Ainge Taking Well-Earned Vacation

August 5, 2007

By Thursday morning, Danny Ainge sounded like Marlon Brando at the end of ``Apocalypse Now,'' minus the horror.

He was tired, his voice dragging somewhere along the bottom of his chest, his mind a mess of salary figures and multiple player combinations. Push the Celtics director of basketball operations a little further, and he might have imagined Kevin Garnett's head on Sebastian Telfair's body, or (!!!!!!) the other way around.

Then the horror would have begun.

``I'm going on vacation - don't expect to talk to me for a few days,'' Ainge said more as a threat than a warning. And why not?

His roster is shallower than a kayak, but, oh, what a topside. The Celtics have what is arguably the best threesome in the NBA in Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Phoenix, San Antonio, Detroit and Dallas - proven contenders with far more legitimacy than the Celtics - will heartily disagree on ``the best three'' argument.

But compared to some of the teams that pay out the amount of money that Celtics ownership is about to start spending - including at least $6 million in luxury tax once the roster is full - Ainge should rest easy for a moment.

The reason is that on the basis of a first look, he has passed the important ``Bang for the Buck'' test. All of his money is tied up in quality players.

No $8 million or $9 million deals for mediocre players. We'll forget that Ainge, at the urging of Celtics ownership, put Mark Blount in that category three summers ago. Blount is now Kevin McHale's burden.

As the following breakdown of the 10 highest current payrolls in the league should demonstrate, there are some very wasteful general managers and owners out there.

** NEW YORK - Got a blistering message from a frequent e-mailer just before the Garnett trade insisting that ``Even Isiah Thomas is a better general manager than Danny Ainge.'' Not true. Not Ainge, not the besieged McHale nor the equally beleaguered Mitch Kupchak, not even those old GMs who were taken to the cleaners by Red Auerbach in the pre-salary cap era could have clogged a payroll this completely. The problem isn't that Stephon Marbury is earning Manny Ramirez money ($42 million) over the next two years. And you expect to pay Zach Randolph his due, which includes $13.3 million next year, or the $8.9 million owed to Eddy Curry. But consider the money due next year to Malik Rose ($7.1 million), Jamal Crawford ($7.9M), the under-performing Jared Jeffries ($5.6M) and our favorite, Jerome James, who is set to earn $18.6 million over the next three years. He can exercise an option before the 2009-10 season, when James is scheduled to earn $6.6 million. James may be horrible, but he's not stupid.

** DALLAS - Even at this level, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has pared his spending. Just imagine if he had kept Steve Nash. Yeah, they probably would have won the title by now. But beyond the $18.6 million due the bought-out Michael Finley this season, and the last year of Shawn Bradley's retirement fund ($5.2M), most of their money is tied up in the quality threesome of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry. Erick Dampier is a stretch at $8.6 million next year, with the numbers escalating over the next four years, but DeSagana Diop is a steal at $2.1 million next season - a contract year.

** DENVER - A team with a legitimate right to contest the `Big 3' argument. Allen Iverson ($20.1 million next season), Carmelo Anthony ($13M) and Marcus Camby (a bargain at $8M) are all worth their price. The same could probably have been said of Kenyon Martin ($13M) if he were healthy. Nene, on the other hand, has done nothing to warrant his deal (approximately $52 million over the next five seasons) or first-name status.

** CELTICS - Next to Pierce, Garnett and Allen, the next most expensive player is Kendrick Perkins at $4.5 million. But Ainge also has two roster spots available. At least one more will be filled.

** MINNESOTA - Theo Ratliff ($11.6M) comes off after this year, and there's time to trade him yet again. Ricky Davis ($6.8M) is in a contract year, and also tradeable. But the T'wolves are on the books for three more years with three albatross deals - Blount, Marko Jaric and the bought-out Troy Hudson. The biggest financial news is that Al Jefferson is reportedly seeking a starting point of $10 million on his next contract, and he wants to be extended NOW.

** PHILADELPHIA- Chris Webber is no longer around, but one more year and $19 million worth of C-Webb cap-clogger is front and center. Toss in a mystifying $9.7 million next year for Samuel Dalembert - who goes up from there over the following three seasons - and you have some flawed choices by GM Billy King.

** PHOENIX - With so much money wrapped up in Nash and Amare Stoudemire over the three years, the Suns have quite publicly attempted to move Shawn Marion and the $16.4 million he is due next season. They are trying to be responsible, though it didn't help them land Garnett.

** MIAMI - Hmmmm, $60 million over the next three years for Shaquille O'Neal, and approximately $60 over the next four for Dwyane Wade are necessary. But when your fourth-highest paid player is Antoine Walker ($8.5M), who is also under contract for the next four years (team option in the third), perhaps it's time to sweat a little bit.

** INDIANA - The Pacers fall right on the luxury tax trigger line ($66.5M), and have the trumped up deals of Troy Murphy ($9.2M) and Mike Dunleavy ($8.2M) to thank for it. If you're wondering why the deteriorating Jermaine O'Neal hasn't been moved, the fact that he is entering Garnett range over the next three seasons ($19.7M, $21.4M, $23M) might have something to do with it.

** SAN ANTONIO - As constructed, the Spurs don't have to pay the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax, and as with every other league standard, the Spurs are a model team financially. Tim Duncan probably deserves more than the $19 million he will earn next season. Tony Parker ($10.5M) is an absurd bargain. Manu Ginobili will make a hair over $9 million. The next five highest players on the payroll - none earning more than Brent Barry's $5.5 million - come off the books after next season, including Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry. Enron should have enquired about the Spurs comptroller.