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11 hours ago

Greg Stiemsma’s Contract To Become Fully Guaranteed

The C’s gave their 26-year-old rookie a vote of confidence before Tuesday’s game. By not waiving the seven-footer, Stiemsma’s contract will become fully guaranteed on Friday, allowing the shot blocker to breath a little bit and perhaps unpack some boxes for good in Beantown. Here’s Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston with some reaction from Stiemsma and [...]

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1 day ago

5 Questions With Kemba Walker

I had a chance to talk with Bobcats rookie Kemba Walker prior to the Celtics game against Charlotte on Tuesday night.  Here is what the UConn star, who is averaging 12.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game had to say. 1. How much communication have you had with Michael Jordan this year? Walker: [...]

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2 days ago

I Am Awesome!

Yes. This is a “pat myself on the back” post because a) I’m a jackass and b) I predicted something correctly. Back on January 8th, I predicted that the next ten games will tell us everything we need to know about this Celtics’ team. If they struggled, it was time to blow it up. If [...]

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2 days ago

Pierce Wins Eastern Conference Player Of Week

One day before he’s scheduled to pass Larry Bird for second on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list, Paul Pierce won the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. Pierce averaged 22 points, 6.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds in four Boston wins, playing point forward in Rajon Rondo’s absence. Pierce is only 9 points behind Bird [...]

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3 days ago

Garnett’s Wondrous 3-point Rant

Via ESPN Boston’s Chris Forsberg, who knows a great, playful rant when he hears one, here’s Kevin Garnett discussing his not-so-newfound aptitude for three-point shooting after the C’s took down the Grizzlies. “When I walk around the streets, y’all stop acting like y’all shocked that I can shoot 3’s. Everybody in Boston, everybody in the [...]

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3 days ago

5 Questions With O.J. Mayo

I talked with Memphis guard O.J. Mayo prior to the Celtics-Grizzlies, Super Bowl Sunday game at the Garden.  Here is what the 4th year man out of USC, who is averaging 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2 assists per game had to say. 1. You started every game your first two years in the league, [...]

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Globe: Pierce Deal Close, But Not Done

Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe has the latest twist in this saga, conflicting with earlier reports from Steve Bulpett and Jeff Goodman that this is a done deal between Paul Pierce and the C’s:

The Celtics could have Paul Pierce back for four more seasons, but a source close to the negotiations said that the deal is not done with the veteran forward.

The two sides have been talking for the past few days, since Pierce opted out of his contact on Tuesday night and they are close to the framework of a four-year contract, but the fourth year could be a sticking point. Pierce walked away from $21.5 million for next season for the purpose of signing an extension that would ensure he ends his career as a Celtic.

The fact the fourth year still is a sticking point is no surprise if this report holds true. To be blunt, both sides have a pretty strong case in this department. The Celtics don’t want to pay a 36 year old Pierce 15 million dollars a year in 2013, and likely limit their ability to reload under the salary cap with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett likely long gone at that point.

From Pierce’s perspective though, it’s hard to blame him for holding out for a fourth year given the dollar figures we’ve seen in the first day of free agency which undoubtedly strengthened his agent’s negotiating position with Danny Ainge. He’s giving the C’s a bit of a hometown discount already, but he needs to take the years while get can get them.

All things considered, this deal will still likely get done. I predicted before this process it would be a 4 year deal, with the final year being an option with a big buyout and it looks like we are headed for that direction. It just may take a little longer than we think. Heck, the fact that progress was made this quickly was impressive in itself.

We’ll keep you posted on any further updates. In the meantime though, what do you do if your Danny Ainge? Just give him the fourth year or hold your ground on it a team option?

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