Even if the Celtics miss out on the LeBron James sweepstakes, they’ll still have more than enough salary-cap room to make a few smaller splashes.
•It all starts in-house with Rajon Rondo, who Danny Ainge refused to trade for Kevin Garnett in 2007. Rondo will be a restricted free agent in 2010, and it’s likely Ainge will try to lock up his star point guard with a long-term deal prior to then.
•After that, it’s a free-for-all. There are currently 15 teams with less than $30 million in salaries committed in 2010-11, not including player and team options, so there is plenty of money to go around for about two dozen high-profile players.
•Amare Stoudemire, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh join LeBron James on the grand-prize list, but the Celtics might be better served to keep their focus narrowed toward the likes of former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Camby, former Celtic Ryan Gomes, Raja Bell, Richard Hamilton and Mike Miller, who played for Doc Rivers in Orlando.
•There’s also Ray Allen, who will turn 35 in the summer of 2010 and has probably warmed up to the idea of retiring in Boston.
•No James, no problem. The Celtics are still in position to make an impact during the biggest free-agent season in league history.
History cannot often be told ahead of time, but July 1, 2010, is set to go down as one of the most remarkable days ever in the NBA.
A cast of superstars that includes gold medalists, Most Valuable Players and world champions will be available on the free agent market, with none more anticipated than superstar LeBron James, who is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract that day.
But while so many assume the James chase will come down to the Nets and Knicks in order for James to quench his thirst for the spotlight and marketability options in New York, it’s worth wondering: Why not Boston?
If James is sincere with his desire to be a peer among Michael Jordan and the game’s all-time greats, the Celtics can give him instant credibility.
Plus, the chance to play with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Kendrick Perkins and likely Rajon Rondo would give James an inside track at a title that still eludes him.
If money is the ultimate factor for James, though, it becomes more complicated for the Celtics, who have Garnett, Pierce and Perkins on the books in 2010-11 for $44.6 million. And in Boston’s best-case scenario, they’ll sign restricted free agent Rondo for his qualifying offer of $3.8 million, bringing the C’s total to $48.4 million.
Based on the last three seasons, Metro projects the 2010-11 salary cap to be $64.6 million, leaving the Celtics $16.2 million of free space, not including cap exceptions that can be used to sign other players. That, in turn, would give the Celtics a chance to offer James a five-year deal worth $95 million.
However, the NBA gives teams an advantage toward re-signing their stars. With that, the Cavaliers can offer James an extra year at more money without worrying about the salary cap. Based on Metro’s projected cap, the Cavs can offer James a maximum salary of six years and $145.1 million.
Other teams with enough cap space can offer a max contract of five years and $113.7 million. Clearly, the Celtics can’t compete with those salary figures, but athletes in Boston clean up with endorsement deals.
Plus, James would be 30 years old in 2015 when his five-year deal expired with the Celtics, giving him a rare chance to sign a second huge contract while still in his prime.
James will certainly be looking for his gold, and he’ll get it, too.
That’s when the Celtics can remind him of the color of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
