Mike Miller, Matt Barnes as potential Celtics?
Miller ain't worth more than the mid-level exception, but I wouldn't mind him in Green.
The Boston Herald tossed Mike Miller and Matt Barnes’ names out there as potential free agents the Celtics might target. Red’s Army also mentioned Barnes as a possible option.
But the Celts could conceivably strike free agent gold here if Mike Miller, a Rivers favorite dating back to their time together in Orlando, has his value knocked down to mid-level range. Miller, the Washington swingman, told a local paper this week that he wants his next team to be a winner. [...]
Once free agency begins, noted irritant and reality TV star Matt Barnes can exercise the option on a $1.6 million contract. The Magic small forward is the kind of player Celtics fans could learn to love.
First of all, does Mike Miller really have to have “his value knocked down to mid-level range???” I mean, what’s the going rate nowadays for a player who missed 28 games last season because of injury, is pretty much one-dimensional, and doesn’t play a lick of defense? I know Miller is a hell of a shooter and you could argue he’s an underrated playmaker, but any team that gives Mike Miller more than the mid-level exception is a team destined for mediocrity.
Either way, I would love Miller or Barnes on the Celtics. One thing the Celtics have lacked since James Posey left is a backup wing who can shoot from deep. Posey always did a great job of spreading the floor, something Tony Allen does about as well as my left butt cheek. We thought Michael Finley could finally be the perimeter threat the Celtics needed, until he remembered later in the season that he was nothing more than a walking corpse. I’d love to see someone with deep range coming off the bench (and who isn’t completely and totally washed up — I’m looking at you, Fin) to spell Ray and Paul. (Keep ‘em both, Danny!)
P.S. – Funny story about Mike Miller. He wore the Lebron shoes to practice one day in Washington and Deshawn Stevenson told him, “We don’t wear these around here.” Then Lebron came to Miller’s back, saying the two were great friends and that Miller actually named his son after Lebron’s best friend, Maverick Carter. Lebron’s final words of support were this: “For an unathletic white guy, these are the best shoes to wear.”
Moral of the story: Any time you’re labeled “an unathletic white guy,” teams should stay away from offering you more than the mid-level exception.
P.P.S. – Another funny story about Mike Miller. He once played for team USA. No punch line necessary.
Related posts:
Celtics Blog, Featured | Jay King | June 22, 2010
Boston Celtics, Danny Ainge, Lebron James, Matt Barnes, Mike Miller, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen
I agree, someone able to spread the floor when Paul and Ray are on the bench would be key. But my question is, how do you get him AND Ray? If Paul takes his option, there’s no cap room, the only way to sign Ray is to beg him to take the MLE.
If Paul opts out and restructures, you clear about 11 million cap, to sign Paul, Ray, and Mike Miller (one of them with the MLE?) Only way that works is to give Paul and Ray 3+ years, and prorate the deal to pay them less in year 1, and increase in later years, when KGs money comes off the books and they have more cap room. I.e. paying them say 35mil for 3 years, 5mil in year 1, and 12.5 in years 2 and 3.
Not saying it’s impossible, but all this talk goes out the window anyway if Paul takes his option.
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They can sign Ray to any deal they want, if I’m not mistaken. He has “Bird rights,” which allow the Celtics to sign him to a contract that exceeds the salary cap. So they’d be able to re-sign Ray and use their mid-level on somebody else.
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Good point, completely forgot about Bird rights.
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bebes divertidos
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