What would you have done differently?

[mark at 10thumbs.org]

a few thoughts here Sean...

1. I don't think ORL let's Darko go for less than $9-10M (which IIRC would
still let them add a Rashard Lewis or Gerald Wallace).

2. Lets say they would do a S&T for Darko at $8M -- that would push us
over the lux tax the next 2 years (after this) assuming a max extension to
Big Al; we'd also lose Gomes and Allen b/c we'd be unable to resign them
(b/c of the lux tax).

3. RE: sign and trades --- as i've written before, it's all up to the team
holding a players rights and what they want/how helpful tehy want to be. 
For example, ORL might prefer Ratliff's contract from us (than Scal,
Telfair & Gomes) because it would give them the chance to add a big free
agent again next summer...

They might want (just as a total hypothetical) Boris Diaw from PHO b/c
they don't anyone else PHO might want.

They might simply refuse to do a sign and trade if Darko wanted to sign w/
Miami b/c they don't want him to go there so he'd have to settle for less
money. It all depends on the FA's destination.

It generally breaks down this way:  if Team A (ORL) is going to let a
player walk (Darko) they may do a sign-and-trade if (a) they don't mind
him going to that team, and (b) the other team has pieces they want and
that other team is willing to part with.  Those may simply be salaries
that better fit with TEAM A's salary cap projections...

Theorhetically, we could sign-and-trade Ratliff for Gerald Wallace, but
Charlotte wouldn't do that b/c they don't need the cap room... and
refusing to do so makes it harder for Wallace to leave.  Which is what DET
did when Ben Wallace left for CHI. Whereas when they saw Grant Hill was
leaving they opted to get Chucky Atkins and a young kid named Ben Wallace,
rather than letting Hill leave for nothing.

Likewise ORL could see if PHO will deal them, say, Kurt Thomas rather than
making Grant Hill sign for the MLE in PHO (which PHO won't b/c they need
Thomas' contract to expire to avoid the lux tax).

whew... sorry i dind't mean to go on so long.

(the other) mark



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I think if we could get him for 7.5 million a year on a five year deal that
the contract would be tradeable if it didnt work out.  He would still be
young enough and talented enough to make someone bite.  We have seen a lot
of guys overpaid for the midlevel or midlevel plus move around via trade.

The Celtics have done a good job working with big men in recent years
(specifically with Al and Perk) and it I think it would be interesting to
see how it played out with Darko.

I have always thought the Celtics should be trying to play moneyball as best
they can in the NBA.  They are financial have nots in the league because
they wont pay the tax and they arent the most desirable destination given
their lack of success over the last twenty years.

I think Ainge has done a good job of grabbing second rounders who can play
and provide great value per dollars spent on them.  He has even turned some
of his mistakes into value - Jiri Welsch says hello.  I think the team could
really benefit from having a "new age" assistant GM to work with Ainge at
finding guys that you could give a modest outlay and have a good chance of
them outperforming their contracts.  Someone mentioned Chuck Hayes and he
would be a low rent version of this.  However, when I look around the league
I would rather have Darko than a Kapono or Walton and a Rashard Lewis is
going to get 10 million to a max per annum.  Darko - to me - seems to have
the right combination of youth, size, skill, and price to take a gamble on.
At worst he and Perk combine to be a 11-12 million monster at the PF-C
slot.  Think of it as giving him modern day Blount money with a ceiling to
be much higher.

Out of all the fantastical moves that are being talked about, I would be
fine with adding Darko and lower priced tough big guy - Reggie Evans or
Chuck Hayes to give us some more oomph up front.

I dont know what it would cost in a trade, but historically teams dont get a
whole lot back in these sign and trades.  Maybe a pick, Scal, and Gomes?