A sign-and-trade for Terry is a brilliantly simple cap move for Boston

I’ve been able to learn a lot about the new salary cap structure recently.  I’ve picked up a few of the nuances, but not all of them.  Sometimes in the pursuit of being creative within the system, I overlook a simple solution to a problem that can dramatically change the Celtics’ offseason.  This is one such solution:  A sign-and-trade for Jason Terry.

In regard to outgoing players, Jason Terry still hasn’t signed with Boston, but that deal has been agreed upon. Apparently, the only holdup is whether the Mavericks can figure out a way to sign-and-trade Terry rather than simply losing him in free agency for nothing.

It might be a way to get Terry a few more dollars, and it might net the Mavericks a second-round draft pick or something like that for the future.

A second round pick, you say?  Well, the Celtics were just handed a second round pick from Oklahoma City via Charlotte.  That’s an asset they didn’t have before, and they could easily give it to Dallas in an unbalanced trade (which is allowed because Dallas is under the cap).  That would bring Terry into the fold for the same amount of money… but then it would free up the full, non-taxpayer mid-level exception… which is $5 million per year. 

And all of a sudden, guys like Courtney Lee and, maybe, OJ Mayo, are back in play. 

It’s so simple, yet it’s so brilliant.  Dallas gets something (maybe more than just the 2nd rounder, who knows?) where before they had nothing.  And Boston gets something and then maybe an even bigger something. 

UPDATE: It may take more than just the pick to acquire Terry.  I may have been confused about the mechanisms of the trade that would get him to Boston.  

One possible scenario would be sending Dooling out in a sign-and-trade, cash out (the Celtics have up to $3 million to send out in a trade) to pay for the deal, Sean Williams (unguaranteed contract) and the 2nd round pick.  Still not giving up much, but you gain that flexibility.

Nothing is done yet, but his is a potential game-changer for this offseason

(via CelticsTown)