Source: Celtics exploring using cap room to absorb big contracts for additional assets

The Celtics have remained active in the days before the NBA Draft. League sources told BostonSportsJournal.com that Boston has had discussions with multiple teams about absorbing a large veteran contract with their anticipated salary cap space. The team is exploring leveraging that cap space into additional future assets (players and/or picks) in exchange for taking on a contract another team is looking to get rid of.

This is a route the team has executed with success multiple times in the past decade. They snagged an extra first-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 for taking on the Gerald Wallace contract as part of the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce blockbuster trade. The Celtics also got a future first round pick and a young Tyler Zeller in 2015 from the Cavs for helping facilitate a three-team deal with the Nets when they took on Marcus Thornton’s contract into a trade exception.

With the NBA championship landscape wide open in the wake of serious injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, there are several teams across the association looking to dump big veteran contracts in order to create salary cap flexibility for themselves and reduce potential luxury tax concerns. With Kyrie Irving and Al Horford poised to walk out the door in free agency, Danny Ainge and his staff are considering leveraging their own unexpected cap space to gain additional assets from a team via future draft picks or young players with potential. Those assets might then be used as a tool to target future acquisitions since the team's current pool of draft assets will run thin after Thursday night. The lightly protected future Grizzlies first round pick is the team's only additional first round pick for 2020 and beyond, which put the C's with limited assets to pursue a future available star via trade.

As Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com first reported on Thursday morning, the team is also shopping Aron Baynes and his $5.4-million salary as a way to gain more flexibility with their cap situation. The team gave Baynes no promises about his future when he opted in last month, as Bostonsportsjournal.com reported last week. Given the events of the past week, it’s understandable that the team wants to open up more flexibility for themselves (and maybe gain an asset) this summer without his deal on the books in a market that should be full of cheap, younger alternatives (via the draft or free agency) at center.

Adding a bad contract is one of several possibilities on the table. There are a number of different routes the team could go with their salary cap room and three first round picks on draft night. Consolidating picks remains in play for a lottery piece, while an asset like Jaylen Brown could be cashed in if the team wants to shift to building more around Jayson Tatum and other cost-controlled pieces over the long-term with a focus on acquiring a new star when one becomes available.

If the Celtics renounce Marcus Morris’ Bird Rights and trade Baynes for no salary return, they will have north of $25 million in cap room. That number increases to $33 million if Terry Rozier is renounced and can be increased more by trading or stashing picks.

What kind of bloated contracts could be taken in by Boston for additional assets? Here’s a look at some of the names floating on the market in recent days:

Miami Heat: Essentially half of their cap sheet is filled with awful deals. Hassan Whiteside ($25 million) tops the list while Ryan Anderson ($15 million) has next to nothing left in the tank. James Johnson, Kelly Olynyk and Dion Waiters have all been shopped as well, but it may be tougher to get rid of them with two years left on their contracts.

Milwaukee Bucks: They have been actively shopping Ersan Ilyasova ($7 million) to create more cap flexibility and could be looking for a taker for Jon Leuer after acquiring his $9 million deal from the Pistons last night while giving up the No. 30 overall pick and Tony Snell’s oversized contract.

Charlotte Hornets: Nicolas Batum (two years left at $52 million) is available as one of the worst deals in the league if the C’s can secure enough assets to take on the cost. Bismack Biyombo, Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist all are on expiring contracts in the $13-17 million range that could be attached with a future first-round pick. How the Hornets proceed here is largely dependent on their plans with free agent star Kemba Walker. If he plans on returning, they are going to be desperate to dump some money to stay out of the tax.

Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond has two years left on his deal at $25 million per year. He’s been in trade rumors for years, and the Pistons may be willing to pay a price to dump him. However, he’s not a great fit in the C’s system, although his rebounding and rim protection would come in handy. Reggie Jackson’s $18 million expiring contract is also being shopped with picks attached.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Steven Adams and Dennis Schroder both have two years available on their bloated deals. The problem for the Thunder is that they’ve already traded away their 2020 and 2022 first round picks, so there doesn’t look to be a match here for the Celtics, unless they are okay settling for long-term assets.

Portland Trail Blazers: Old friend Evan Turner is earning $18 million in the final year of his deal, while Meyers Leonard ($12 million) could be dumped as well. The Blazers could sense a window of opportunity now in the West after Durant’s injury but have limited payroll flexibility with their current core. Moving a costly piece or two might help on that front.

Other Names to watch:

Minnesota: Jeff Teague, Gorgi Dieng.

Orlando: Evan Fournier.

Washington: Ian Mahmini.

Names the Celtics probably won’t take for less than a king’s ransom due to the size and length of their deals: Chris Paul, Andrew Wiggins.