From reading the forums, it seems like a lot of people have questions about the collective bargaining agreement, the waiver process, free agency, the salary cap, etc. Currently, we have a FAQ thread stickied at the top of the Celtics Talk forum . I will be updating that thread at some point in the future, and would invite anybody to submit questions to me. Please PM me with any questions, and I'll try to update this FAQ when I get a chance.
To answer a few of the more common questions:
1. When is the deadline for adding players to our roster? Can we sign Sam Cassell or anybody else after March 1?
A free agent can sign with our team at any point between now and the end of the regular season. However, to be eligible for our playoff roster, that player must have been waived no later than 11:59pm EST on Saturday, March 1. So long as a player is waived by that date, it won't matter when they sign, so long as it's before the end of the regular season.
2. Can another team claim Sam Cassell on waivers?
Yes. Sam Cassell has a salary this season of approximately $6.1 million. Any team that is either $6.1 million below the cap, or has a traded player / injured player exception of $6.1 million or greater can claim him.
The only playoff caliber teams that fit the above criteria are (to my knowledge) are the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, both of whom have large trade exceptions. However, it is unlikely that either team puts in a waiver claim, for various reasons (team needs, the threat of a disgrunted player / agent, luxury tax, etc.)
3. When can Sam Cassell play for our team?
He's set to clear waivers around 6pm EST on Monday. He has said that he will be in Boston when he clears, and it is anticipated that he will sign a contract shortly thereafter. Our next game after that is Wednesday's game against the Pistons.
4. How many players can we have on our playoff roster?
We can have 15 players on the roster, and 12 available for each game, just like in the regular season. The NBA changed this rule prior to last year's playoffs, due to complaints from teams that it was unfair to have a reduced playoff roster. Teams can determine the 12 active players on a per-game basis.
5. How much are we / will we be paying Sam Cassell / P.J. Brown?
P.J. Brown is getting paid a prorated share of the veteran's minimum, which for players of Brown's experience is $1,219,590. Hoopshype estimates the pro-rated share of that salary due to Brown is $474,285. Boston is not responsible for the entirety of that amount, however, as the NBA picks up approximately 1/3 of that amount. Boston is only responsible for a prorated share of $770,610. That means, in terms of actual dollars, the team will be paying Brown approximately $300,000. That amount will get doubled due to the luxury tax, meaning Wyc is paying an extra $600,000 for having P.J. on board.
If Cassell signs for the veteran's minimum (which is expected) the same analysis as above applies, and we'd be paying him the exact same amount. However, we can also give Cassell a pro-rated share of something called the "bi-annual exception". The pro-rating rules are a little more complicated for this, but long story short, the most we could pay Cassell is approximately $1.3 million, which would be doubled under the luxury tax.
That's it for now, but again, PM me with any questions regarding similar type things, and I'll do my best to answer in a future post. Questions can be about things pertaining to this season, or rules related to free agency, salary cap exceptions, etc. I'm trying to stay away from opinion questions, but anything related to league rules, I can hopefully help out with.
(Also, while I have your attention, I'll remind everybody about bboncorr26's ticket giveaway. Rules are posted in the off-topic forum; please send all inquiries to him via private message.)