The long wait to sign Marquis Daniels is ending. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald has it…
According to sources, the Celtics expect to sign the 6-foot-6 swingman tomorrow to a contract for the biannual exception.
Instead of being able to use the biannual exception on another player, it must be used to claim Daniels. I think both parties are disappointed.
The question is…did the Celtics have enough ammunition to make it work?
Twenty eight other teams apparently said no.
Here are the players that Danny had to work with:
1) Brian Scalabrine $3.4 (expiring)
2) Eddie House $2.8 (expiring)
3) Tony Allen $2.5 (expiring)
4) JR Giddens $1 mil
5) Bill Wallker $736,000
Besides Tony Allen, did Danny actually offer Larry anyone else?
You have to look at it this way….Indiana let Daniels walk without any compensation whatsoever. I can understand the Pacers not taking Tony Allen. He is a decent player but doesn’t fit the profile that Larry Bird is looking for. But I guess that even overtures to any of the other NBA teams came up short on a Tony Allen 3 way.
So…was that Danny’s best effort? Oh well, Marquis. Sorry. or…..
Did he offer Brian Scalabrine? Or was there a Tony Allen and Bill Walker auction? Rumors said that DA didn’t even want to give up JR Giddens. Or was that just a little juke to interest teams that he was never called on?
Was there a chance that Eddie House was shopped with the idea that a Salim Stoudamire, Steve Novack or Flip Murray could be brought in a vet minimum deal to replace the long ball?
Would you trade House, when you can have Daniels and House, a player that is familiar with the system and excelled in it last season?
It seems that Daniels gave up important leverage when he made that agreement. Now, maybe this is the only team he wanted to play for and that would be understandable. The Celtics are Finals (or bust) bound. The length of the wait suggested that Danny kept working on trying to get a sign and trade deal until there were no stones left unturned.
One would think that Danny tried every trick in the book to make a deal but simply came up short.
Obviously, Brian Scalabrine’s $3.4 mil would have been a nice clean swap, especially with Sheldon Williams and Glen Davis signed. Yes, I understand that Scal’s game is different from either of those two and losing him meant losing a hustle guy, some depth at big, an active defender who was hitting that open three pointer, and some major team spirit. Maybe those are reasons why Danny didn’t offer up Brian.
OTH.. Brian’s concussion history from last season would make any team think carefully about trading anyone of significance for him. But, OTH…. what about the concept of expiring contracts? Wouldn’t a team near, at or over the cap want that double relief that either would bring?
The other wild card could have been New Jersey, and that would have thrown Glen Davis in the mix on a 3 way. They have a number of mix and match players at low contract numbers and reasonable enough talent for those numbers. I would have loved to hear the possibilities being thrown around when those Net rumors were flying.
The long and short of it…. was a strange and futile negotiation phase that never came to fruition beyond its last resort – signing for one year for the Biannual Exception.
The potential drawback is that it is a one year deal, as opposed to a 2-3 deal that could have locked Daniels up if a sign and trade was effected. Assuming a S&T in the 3 million range, and a reasonably healthy year, the Celtics would have locked up Marquis for a few more years. If Daniels can’t stay healthy or doesn’t fit as well as many think he will, it could be a blessing in disguise.
We simply don’t know what was offered (and rejected) and what was not.
But, in the end, it looks like Danny got a player he wanted, and a decent one, at a very good price. Marquis Daniels will sign soon and he will strengthen this team, as long as he can stay healthy.
And Generalissimo Francisco Franco will finally stay dead.
