What's next for Celtics after adding Greg Monroe?

The Celtics made a big boost to their bench on Friday afternoon after Greg Monroe agreed to sign with the team for the remainder of the regular season. However, with six days remaining until the trade deadline, the Celtics are likely far from done at this point with roster moves. What are the implications of Monroe’s signing on Danny Ainge’s options moving forward? Will Monroe’s signing lead to other Celtics getting moved? Here’s a look at the options that lie ahead in the days leading up to the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Q: Did the Celtics use the disabled player exception to sign Greg Monroe?

A: Yes. It was worth up until $8.4 million, but the Celtics used only $5 million of it on Monroe. He’s signed for the remainder of the 2017-18 season. Boston will be able to re-sign him after the season ends but they won’t have Bird Rights on him. They will be limited in how much they can offer him in free agency since they are over the salary cap. 

Q: Can the Celtics use the remainder of the disabled player exception on someone else?

A: No. The DPE is a one-shot deal. They can only use it on one player and that player is Greg Monroe.

Q: Does the DPE being gone mean the Celtics won’t be active in trades for the next week?

A: Not at all. It just means the Celtics will have to send out matching salary in any potential trade over the next week since they are over the salary cap.

Q: What names could be in play to be moved by the Celtics?


A: I took a name-by-name look at each member of the Celtics roster last week. With Monroe in the fold, it certainly makes a big guy like Aron Baynes more movable in theory. Monroe will be taking some of his minutes and he has a modest expiring contract ($4.3 million) that could help match money in any deal. With that said, I’d bet against Baynes getting dealt, unless the Celtics have a backup plan (i.e. signing a free agent center) to replace him. He’s an elite defender against centers with size and Boston is likely to see a couple of those (Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond) in the playoffs this year. Even if it’s in a limited role, it’s worth having Baynes around for that purpose.

So who else could be moved? Look further towards the end of the bench. Abdel Nader, Shane Larkin and Guerschon Yabusele all have small contracts that could be moved as filler to match money. Yabusele has more value than the others due to his potential and long-term deal, but he’s not going to be worth much to other teams, in my opinion.

Q: What about Marcus Smart? Could they move him even though he’s hurt?

A: It’s definitely possible. He’s an expiring contract and if Ainge is targeting a player like Tyreke Evans as a shooter/creator, the need for Smart on the roster might diminish a little. Obviously, his defense is a huge asset but the emergence of Terry Rozier may make it easier for the C’s to say goodbye to Smart after the season rather than give him a big new contract. For now, the odds remain in the favor of him remaining in Boston (the front office remains high on him), but if the team decides they don’t want to pay him after this season, they may just elect to move him now for an asset.

Q: What players will be on the Celtics radar in the next week?

A: With the big man void filled, Danny Ainge is likely going to be on the hunt for some shooting/scoring help. Tyreke Evans and his modest $3.2 million salary makes him an ideal target since it’s easy to match salaries with him. Other names in that mold: Joe Harris, Tyler Ennis, Rodney Hood. Higher priced players could be had as well (Marco Belinelli, Joe Johnson Vince Carter, Lou Williams) but the Celtics would have to move a bigger salary to obtain them (Baynes, Smart). The far more probable scenario for those names is that they get bought out (if they’re not moved before trade deadline) and Ainge goes after them then. Williams won’t be bought out, but guys like Belinelli and Carter are candidates for buyouts if their original teams can't get an asset for them.   

Q: What other variables are in play?

A: After signing Monroe, the Celtics are $3.6 million under the luxury tax. They are going to want to stay under that threshold this year, so don’t look for them to add a ton of more salary.