The Celtics took the first step in their attempt to retain the services of Glen Davis by tendering the forward a qualifying offer last night.
But the chase is far from over. Based on his playoff performance - beyond Kendrick Perkins he was arguably the Celtics' best player during the conference semifinals against Orlando - Big Baby is anticipating a big paycheck. According to a league source, Davis, as a restricted free agent, will carry a mid-level exception (approximately $5.8 million) price tag into the marketplace. He also qualifies as a so-called ``Early Bird'' exception free agent (two years with the same team), meaning the Celtics can sign him for up to 175 percent of last season's salary.
That amount would approximate the mid-level exception. Because of Davis' Early Bird status, the Celtics could pay that amount without using their mid-level exception.
The question is whether the Celtics are willing to pay that much.
Detroit and Memphis - two teams with cap space - both are expected to court Davis over the next month. The Pistons, depending on who they bring back, are a playoff team. Memphis, attracted to Davis' promise as a young power forward, isn't even close.
And that, in turn, is the question facing Davis.
After winning an NBA title as a rookie and establishing himself with one of the NBA's premier franchises, is Davis willing to take more money from an inferior team and organization?
