As we move forward with “Amnesty 2.0” in July, we will see the fascinating possibilities that the provision brings even as the number of teams and players left dwindles with time. One fun component of the rule is that we know exactly which players are eligible for it and that number can only decrease over time since the players had to have been under contract with the same team before the new CBA. As such, any trades, extensions, or contract expirations thin out the list. 

The other thing to remember is that most of the benefit of using the amnesty provision comes from additional flexibility in terms of the salary cap- the only money savings owners get from using it come from any reduction in luxury tax payments and whatever a “winning” team bids for that player on amnesty waivers.

Atlanta Hawks

Players Eligible for amnesty: Al Horford

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: None

Most likely amnesty decision: Not use it. Since the team traded all of its long-term contracts (except Horford) and potential candidates like Zaza Pachulia’s contracts expire this summer, the only player left for Atlanta to utilize the provision on is Horford. That is beyond unlikely.

Boston Celtics

Players Eligible for amnesty: Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Paul Pierce

Most likely amnesty decision: Not use it. After signing five different players to contracts over $5 million for 2013-14 this past off-season, the Celtics took all the incentive out of using the amnesty provision on Pierce in 2013.

Brooklyn Nets

Used amnesty provision on Travis Outlaw (December 15, 2011) 

Charlotte Bobcats

Players Eligible for amnesty: Tyrus Thomas

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Tyrus Thomas

Most likely amnesty decision: Tyrus Thomas in 2014. As of now, the Bobcats do not have enough salary on the books to necessitate making an amnesty move this coming summer. As such, the most likely play is to keep Thomas until the summer of 2014 when Ben Gordon’s contract is cleared from the ledger. As of now, Charlotte only has players on rookie deals and Brendan Haywood getting money then, so it could be the right time to strike.

Chicago Bulls

Players Eligible for amnesty: Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Carlos Boozer

Most likely amnesty decision: Carlos Boozer in 2014. The decision has become even clearer now, though the Taj Gibson extension could push the timeline up a little bit if the Bulls are feeling the pressure financially next summer. However, Boozer’s last year comes the same year that Luol Deng becomes a free agent, so a proactive Bulls team could make some FA/trade noise since they have less money on the books.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Used amnesty provision on Baron Davis (December 14, 2011) 

Dallas Mavericks

Used amnesty provision on Brendan Haywood (July 12, 2012)

Denver Nuggets

Used amnesty provision on Chris Andersen (July 17, 2012)

Detroit Pistons

Players Eligible for amnesty: Charlie Villanueva and Greg Monroe

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Charlie Villanueva

Most likely amnesty decision: Charlie Villanueva in 2013. It seemed like a foregone conclusion in 2012 and absolutely has to be done in 2013. I cannot see a tangible benefit to leaving his $8.58 million on the cap for 2013-14.

Golden State Warriors 

Used amnesty provision on Charlie Bell (December 11, 2011) 

Houston Rockets

Used amnesty provision on Luis Scola (July 13, 2012)

Indiana Pacers

Used amnesty provision on James Posey (December 12, 2011) 

Los Angeles Clippers

Used amnesty provision on Ryan Gomes (July 18, 2012)

Los Angeles Lakers

Players Eligible for amnesty: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace, Steve Blake

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Metta World Peace, Steve Blake

Most likely amnesty decision: Metta World Peace in 2013. Since the Lakers have to decide about amnesty during the first week after the July moratorium, they will not have enough information on Kobe’s progress to amnesty him. Furthermore, they would only yield a big benefit if Dwight Howard leaves the Lakers and we likely will not know that at such an early stage in the process. Even though the Lakers continue to need a quality small forward in the worst way, shedding the final year of World Peace's onerous deal seems like the best play. The addition of Chris Duhon makes Steve Blake a slightly greater possibility but he still appears moveable via trade and provides fair value to the team.

Memphis Grizzlies

Players Eligible for amnesty: Zach Randolph, Mike Conley

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Zach Randolph (in 2014)

Most likely amnesty decision: Not use it. Shedding Rudy Gay’s big contract means that the Grizzlies do not have to amnesty anyone in order to avoid the biggest costs of the new luxury tax system. At the present time, the only salaries the team has on the books for 2014-15 are Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley Jr, Tayshaun Prince, Darrell Arthur and Tony Wroten. Add in a rookie or two and you still have a workable structure. At this point it feels more likely that Randolph would get traded than amnestied since he would still provide value to the team.

Miami Heat

Players Eligible for amnesty: Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Joel Anthony, Mike Miller

Most likely amnesty decision: Joel Anthony in 2014. The reigning champs did not lose a single player from their amnesty list over the past year thanks to roster stability. Mike Miller’s health could end up making him the pick but Joel Anthony’s $3.8 million final season stands out since the Heat do not have a veteran shooter locked up for 2014-15 at this time. Look for one of the two of them to be shed then, though.

