The Celtics have been pretty clear about their plan for the offseason. They are looking for some consistent bench scoring without disrupting the overall team identity. That means they're looking for defensive acumen as well as the ability to put the ball in the bucket.
That means some of your old favorites, Isaiah Thomas, Kemba Walker and the like, are not going to make return appearances.
There is a path to bench help that can work. I’m going to try putting my GM hat on (it’s one of the worst hats I’ve ever seen. You buy one and it comes with a free bowl of soup) and make some moves to add to Boston’s bench and get them over the hump.
I’m going to try to be as realistic as possible, considering opponent needs as well. This isn’t some dream summer. This is about trying to figure out what the C’s might realistically be able to pull off.
THE TOOLS AT MY DISPOSAL
Just as a reminder, here’s what I’ve got to work with:
Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception: $6.3 million. -- This is money Boston can spend on any free agent. They can offer it to one person or split it to pay multiple free agents.
Traded Player Exceptions: Again, these are for trades only, they can’t be combined, but they can be split between multiple players. Here’s the list again:
- $17,142,857: Created in the Evan Fournier trade. It expires July 18
- $6,907,815: Juancho Hernangomez trade. Expires January 19
- $5,890,000: Dennis Schröder trade: Expires February 10
- $2,161,152: Bol Bol trade: Expires February 10
- $1,910,860: PJ Dozier trade: Expires February 10
- $1,782,621: Bruno Fernando trade: Expires February 10
- $1,440,549: Tristan Thompson trade. $8,280,351 was already used to acquire Theis. The remainder expires July 7.
- $500,000: Moses Brown trade: Expires June 27
Draft picks: The Celtics can trade their 2023 1st round pick because it will be a new business year, so the Stepien rule doesn’t apply. Stepien is a rule which prevents teams from trading consecutive 1st-rounders, but only in the same offseason. Boston can trade their 2023 first this summer, then next summer can trade 2024, and so on, but they can’t trade 2023 and 2024 this offseason.
- I have 1st rounders to move between 2023 and 2027 (2028 is a swap with San Antonio).
- Two 2nd rounders in 2023
Also a reminder: I can’t spend more than the Taxpayer MLE, acquire anyone via sign-and-trade, or use the bi-annual exception or else the hard cap is triggered, which would be very bad for the Celtics.
TPE TARGET
The Fournier TPE expires in a few weeks, so this is a priority.
My choice: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Why? I just think he’s one of the most realistic targets to (a) play how Boston wants to play (b) be a short-term option that's easily moveable and (c) comes with Bird Rights in case it works out.
He’ll make $14 million this upcoming season, which is a lot of money. The Wizards are open to moving him, and at this point, it mostly depends on the cost. Teams are probably not going to be clamoring for a player-for-player trade, so I think the most important element of this is met: it’s possible to get him.
He’s shot 38.5%, 41%, and 39% on 3-pointers in his last three seasons, all playing off of superstars in LeBron James and Bradley Beal, so he knows how to make that relationship work. He’s 6’5” but can guard up a position so he can pick up across the perimeter. He’s 29, so he’s young enough to fit the timeline.
His $14 million (which is currently non-guaranteed but would become so in a trade) is the final year of his contract, so the Celtics have options with him. If it works, then great. His Bird Rights come over in the trade, so the capped-out Celtics will be able to sign him next season or beyond if the fit works. If it doesn’t, then the Celtics can move him at the deadline to a team looking to create space for next summer.
Is this the sexiest signing of the summer? No, but Boston is looking for a switchable wing off the bench who can hit 3-pointers and give them 13 points a game. KCP is all of those things.
Other options to pursue: Kevin Huerter, Dillon Brooks, JaMychal Green
Huerter is obviously a better scorer than KCP, and Atlanta is in an interesting place franchise-wise, but I’m not sure he’s going to be a victim of their reorganization. I don’t think he’s as attainable. Brooks might be, but he’s not the shooter Boston is looking for. And Green could fill out the bench nicely if he returns to previous form, but at 32, I’m including him mostly for sentimental reasons because I’ve advocated for him in the past.
MLE TARGET
My choice: Otto Porter, Jr.
Why? He’s still only 29, which feels wrong because it seems like he’s been in the league 15 years already. We just watched him be a key bench player for a champion, so my thinking here is the Warriors are happy to mostly run it back but with some tinkering around the edges to maybe save a few bucks. It’s not that they’ve ever been worried about money, but rich people don’t like wasting money either.
So, I think Porter will be available. He’s found a nice niche in his role with the Warriors, so there's no reason to believe he can’t duplicate to a reasonable degree with Boston. Plus, Boston can plug a cable into his brain and download all the scouting reports the Warriors used to beat the Celtics. Even if there is no rematch, everything the opponent thought about Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and crew is valuable, perhaps even sobering, information that can help these guys moving forward.
If he can’t go back to the champs, why not make a run with the next team and help them get over the hump. It’d be quite a legacy to start building for a guy who had an uncertain future not too long ago.
Other options to pursue: Bruce Brown, Kyle Anderson, TJ Warren
Brown was my number one until Kyrie Irving opted in. It was a fun 20 hours or so of contemplating Brooklyn’s demise. In true NBA fashion, the vultures began circling, hoping to pick at the ribs of the Nets carcass. With Irving back, Kevin Durant is going nowhere, and it’s likely that neither Patty Mills, Brown, and other role players are staying put as well. Anderson is a “make the right play” kind of guy who will certainly help, but he’s not exactly the scorer Boston is looking for. If they find scorers in trades, then Anderson with the MLE makes more sense.
Warren is an interesting guy being considered by a few writers around town. He might be the ultimate low-risk, high-reward guy in this market, but the real question is how much does Boston want to risk on a guy who is as big a wildcard as him? Can they afford an important roster spot being spent on a guy who is the injury risk he is? Is it better to go with more known entities who are more reliable? This all just depends on Boston’s appetite for risk. I think I’d just prefer going with more dependable guys in such an important offseason. I’m not sure I’m ready to make a huge swing with the only free agent tool Boston really has.
MINIMUM WAGE GUYS
I’m calling a few free agents to see if they're willing to sign for the minimum.
Bismack Biyombo: He proved he was capable in Phoenix’s system, but with the Suns slipping, maybe he’ll be willing to sign a minimum deal to be a third center in Boston?
Danuel House: How much value did he add after his stint with the Jazz for the minimum? I’m betting some team with space gives him a look and maybe a little more than the minimum, but it’s worth a call
WAITING UNTIL DECEMBER/THE DEADLINE
Give me a look at how this squad looks right now and then in a few months we can reevaluate. The team still has a $6,907,815 TPE that expires in January and a $5,890,000 one good until mid-February. Daniel Theis’ $8.6 million and the salary of an expendable bench guy can add another player at the deadline as well, so even if all of these moves blow up in my face (which is very possible, I’m a terrible GM. At least I'm giving the actual Celtics front office someting to laugh at), the Celtics have very good options to add pieces mid-season.