Source: Kings agree to deal for Cassell

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2008/0317/nba_g_cassell_580.jpg

The Sacramento Kings agreed in principle to a deal with the Boston Celtics on Monday night, a league source told ESPN.com. The Celtics will send Sam Cassell and cash to the Kings for a future second-round pick.



Cassell

Barring any changes overnight, the deal is expected to be finalized Tuesday afternoon with the league office.

The deal helps the Celtics by removing Cassell's salary from the team's luxury-tax computations. The Kings give up virtually nothing to do it as the pick is heavily protected. Furthermore, another league source says the deal could pave the way for the Celtics to add another player to their roster prior to the playoffs. The Celtics had a maximum of 15 players on their current roster.

Cassell hasn't played a game for the Celtics this season, but he's been an important veteran voice in the locker room. While it's unclear what the Kings will do with Cassell, most likely they'll waive him.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3912402

[Ghazi]

lol nice pic

[bostonguy]

Um ok. Hey Doc and Danny, we still lack a backup small foward.

[Kori Ellis]

I'm guessing this is just a precursor trade to another trade coming tomorrow for the Celtics.

[mogrovejo]

I'm guessing this is just a precursor trade to another trade coming tomorrow for the Celtics.

Or a FA addition.

Kings will waive Cassell, but he'd be the ideal mentor for Bobby Brown - an hidden gem.

[ploto]

I'm guessing this is just a precursor trade to another trade coming tomorrow for the Celtics.

Or the signing of Robert Horry!

[Thunder Dan]

the Celtics have no trade assets. All their key guys make all the money, and the fringe guys make nothing. They can't trade Davis, Powe or House- the rest of that bench is tradeable, but they don't have the contracts to really bring anything worth trading for in return

[SenorSpur]

Or the signing of Robert Horry!

Not that I care where he goes, but Robert Horry aint signing with the Celtics. Unless, of course, he and Danny Ainge have met for dinner and all is forgiven from that Horry "towel-throwing" incident.

[Mugen]

losing Posey and PJ Brown will end up being the reason why the C's don't repeat this year.

But yeah trading Gollum probably means they are making a move for someone else soon.

[Thunder Dan]

guys, they can't trade for anyone. They have absolutely 0 assets. This move was made so they can be in position to sign a player bought out after the deadline.

Look at who they could afford to trade and their contracts
Gabe Pruitt $711,500
Bill Walker $500,000
Scalabrine $3,200,000
O'Bryant $800,000
Giddons $980,000

The only trade assets they have are Rondo and Perkins- and they aren't trading any of those guys. They would have to trade all of the guys listed above to bring in a player of impact- and even so, that guy would only be making about $5,000,000. They have no trades to make, their only option is a decent vet gets traded to a crap team and when bought out they want to come play in Boston- they are clearing an extra $800k for that- not a trade

[DPG21920]

Maybe Tinsley is being released?

[mogrovejo]

Guys, this was first and foremost a financial deal. Trading Cassell allows the C's to save the luxury tax money of his entire contract (aprox. $800K) plus whatever he still has to get this season ($300K). So, Boston doesn't spend that $1.1M they send $500 K to the Kings, the Kings pay Sam and they keep $200 K in their pockets for nothing. The roster spot can be filled with Sam himself after he's released (this time it won't count for the tax), another veteran FA, some guy who's going to be bought out from a NBA team or a player who's currently in Europe. Or to get someone from a multi-team trade, a player with a long but not so big contract. I'm fairly certain it's not decided yet.



The only trade assets they have are Rondo and Perkins- and they aren't trading any of those guys.

Plus $3 million in cash, plus draft pick, plus FA that can be re-signed till the end of the season then traded, a la Van Horn. You forgot TA in your calculations btw (and that Powe and Davis can be moved).

[bostonguy]

guys, they can't trade for anyone. They have absolutely 0 assets. This move was made so they can be in position to sign a player bought out after the deadline.

Look at who they could afford to trade and their contracts
Gabe Pruitt $711,500
Bill Walker $500,000
Scalabrine $3,200,000
O'Bryant $800,000
Giddons $980,000

The only trade assets they have are Rondo and Perkins- and they aren't trading any of those guys. They would have to trade all of the guys listed above to bring in a player of impact- and even so, that guy would only be making about $5,000,000. They have no trades to make, their only option is a decent vet gets traded to a crap team and when bought out they want to come play in Boston- they are clearing an extra $800k for that- not a trade


Thank you for your obsessive input cavs fan.

[Thunder Dan]

Plus $3 million in cash, plus draft pick, plus FA that can be re-signed till the end of the season then traded, a la Van Horn. You forgot TA in your calculations btw (and that Powe and Davis can be moved).

Who wants a Powe or Davis expiring contract of $800,000? The reason a team would trade for those guys would be for potential, but they each only have one year left before they hit free agency- so it would have to be a salary dump and no team needs to dump $800k that bad. I'm guessing that if the Celtics were to make a trade, they would want a impact player- I doubt trading away 2 key guys from their bench would offset that. Any big trades for the Celtics are a pipe dream, that is why there were talks of them signing Marbury- no team that had trade options would sign him, but it was and still is one of their only resorts



Thank you for your obsessive input cavs fan.

Sorry, I read an article about the Celtic's situation back when the Marbury rumors were going down- it pretty much said the Celtics are the same team you will see in May unless they can get a guy through a buyout.