According to our friends at DraftKingsAnd the Celtics and Nuggets are the favorites (+475) to lift Larry O’Brien next spring. Denver is the obvious choice from the West as the defending champions will return with their starting lineup intact. After being ousted in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games. Boston, on the other hand, has already made a franchise switch, sending Marcus Smart to Memphis and acquiring Kristaps Porcingis from the Wizards.
On the eve of free agency, the big question is whether Chief of Basketball Operations Brad Stephens and the Celtics front office have done enough? Jaylen Brown still has another season on his rookie extension with his Supermax contract likely next month. But Boston has other decisions on the horizon.
First and foremost, Grant Williams’ restricted free agency. Extended team a Qualified offer to the four-year pro on Thursday as a formality. Here’s CelticsBlogger and Keith Smith from Spottrack On the biggest decision the Celtics will make over the next few days:
As for the rest of the roster, the Celtics are up against a super taxing streak. This means they essentially re-sign Grant Williams, move him in a tag and trade or lose him for nothing. Even if Williams leaves town, Boston may not find wiggle room to use the $5 million in MLE taxpayer money.
If Williams signs an offer sheet, Boston will have 24 hours to match, but regardless of that outcome (and whether or not they’re armed with the exception of mid-level taxpayers) they’ll still have the rest of the roster to fill. Here’s a current depth chart of Coach Joe’s disposition Mazola:
ball handlers: Derek White, Malcolm Brogdon, Peyton Pritchard
wings: Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, Sam Hauser, Justin Champagne (not guaranteed), Jordan Walsh (drafted)
Bigs: Christaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Robert Williams, Luke Cornette (not guaranteed)
This could be up to five places on the list for subscribers heading into the off-season with many more questions to answer. Will Brogdon be healed – both physically and mentally – after he was nearly traded to the Clippers? Can Pritchard come in as the third goalkeeper in the rotation? Could the Celtics use another wing to shore up their depth behind the Jays? Should the back of the roster be used for depth and development in the regular season or immune to ring-chasing veterans? Will Blake Griffin be the face of Bus 1 Boys again?
Before free agency kicks off at 6pm EST, here are some suggestions from our CelticsBlog staff:
Jeff Pratt: The swivel wing represents the most pressing need on this list. I understand the concern about the lack of depth in the backcourt after Marcus Smart was traded, especially given the mystery surrounding Malcolm Brogdon’s injury. That said, I’ll be operating on the belief that Brogdon will be ready for the start of the season – as has been reported – and Payton Pritchard will still be around to support the backcourt. While I admire Sam Houser, this roster clearly needs a third winger with play-making potential to take some of that burden off Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Two names come to mind that Boston could target with the mid-tier taxpayer exception, should Brad Stevens choose to use it. The first is a meeting with Josh Richardson, which I’m sure many Celtics fans would welcome with open arms. Richardson only played 44 games for Boston, but his effort and production on both sides of the floor made him a minor fan favorite. JRich can handle the ball, create his own shot, and rise to the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best winger/keeper. He was very productive in San Antonio last season before he was traded to New Orleans, where his role has been somewhat reduced. At just 29 years old, Richardson still has a lot in the tank.
If Richardson doesn’t want to pursue a Boston reunion or ends up being left out of the MLE taxpayers, the other player I’d like the Celtics to look at is Torey Craig. Nothing about his game is shown on screen, but he is an incredibly reliable 3 and D winger. On a Suns team that struggled greatly with injuries last season, Craig was a staple with consistency and health. The 32-year-old has played 79 games with Phoenix and started 60 of them, averaging 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest while shooting 39.5% better than three. He may not be flashy, but his skills and availability are exactly what the Celtics need.
Tim Shiels: After acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, I think Boston’s next pivot will be support on the wing behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Despite the added depth with Malcolm Brogdon, the Celtics felt thin at times and lacked some bulk, especially with the absence of Danilo Gallinari. A traditional winger who can eat up some regular season minutes and starts when necessary would do wonders for Boston, and a few reunions would make a lot of sense. Josh Richardson and Javonte Green should be targets for the Celtics that would mesh well and provide some serious depth behind Brown and Tatum. Either one can be achieved, with either the veteran minimum or the taxpayer’s MLE, if the Celts do a little maneuvering. Honestly, I’d be shocked if neither of them ended up in Boston, especially with Javonte and Jason so close on cost. It feels like a no-brainer.
