Here's a breakdown of the Cavaliers-Celtics deal:
Cavaliers get: Guard Keith Bogans
Celtics get: Guard John Lucas III, forwards Erik Murphy, Dwight Powell and Malcolm Thomas, and Sacramento Kings' 2015 and 2017 second-round picks.
Cleveland Cavaliers: A
Even after adding LeBron James and Kevin Love this offseason, the Cavaliers' front office remains hard at work. Their pursuit: nonguaranteed contracts that can be used to add another key piece next summer. Earlier, Cleveland turned the guaranteed contract of forward Carrick Felix into non-guaranteed deals for Murphy, Powell and Thomas worth a combined $3.4 million. Now, they've consolidated those three into Bogans' larger $5.3 million nonguaranteed contract.
Besides increasing their purchasing power, the Cavaliers have also given themselves more time to use the nonguaranteed contract as cap relief for another team. Bogans' contract is fully nonguaranteed through January, when all salaries become fully guaranteed, and more importantly nonguaranteed for 2015-16. So is the contract of center Brendan Haywood, worth $10.5 million because of a quirk in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement relating to players waived using the amnesty provision. Cleveland can combine Bogans and Haywood and acquire a player or players making up to $21 million while instantly taking that same amount off the other team's cap.
Since the Cavaliers won't likely be under the cap as long as James and Love stay on the roster, these nonguaranteed contracts are their best chance at adding a player making more than the midlevel exception. That will be important as Cleveland seeks to improve its rim protection.
There's more work ahead for the Cavaliers' front office to find a use for its nonguaranteed contracts next summer, but with this move, the organization has put itself in ideal position to upgrade the supporting cast, and at the cost of only a handful of second-round picks -- the two future picks and Powell, selected in this year's second round.
Boston Celtics: B+
Since the Celtics will go under the cap next summer if point guard Rajon Rondo heads elsewhere, Bogans' nonguaranteed contract had less long-term value to them. Having been unable to deal Bogans this summer, Boston was likely to simply waive him before opening night, according to ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman. So getting anything in return is a positive. And the team can structure this trade so as to create a trade exception for Bogans' $5.3 million salary, valid until the team falls under the cap.
Besides the second-round picks, which could be valuable, the Celtics are likely to keep Powell, whose contract is guaranteed for this season. They can also evaluate Murphy in training camp; his salary is only $100,000 guaranteed until opening night.
Because Boston is at the roster limit of 20 players, the Celtics will have to waive three players (Chris Babb, Chris Johnson and one of camp invitees Tim Frazier, Rodney McGruder and Christian Watford) to make enough room to complete the deal. Boston can then waive Lucas and Thomas, opening up a spot for free agent Evan Turner. Turner reportedly agreed to terms with the Celtics months ago but has not yet officially been signed.
