Report: Vitor Faverani signs 3 year, $6 million deal with Celtics; Boston now over luxury tax


From Marc Spears.


Faverani signing with Boston is not news, as it had been reported as early as Monday that the Celtics and the Brazilian big man had agreed to terms. However, the terms of the agreement were not known until now.

Before signing Faverani, the Celtics were at approximately $70.45M in salary for 2013-14 (including Keith Bogans reported $5.06M salary), not counting Shavlik Randolph's $1.1M team option or any guaranteed money that Phil Pressey got in his two year contract signed last week.

What does that mean?

Well assuming Faverani makes close to $2M in 2013-14, the Celtics will jump up and over the $71.7M luxury tax (as long as Faverani makes more than $1.25M they clear the number) with only 14 players signed to guaranteed deals. Assuming one of Pressey, Randolph or Colton Iverson makes the team, Boston will move even further over the tax.

As we've discussed before, this means another deal is coming. Boston has paid the luxury tax six straight seasons, but with a rebuild coming and the NBA's new repeater tax in effect, there is a better shot of the Celtics winning the 2014 title than there is the franchise going over $71.7M in salary this season.

Both Mark and I have written about the possibilities of who gets dealt, but chances are it will be someone making moderate money (as in someone making $3M or more). The reason is that anyone the Celtics sign in season will also count against the cap, meaning that the C's not only need to get below $71.7M, but they need to leave some wiggle room in there as there is almost always a mid-season signing (or in last year's case: three with Randolph, Terrence Williams and D.J. White). Danny Ainge would be playing a dangerous game of poker if he shed only a small money contract like Jordan Crawford, clears the number by a couple hundred thousand, and then is forced to go over the tax if injuries strike during the season and the team is forced to make a move.

That's why I maintain my belief that a semi-major move is coming at some point. It's unlikely that it comes before September 12th (the day that the players acquired in the Nets deal can be dealt in multi-player trades), but the Celtics are just too close to the tax line not to pull the trigger on something. As silly as it sounds, getting below the tax is one of the more important things they can do this season as it directly impacts how much money they can spend in 2014, 2015, 2016 and beyond.

That's why I'd be pretty surprised if one or more of the "big money guys" (the seven guys making over $3M: Bogans, Lee, Bass, Green, Wallace, Rondo, Humphries) isn't dealt by the trade deadline in a move that gives the Celtics more cap space. Just something to keep in mind as we continue to march through the summer doldrums.

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