Harris Rubinstein: I think Javonte Green’s cheers for going back to Boston are a good idea for both sides. Boston needs capable, cheap players who can compensate for an injury when necessary. Green can triple shot well (37% last season) and is a decent enough defender that he could hold onto an NBA court during the regular season. In addition, it may also help to bring a familiar friendly face to Smart Go. Familiarity is a good thing, it can be a nice version of the locker room to help mitigate the fallout.
Jack Simon: In terms of legitimate free agency targets who could get the Celtics rotating minutes (as an eighth or ninth man), Jevon Carter and Torrey Craig are my summer darlings. They both play high-level, high-density defense, and they can defeat all three, and they probably won’t be so expensive. However, it seems likely that both of them will return to their respective teams ( Milwaukee Bucks And Phoenix Suns). A Javonte Green reunion would also be fun, as he could actually help the Celtics out with two turnover minutes in the three/four.
But as far as boys on the bus go, please give your money back to Vets. There was nothing I enjoyed more than watching him strike a fast guitar celebration on the sidelines. In fact, just bring in Fitts and Matt Ryan. Put the band back together. Outside of the reunion train, though, Jay Scropp, who will play summer league football with the Celtics, could be interesting. His athleticism and cut are similar to Green’s, and he’s still only 22 years old.
Bobby Manning: Of all the aforementioned reunions, Javonte Green interested me the most. He could play, Brad Stevens loved him and he seemed like a free agent who could slip through the interest loopholes and get the minimum contract. The Celtics need some depth in the wing position, even considering Sam Houser’s increased reliability, to relieve Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown during the season. Green played an excellent supplemental role alongside the Chicago Stars and has already done the same in Boston. Bench excitement? He will bring that too. Tatum’s friendship is a bonus. Other Names: George Nyang as a Massachusetts native in sniper shooting, O’Shea Brissett as a Syracuse alum, Galen McDaniels.
Adam Taylor: Finding a spare wing has been the biggest area of need over the past 12 months. We thought the Celtics would get something done about the February 9 trade deadline, but no dice. I like Torrey Craig as an option with Tax-Payer MLE. Still, the reunion with Javonte Green makes a lot of sense. Green would also add some much-needed athleticism to Boston’s bench rotation and could provide a new wrinkle to Joe Mazzola’s offense as a small righter with a real vertical on the roll.
If we want to get a little more creative, a closer look at Nickeil Alexander-Walker might be a smart play of the buy low and sell high action. Since entering the NBA, Walker has spent 54% of his minutes in the second quarter, 36% of his minutes in the third quarter, 7% of his minutes in the fourth quarter, and 3% of his minutes in the first quarter. Alexander-Walker also hit a career high 38.4% from last season. The Minnesota Timberwolves recently elected not to extend a qualifying offer for him, so Alexander-Walker may be available at a reasonable price. With crossover development and some positional variety, there might be some sense in making Alexander-Walker a target.
Otherwise, give me every possible Jordan Walsh minute, re-sign Green, re-sign Blake Griffin so we can have some pure vibes next season.
Bill C: The punitive nature of the new CBA has shook some fruit from some of the NBA’s trees. The Celtics probably aren’t in the market for veterans like Taurean Prince, Malik Beasley, or Eric Gordon, but there are plenty of options in the second chance draft. Four seasons in New Orleans did not impress Jackson Hayes with the Pelicans and he is now a free agent. The former No. 8 pick is bouncy, powerful, and a good candidate for a viewing deal. Darius Bazley was born in Boston and after a rocky start, shot 37.7% from behind the arc last season. He’s got a decent height at 6’8 with a wingspan of 7’0 to be a skittish defender on the perimeter and tire edger in the paint.
And as many of you know, I am a reunion sucker. Go get Javonte Green, Brad. Also, nothing would warm my heart more than having Jeff Green return to the Celtics for his (kinda) third stint. I would also like to bring back Dwight Powell. He had a cup of coffee in Boston before he was traded to the Mavericks for Rajon Rondo. Dallas will most likely re-sign him, but that’s a call I’m making.