley, Fox

[Jim McMaster <mcmaster@sweng.stortek.com>]

In message <v03007802afa9fef74d51@[198.70.236.92]>, Nault said:
> >     As for signing Fox and
> >     Wesley we can sign them for whatever we want using the Larry Bird
> >     clause.
> 
> Can you please explain this to me?  I have heard "the Larry Bird clause"
> mentioned a lot but I don't know what it is.  Does it mean that we can sign
> them for however much we want since they are our own players?  If so then
> why is everyone (including Rick Pitino) so worried that they won't have the
> cap money to sign Wesley?
>
Yes...the Larry Bird clause says you can pay whatever it takes to sign your 
own FAs, even if you are over the cap.  Teams do that all the time...leave 
your own FAs unsigned, so you are under the cap, spend yourself right up to 
it signing other FAs, then sign your own, putting yourself over.

The problem is, once you have done that, you are stuck with all your players 
for the terms of their contracts.  If one of them gets injured, or sucks, you 
can only sign a replacement for the NBA minimum.  If the Celtics go over the 
cap to sign Wesley and/of Fox, that locks them out of the FA market for 
years, unless they are willing to jettison players like Williams (next year) 
or Walker (the year after).  Even then, you can only sign FAs that fit under 
the cap.

One of the GMs, it might have even been Red, said something like, "Be sure 
you are very happy with your team before you put yourself over the cap.

Are we happy with the Celtics now?
- -- 
Jim McMaster
mailto:mcmaster@sweng.stortek.com