Deal Leaves Boston with Nine Players under Contract

August 1, 2007

As executive director of basketball operations/general manager Danny Ainge beamed next to Kevin Garnett last night during a news conference announcing the Celtics' acquisition of the 10-time All-Star, it was easy to imagine a slightly altered version of a popular commercial.

Voiceover: Danny, you've just pulled off the biggest deal of your career. What will you do next?

While Ainge will spend time with his family in Southern California, about 70 miles south of Disneyland, he will have little opportunity to bask in the afterglow of the 5-for-1 blockbuster that sent Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, two first-round picks, and cash to Minnesota in exchange for Garnett. Ainge's to-do list is long as the Celtics hope to fill out their roster at a reasonable cost. Because Boston has nine players under contract (three short of the league minimum), Ainge needs to add players through free agency or trades.

"We don't think these three guys can win a championship [alone]," said Ainge, referring to Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. "These guys need supporting players. I don't want to get ahead of ourselves. There's hope right now, but we haven't won anything yet and we haven't done anything yet. And we're not done yet. We still have work to do."

With the departures of Delonte West (draft night deal with Seattle) and Telfair, the Celtics need a veteran backup point guard to complement Rajon Rondo, second-round pick Gabe Pruitt, and Tony Allen, who has played some point in the past. The Celtics remain supremely confident in Rondo, but they also recognize with Garnett (31), Allen (32), and Pierce (30 Oct. 13) they have a three- or four-year window to win an NBA championship.

If Rondo does not progress as quickly as expected, the Celtics will need someone who can distribute the ball to their big three. Brevin Knight, Juan Carlos Navarro, Keith McLeod, and Gary Payton come to mind. And Garnett might push for former teammate Troy Hudson. The Timberwolves have agreed to buy out his contract, which would make him a free agent.

The Celtics and Washington Wizards have talked recently about exchanging the rights to Navarro, according to Navarro's agent, Alex Saratsis. Drafted in 2002, Navarro has remained with FC Barcelona the past five seasons because of a prohibitive buyout clause in his contract. If an NBA team agrees in principle to sign Navarro before the end of business Friday, Barcelona will let him go with his buyout reduced to $3 million, which can be paid over several years.

"From what he could bring to a team and his level of experience, he is probably the most affordable guard on the market," said Saratsis, who noted the 27-year-old's quickness, understanding of the game, and shooting ability.

But the Celtics may be more concerned about cost than talent at this point. If Boston signs its two second-round picks for the rookie league minimum ($427,163), the team will be roughly $1 million under the luxury tax threshold ($67.865 million) with 11 players under contract.

With the Celtics almost certainly entering luxury tax territory in 2008-09, they probably want to at least try to avoid the 2-for-1 tariff this season. So, don't look for Boston to spend its midlevel exception (worth $5.4 million) or anything but a portion of its biannual exception (worth almost $2 million). The most cost-effective route may be one-year veteran minimum deals where the league would pay a portion of the salary. That would mean a Payton type. If wading into luxury tax waters doesn't overly concern ownership, then Knight might be a better option.

After all, what's another $5 or $6 million after signing Garnett to a three-year, $60 million extension, with the trade kicker factored into the equation? And, knowing the vital role point guards play, why skimp there? If the Celtics are going to pay the luxury tax, why not pay it as a result of acquiring a player they believe is valuable as opposed to a player who might be merely a stopgap?

"We're thin," said coach Doc Rivers. "Clearly, we need a little more help. But it's sure better talking about shoring up the bench than talking about shoring up the starting lineup."