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BOSTON CELTICS: State of the franchise

State of the Franchise

Projected Cap Space (before luxury tax): $43.3 million

Background: The rebuild was inevitable, and it all began two offseasons ago when General Manager Danny Ainge dealt away aging stars SF Paul Pierce and PF Kevin Garnett to the Brookyln Nets for a plethora of draft picks and role players. Pass-happy PG Rajon Rondo was the last remaining member from the 2008 championship team, and dealing him to the Dallas Mavericks for a couple of picks and a few more role players seemed to solidify the fact that the Celtics have no interest in winning now. Veterans SF Jeff Green and PF/C Brandan Wright were recently shipped to Memphis and Phoenix respectively for expiring contracts and more draft picks. The future is bright in Beantown, but the present demands patience.

Current Financial State: Stacked with raw, young talent up and down the roster as well as an incredible number of draft picks, this team will be competitive in a few years. Most of their contracts are cheap rookie deals, and with the only large commitments to SG Avery Bradley (4 years/$32 million) and a toxic contract in Gerald Wallace (counting down the days until his 2 years/$20 million comes off the books), the NBA’s most storied franchise has plenty of cash.

Targets: Rim protection has long been an issue for the Celtics, even when Garnett was still in town. Ainge should target a young guy who can offer this, and Clippers C DeAndre Jordan fits the bill at just 26 years old. Prying him away from LA may be a tough sell, as there will be plenty of other teams interested in his services, but Ainge has both the mind and the wallet to make this happen -- something to the tune of 4 years/$50+ million. As for their spacing issues, they will probably just have to wait another year. Top free agent shooters this year include SG/SF Wesley Matthews (POR), SG/SF Arron Afflalo (DEN), SF/SG Gerald Green (PHO), and SG/SF Danny Green (SA), all of whom are too old for Boston’s liking. Ainge may try to go after young stars such as SG/SF Jimmy Butler (CHI) and Kawhi Leonard (SA), but they are unlikely to sign. First of all, both of their  teams are title contenders now while the Celtics are still rebuilding. Secondly, they are restricted free agents. DeAndre Jordan looks to be the only impact free agent that has a legitimate shot of playing in Boston next year.

The Fit: A fantastic rebounder who can get blocks in bunches, center DeAndre Jordan offers the Celtics exactly what they need. Despite having a notoriously limited offensive game (averaging less than 10 ppg this year), Jordan’s rebounding and blocked shots are among the league leaders. Head coach Brad Stevens may be able to develop Jordan into a nice pick and roll player, and possibly his post game as well. The current Clipper center is known for his highlight-reel dunks, and could turn Boston into a fun team to watch. The only tough part of potentially bringing Jordan in would be moving second-year center Kelly Olynyk to the bench. Olynyk is putting together a nice season this year, and is oddly one of the team’s best shooters, which may be more of a testament to how devoid of shooters the Celtics really are. Jordan only hurts their spacing, but then again, Boston has no ambition to win immediately. Signing or drafting a few more shooters down the road has to become a top priority, whether they get Jordan or not.
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