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Celtics will use mid-level exception to sign Terry

Print | Comments () Posted by Gary Washburn Globe Staff July 18, 2012 12:35 AM

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By Gary Washburn, Globe Staff

LAS VEGAS -- Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Globe late Tuesday that the club plans to sign Jason Terry using the mid-level exception and not through a sign-and-trade deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Terry is in Las Vegas with his daughter’s AAU basketball team and may sign the deal as early as Wednesday. Celtics tried to use the sign-and-trade agreement to free up their mid-level to pursue free-agent guard Courtney Lee but now have only the biannual exception that starts at $1.95 million.

“We were trying to sign Jason today,” Ainge said. “I was just trying to call him because I was hoping to play golf with Jason. We used our mid-level exception, so we have a hard cap at $74.3 million.”

Terry, 34, agreed to a three-year deal beginning at $5 million per season. Teams only can use the mid-level exception once per season.

Because the Celtics used their mid-level exception, they are not allowed to go above the $74.3 million limit. They are now limited to using the biannual exception and minimum contracts to sign players.