Gerald Wallace’s Contract: A World of Possibilities

“Who?”

“Gerald Wallace.”

“WHO?”

“GERALD WALLACE! The guy for the Boston Celtics who gets paid $10 million a year to sit at the end of the bench.”

“Ohhhhhhh, Gerald Wallace’s Contract. Yeah, I know that guy.”

Feb 24, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens talks with small forward Gerald Wallace (45) during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

“Gerald Wallace the Player” died two years ago in Brooklyn — a year in which he posted career-low shooting splits of 40-28-64 (FG%, 3FG%, and FT%, respectively) — but his soul has lived on in the basketball afterlife as “Gerald Wallace the Salary Figure.”

The Celtics’ highest-paid player by a margin exceeding $2 million, Wallace provides virtually nothing of value on the hardwood, but his presence in the locker room and professionalism off the court is a commonly mentioned point in talks centering on his value to the franchise.

But alas, an NBA team doesn’t pay someone $10 million a year to cheer on his teammates from the sidelines and provide a “veteran presence” off the court. Wallace was acquired from the Nets for salary-matching purposes in the blockbuster deal that saw the departure of Celtics greats Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the summer of 2013.

Two years later, it’s blatantly obvious that the Celtics decisively “won” that trade; Brooklyn essentially forked over three first round draft picks for a one-year rental of three past-their-prime players/corpses who (SHOCKER!) ultimately proved unable to elevate the Nets to contention.

It’s delightfully ironic that one of Danny Ainge’s most crucial decisions this summer centers around what to do with the most meaningless player on Boston’s roster; and therein lies the beauty of the NBA’s salary cap system.

Without further ado, here are Danny Boy’s options:

Trade Wallace’s salary (along with one of the Celtics’ first-round draft picks) away to a rebuilding franchise with the room to absorb his contract (Think: Philly and Minnesota) in order to open up cap space for this summer.

Doing this would slough off $10 million from the cap sheet, giving the Celtics somewhere around $30 million of cap room (depending on how they handle the free agencies of Jerebko, Bass, and Crowder).

The Celtics would have the cap flexibility to sign 2 max-level free agents, but it could be hard to lure big names to Boston in a year where popular destinations like Dallas, Los Angeles (Lakers), and New York all have gobs of cap space to throw around. The Celtics will try to woo players like Marc Gasol, DeAndre Jordan, Draymond Green, and (gulp) Kevin Love with angles like (cue South Park voice):

a) “We have a ton of good pieces, but not that centerpiece that brings it all together. You can be that centerpiece!”
b) “We’re a winning franchise! Just look at all those banners up in the rafters!” (Neglects to mention that the Celtics have won one title since 1986.)
c) “If you sign with us, we have enough wiggle room to team you up with another star!”

If they strike out on signing a max-level player, assembling quality veteran pieces like a Demarre Carroll, Tyson Chandler, or Paul Millsap and swinging for the fences in 2017 is a sound backup plan. Overpaying for a marksman shooter like Danny Green is also an option because any contract signed this summer will look like a bargain a year from now.

Apr 30, 2015; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (14) shoots the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Option #1 is the most exciting proposition for the Celtics, but they should be prudent and hold off on moving Wallace in a salary dump unless they begin engaging in serious talks with a free agent who can move the needle. They shouldn’t needlessly get rid of a first-round draft pick if nothing is in the works.

Offer up a bunch of assets for a promising young-ish player with a multi-year contract toiling away on a bad team and throw Wallace into the mix to match the salaries.

Denver looms as a team looking to offload promising young players in exchange for assets and cap space as they look to rebuild for the future. Kenneth Faried’s contract extension kicks in next year, and though he doesn’t provide the spacing Brad Stevens covets from his big men, his high energy style and relentless pursuit on the offensive glass would be a welcome addition anywhere.

If the relationship between a high-paid star and his team turns sour (think Boogie Cousins in Sacramento), the Celtics could be lying in wait, ready to put together a Godfather offer comprised of Wallace, other players, and whatever assets they can muster up.

Throw your hands in the air, say “Screw it,” and hold onto Wallace through next season as a grossly overpaid player-coach.

This seems like the least favorable option. Sure, the Celtics would access that $10 million of cap space without having to give up a first-round pick, but a summer where the salary cap is set to jump by $30 million might render an extra $10 million ultimately meaningless.

Dig up some dirt on Wallace, mail him an anonymous letter entitled “We know what you did in Maui 2006,” and seal his retirement papers in the envelope as well.

Just kidding, that’s totally unethical, illegal, and likely compromises any chance for developing rapport with players in the future. I know it’s crossed your mind at some point or another, but avoid Option #4 at all costs, Danny.

It’s sad to see a former all-star morph into trade fodder before he even turns 31, but such is life for Gerald Wallace. And hey, it’s hard to feel that sorry for him; I would do a lot worse things for $10 million a year than sit front row at NBA games.

In the meantime, he should be putting all his things in cardboard boxes because he likely won’t be in Boston for very much longer. It’s out of his control now, and it’ll be interesting to see what Ainge does this summer. Exciting times ahead, Celtics fans! Let us know what you think in the “Comments” section.

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