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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
Catching Up on Free Agent News
Saturday, August 8, 2009
by FLCeltsFan 1:29 PM
First, as I posted below, Yahoo is reporting that Big Baby is close to signing a 2 year contract to stay with the Celtics.
Glen “Big Baby” Davis is close to signing a two-year contract to stay with the Boston Celtics, a league source told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.
The deal is expected to be signed early next week.
Davis tried to get several teams to offer him the mid-level exception, but a depressed financial market made it hard for that to happen. A handful of teams – including Detroit, New Orleans and New Jersey – discussed sign-and-trade scenarios with the Celtics, but Boston general manager Danny Ainge never wanted to lose him.
The Herald also corroborates the story that the Celtics are close to a deal with Big Baby, adding that it may include a 3rd year at player option.
Two league sources confirmed that Davis, a restricted free agent, is about a sign a contract for two years, and possibly a third with a player option. Though Davis will not earn the mid-level money he had initially hoped for, the contract is said to represent a “significant increase” over his rookie deal.
The length of the contract would also enable Davis to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2011 after a frustrating 2009 in which he garnered interest, but no offers, from other teams.
This contract would leave him an unrestricted free agent when it is over. Big Baby still has to prove himself to get the big payoff he was looking for this seeason, so it won't be like other players such as Mark Blount that gets his contract and then doesn't have to prove himself any more.
So, it is likely that Big Baby will return as our back up PF with Sheed filling in as the back up center. This news makes me happy. Even with Shelden Williams in the fold, you can never have too many bigs. Williams and Big Baby bring different things to the table just as Leon and Big Baby did last season. Some games, Williams will get more minutes and some games Big Baby will. It is also possible that one player will distinguish himself while the other will sit because he isn't contributing, as happened with O'Bryant. This also gives us more depth on the bench in case of injuries through the season.
The Herald article also gives us more information on the status of the Daniels deal.
The Celtics also want to wrap up business with free agent swingman Marquis Daniels by the end of the week. They had hoped to arrange a sign-and-trade deal with Indiana - in part to give Daniels a heftier salary, and in part to move guard Tony Allen. But Pacers president Larry Bird, who is attempting to change a pattern of bad off-court behavior associated with Indiana, was said to be staunchly opposed to bringing on the troubled Allen.
The Celtics have not found a third team to help facilitate a sign-and-trade arrangement with the Pacers, meaning that Daniels will most likely sign for the $1.9 million biannual exception. He has made a verbal commitment to join the Celtics - either by a sign-and-trade deal or for the biannual exception.
So, they still haven't found a 3rd team and Larry Bird doesn't want Tony Allen. Apparently, The only name that keeps popping up is Tony Allen. The articles don't say that Larry doesn't want Scal, Tony, Giddens or Walker. They all say that Larry doesn't want Tony Allen. You have to wonder if Tony is the only player that Danny is offering to try to make this deal work. If nothing else changes, it looks like the Celtics will have to use their LLE to sign Daniels and maybe promise him a bigger payday next year if he plays well.
This also gives them 14 players under contract with Big Baby, Daniels, and Williams signed. They still need a back up point guard since we don't even have Gabe to fall back on now. our only PG options are Daniels, who isn't a true point guard and should be Pierce's back up, not Rondo's, and House. If Danny has to use the LLE to sign Daniels, he will have to find a point guard who will sign for the veteran's minimum.
Speaking of point guards, here is also the newest info on Stephon Marbury. From Yahoo's article on Big Baby, Wojo includes this sentence:
Boston no longer has interest in re-signing guard Stephon Marbury.
This doesn't come as any surprise. If the Celtics had offered him a vet minimum contract at one time as had been reported, then his recent escapades on Justin TV probably changed their minds. Can't say as I blame them.
[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
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