Gotta say… that Lakers funeral was awesome yesterday. Yes, Red's Army was there. And yes, that's us much closer to the bar entrance than the parade. Lucky for me and Chuck, we're both tall enough to stay virtually tethered to the bar… while still getting a fantastic view of the parade.
I've got a TON of pictures to go through from the parade… taken by both RedsArmy.com and our readers (thanks for all your emails. Feel free to send more if you'd like). So I'll have to work on that and post a link or two later. There will also probably be dozens of YouTube clips.
But for now… it's time to get back to business. And what has shaken out to be the number 1 off-season story right now is resigning James Posey. The Mongoose (I'm REALLY trying to get that nickname to stick) can opt out of the $3.4 million and everyone expects him to do so.
So what will it take? What should it take? What if he leaves? What if he… GULP… goes to the Lakers??
I'm gonna guess that Poz won't go start somewhere because a team that would look for him to start probably doesn't have the championship caliber squad he'd be looking for. If he opts out of $3.4 million… what can he expect to get on the open market? $5 mil? 6? At 31, he's not going to hang around TOO much longer, but he's proven he's a perfect guy off the bench that can both defend and hit clutch jumpers.
The real question is how much luxury tax is this team willing to pay? Last season, the luxury tax threshold was $67.8 mil. The C's payroll was about $74 mil. So that's about $7 mil. in luxury tax money paid by the team. However… I'm sure they made that, and more, by winning the title (mostly from people like me, who have spent 3 paychecks on championship gear). The cap, and the tax threshold will grow.. but so will the payroll. The players currently under contract (including Posey) push the payroll a little closer to $75 million… but that's without Eddie House… and that's without whatever extra Poz could get.
What can the Celtics offer Posey to keep him? Off the top of my very exhausted head… I think maybe 2 or 3 years… $5 or $6 mil. per year could do it. My hope is that he looks around, sees what he has here in Boston… and decides that a $2 mil./year raise and more rings is enough to make him happy. Maybe he looked out over that parade and thought "there's no way I'll get this kind of love somewhere else." Listening to him talk DURING the parade (6:13 mark)… you can tell there is no way he expected that kind of turnout.
My fear is that a Western Conference contender will try to make a move on Posey. Utah, I believe, is under the cap… so I'd expect them to make him an offer. I'm sure some teams out west will offer a mid-level exception (which last year was $5.3 mil) because he was such a lock-down guy on Kobe. Those Western want to get past LA, and Posey will help them. Here's hoping Poz sticks around.
By the way…. that link is a 30 minute chunk of the rally. You can go here to hear Scott Pollard and Ray live it up… Doc Rivers shocked at the turnout… Wyc Grousbeck guaranteeing another parade (I know… burying the lead)… and Big Baby being a (shirtless) Big Baby.
Herald: Who's up for an encore | Ray Allen: Silent Assassin | Rondo: Young but not restless | Perkins: What a Perk | House: House call a big help | Everyone played a role | Glen Davis: Oh baby what a find | Well worth Paul's wait | KG: Complete package | Powe: Heart and soul | Playoff Replay: NBA Finals | 38 specials add punch | We're public enemy #1 | Rondo right on the money | Doc: Right man for the job | Globe: Hoop Heaven | Rally Photos | Fans honor Auerbach with victory cigars | Doc basks in the glow | Fan, 77, basks in revelries with grandson | Role players get special respect | Fans swarm as 1
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