Milwaukee Bucks

Players Eligible for amnesty: Drew Gooden and Larry Sanders

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Drew Gooden

Most likely amnesty decision: Drew Gooden in 2013. At this point, Drew Gooden’s two remaining years are the only reasonable option left for amnesty purposes. Considering Brandon Jennings will get a major pay raise this summer and the Bucks will need any flexibility they can get whether or not they retain either Monta Ellis or JJ Redick, look for Gooden to go even though the team stands unlikely to benefit in any way other than cap room. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

Used amnesty provision on Darko Milicic (July 12, 2012)

New Orleans Hornets

Players Eligible for amnesty: No one

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: No one

Most likely amnesty decision: Not use it. By trading all three players eligible for the amnesty provision (Emeka Okafor, Trevor Ariza and Jarrett Jack), the Hornets became the first team to be assured not to use it this time around.

New York Knicks

Used amnesty provision on Chauncey Billups (December 10, 2011)

Oklahoma City Thunder

Players Eligible for amnesty: Kevin Durant, Kendrick Perkins, Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Kendrick Perkins

Most likely amnesty decision:  Not use it. We will have to see how Sam Presti handles the Kendrick Perkins situation but my read is that they will not utilize it after either of the next two seasons. Nick Collison would have a slight chance in 2014 if he were not so popular with the team and management.

Orlando Magic 

Used amnesty provision on Gilbert Arenas (December 9, 2011) 

Philadelphia 76ers

Used amnesty provision on Elton Brand (July 12, 2012)

Phoenix Suns

Used amnesty provision on Josh Childress (July 16, 2012)

Portland Trail Blazers

Used amnesty provision on Brandon Roy (December 15, 2011)

Sacramento Kings

Players Eligible for amnesty: John Salmons, DeMarcus Cousins

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: John Salmons

Most likely amnesty decision: John Salmons in 2013. Since Salmons’s deal is only partially guaranteed ($1 million) in 2014-15, the Kings would have some flexibility in the 2013 offseason when Evans can be extended and Cousins will be one year away if they cut him loose at that point. With new ownership looking to make a splash, having some extra money this offseason could be useful to the Kings.

San Antonio Spurs

Players Eligible for amnesty: Tony Parker and Matt Bonner

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Matt Bonner

Most likely amnesty decision: Not use it. Bonner’s partially guaranteed 2013-2014 salary would be a possibility but appears unlikely at best.

Toronto Raptors

Players Eligible for amnesty: Andrea Bargnani, Amir Johnson, Linas Kleiza

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: Linas Kleiza, Andrea Bargnani

Most likely amnesty decision: Linas Kleiza in 2013. Utilizing amnesty on Bargnani would be too big an admission of defeat for management, though theoretically a change at the top coupled with more bad play could change the equation sufficiently to put Il Mago on the amnesty line. With that, getting a little bit more space in terms of the apron/tax line would be good for the Raptors if they are unwilling to bite the bigger bullet in the form of Bargnani.

Utah Jazz

Players Eligible for amnesty:  Derrick Favors

Reasonable candidates for amnesty: None

Most likely amnesty decision: Not use it. With only young buck Derrick Favors left as eligible to be amnestied, every conceivable sign points to the Jazz joining the Hornets in August 2013 as teams guaranteed not to use the provision.

Washington Wizards

Used amnesty provision on Andray Blatche (July 17, 2012)

After the Boston Celtics won the opening tip, Paul Pierce drove into the lane for a lay-up and missed. Kevin Garnett then grabbed the rebound and missed a shot in the paint. Pierce grabbed yet another offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Avery Bradley in the corner. He missed as well.

The first 20 seconds of Friday night’s Game 3 between the New York Knicks and host Celtics was a microcosm of the remaining 48 minutes. Once again inept on offense, the Celtics now trail the Knicks 3-0 in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 on Sunday afternoon at TD Garden.

“I thought they wanted to play well,” Doc Rivers said of his team before relenting, “we did lose our spirit early on.”

The final score, 90-76, didn’t fully represent how effectively the Knicks took away the home team’s spirit. After the game, the Celtics looked exhausted and defeated.

“They’ve been playing hard, but we’ve just forced them into tough situations defensively, and have been able to wear them down,” Tyson Chandler said.

Rivers tried to reinvigorate his team after back-to-back losses in New York, starting Jason Terry and sending Brandon Boss to the bench, but the move proved futile. Terry, who has struggled in the series, did little more than he did in the previous two games. He scored 14 points, but eight came long after the game had been decided.

