WALTHAM - The Summer of LeBron in 2010 was more about the style of his “Decision’’ and the collaboration with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami than a fruitful free agent bonanza.
Next summer might compensate for that. The signatures have yet to be placed on the new collective bargaining agreement, yet teams are vigorously trying to position themselves to acquire Dwight Howard or Chris Paul, two superstars who are eligible to opt out of their contracts after this season.
Deron Williams of the Nets joins that list, along with Chauncey Billups of the Knicks, Steve Nash of the Suns, Jameer Nelson of the Magic, and Gerald Wallace of the Trail Blazers.
Celtics president Danny Ainge has pointed to the summer of 2012 as a landmark moment when his club can attract its first major free agent in some time. The Celtics will no longer be responsible for the salaries of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen - a combined $31 million - leaving Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce as the only major contracts remaining on the salary cap.
Only $29 million is committed to salaries in 2012, giving the Celtics nearly $30 million to attract perhaps two free agents. Doc Rivers’s commitment to the Celtics for five years was essential to making the club a player in free agency, and now the organization won’t be cash-strapped for the first time in several years.
With the new CBA reducing the maximum number of years free agents can sign for and that players under contract can sign extensions for, those who are under an early termination option such as Paul are not expected to agree to any extension if they are traded.
Players who are “Larry Bird’’ free agents can sign five-year extensions (with their own teams) with a 7.5 percent raise per season, while others are limited to four years and 4.5 percent. So Williams, who was traded to the Nets last season, has already indicated he plans to opt out even though he wants to return to New Jersey. He can sign a five-year deal at $100 million as a free agent instead of extending at four years and $74 million.
This makes acquiring any player during this short stretch of free agency tricky. It’s highly unlikely that a premium free agent-to-be is going to decline opting out to re-sign with the Celtics, so they are likely going to have to wait for next summer.
There is significant interest in current free agents such as Tyson Chandler, David West, Nene, Jason Richardson, and Caron Butler, but with this shorter free agent window, teams are less inclined to take risks on long-term deals that could adversely affect the salary cap.