Terry left Pablo Prigioni open often in the first quarter and the Knicks took advantage as the Boston defense failed to pressure the three-point line. New York took five of their first eight shots from deep and went 11-for-27 overall.

Garnett came to play, as you might expect, but it didn’t matter. Nothing could wake the Celtics from their offensive slumber. After averaging 96.5 points per game in the regular season, the Celtics have managed just 75 per game in the playoffs.

“Just play together,” Jeff Green said when asked how the Celtics can rectify things. “We got a lot of easy looks tonight. We missed a lot of easy layups. I think we let that affect us on the defensive end.”

Garnett finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds, but Paul Pierce was largely ineffective. He had 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting, five assists, four rebounds and an unsightly five turnovers. Through three games, Pierce has 16 turnovers. Rivers got the sense in the second half that Garnett was trying to will the Celtics back into the game, to no avail.

“He was getting frustrated, because he wanted them to be him,” Rivers said. “In the same spirit, but he just kept chugging along. He didn’t change. He didn’t change his demeanor. He’s as competitive of a human being as I’ve ever been around.”

The only life the Celtics showed came midway through the fourth quarter when Terry tried to go after J.R. Smith following a flagrant foul by the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. Smith was ejected after the foul was ruled a Flagrant II and Terry’s teammates kept him from reacting aggressively and compounding the loss.

Aside from touching tributes to the first responders in last week’s Boston Marathon bombings and midcourt ceremonies to honor those in Watertown, Mass., nothing went right for the Celtics. They couldn’t even keep score properly. Carmelo Anthony, who had 12 points in the first half, was shown as having only four on the JumboTron. The error was fixed at halftime, but the Celtics were not.

Courtney Lee, buried on the bench for the first two games, got into the game early. In 11 minutes, he couldn’t jumpstart anything. Terrence Williams found himself on the court in the second half, but that prayer would not be answered. Rajon Rondo, he of the torn ACL, is not walking through that door and Rivers is simply out of options.

The Celtics lost three players -- Rondo, Jared Sullinger and Leandro Barbosa -- to season-ending injuries, but no one in the NBA will feel sorry for them. A number of teams, including the Knicks, have dealt with adversity and come out on the other side. This could be said going back as far as this offseason, but Danny Ainge wasn’t able to plug holes as well as his counterpart, Glen Grunwald.

Now, the Celtics, who many felt no one wanted to face in the first round, are a loss away from a sweep. Before long, the questions surrounding the team will have a much farther reach than just the scope of a poor playoff series.

“It’s a simple message,” Rivers said. “You’ve got to win the next one. It’s simple. And that’s where it starts.”

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The New York Knicks head on the road with a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics, largely due to its stifling defensive pressure in the second half of both games.

“We’ve just been locking down,” said Carmelo Anthony. “Our main thing is the defense. In both games it seemed like the second half is where we made our adjustments.”

The Knicks allowed only 25 points in the second half of Game 1, only to allow 23 points in the second half of Game 2. New York’s second half performance in Game 2 set a new franchise playoff record for the fewest points allowed in a half.

Kenyon Martin led the second half defensive effort for the Knicks with four blocked shots and 11 rebounds in Game 2.

“It’s about making adjustments at halftime,” said Martin. “We knew they were going to make adjustments at the start of the game. We were extra aggressive.”

After Game 2, Doc Rivers was asked if Paul Pierce can continue to carry the Celtics on offense in the latter stages of his career.

“He needs some help,” Rivers said. “I think Paul was playing pretty well. I thought he got a little tired in the second half because he tried to do everything for us.”

The loss of Rajon Rondo continues to plague the Celtics and has caused the offense to become stagnate during the series.

“When (Rondo) is not out there they really don’t know in certain situations who to go to and what plays to run,” said J.R. Smith. “That’s a tribute to losing a great point guard like Rondo.”

Despite the lack of ball movement, Kevin Garnett feels Boston’s defense could help the Celtics turn the tide heading back home.

“They haven’t scored 90 points yet,” said Garnett. “When you’re playing a team like this, that’s a good sign.”

Rivers expects the Celtics to come out with a sense of urgency in Game 3, due to the deficit in the series and wouldn’t use the tragedy as extra motivation.

When Rivers was asked what he would say to his team before heading to Boston, he made a brief joke before getting down to the reality of the situation.

“We’re going back to Boston,” said Rivers laughing. “I guess they say the series hasn’t started, I’ve heard this corny line a million times, until the road team wins. I’m positive the series has started because we’re down 2-0.”

After scoring 70 points to carry the Knicks in the first two games of the series, Anthony wants the team to remain united and maintain composure on the road.

“As a team we’ve got to go in there staying together knowing that it’s going to be a game of runs and very emotional in that building,” said Anthony. 

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