Roster not a done deal yet
Ainge still hopes to improve
LAS VEGAS — With yesterday’s trade of Avery Bradley to clear cap space for Gordon Hayward and loosen a logjam at shooting guard, the Celtics have pretty much set their roster.
Or have they?
“No, we’re not comfortable yet,” Danny Ainge told the Herald. “We do like our team, but we’re still going to search things out to see if we can find anything that makes us better this offseason.”
Having acquired Marcus Morris from Detroit for Bradley and a secondround draft pick, the Celts can now at least be more patient with their investigations. They don’t have to make another trade, but with desirable players under good contracts and future draft picks aplenty, Ainge can wait for the right deals to present themselves as he sees over the summer and even into the first few months of the regular season how much he can expect from Jaylen Brown and rookies Jayson Tatum, Ante Zizic and Guerschon Yabusele.
And it would appear that Jae Crowder will be around to provide muscle and leadership. After sources confirmed he was part of sign-and-trade talks with Utah for Hayward that went nowhere, he is going nowhere — barring, of course, an unrefusable offer. Crowder is under contract for the next three years at a total of nearly $22 million, which is bargain-type stuff in today’s market.
“Jae is a big part of what we’re doing,” said Ainge. “I mean, he was our best 3-point shooter last year, and he defends some of the top players in the league. Jae’s a very important player for us going forward.”
The key now will be seeing how the Celts can fit in the various possible combinations. The club would still not seem to have enough minutes for all those it would like to get onto the court, but the hope is that things will shake out early on for Brad Stevens.
“Brad is very much involved in all that we do,” said Ainge. “We talk all the time, so I think we know how we think it will all fit. But obviously you never know for sure. We’re trying to get a team that not only is a group of good players, but also a team that does fit.”
With so much of value in house, the Celtics are bound to be popular here at the largest of the NBA’s three summer leagues over the next several days. It wouldn’t be out of the question at all for the C’s to have the opportunity to make some tweaks to what they have, if not a more significant deal.
Ainge continues to acknowledge that rebounding is still an issue for his club, and he is interested to see if Zizic and/or Yabusele can develop quickly enough to have an impact in that area.
“They’re both young and from foreign countries and don’t even speak the language perfectly,” Ainge said, “but, yeah, I think they have a chance to add to our rebounding.
“But so do I think, Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson Tatum. I think both of those guys are outstanding rebounders. You know, everyone just assumes rebounding is you go get a center who can rebound and then all your problems are solved. That certainly can help, but a lot of times that creates problems on the other end, unless that guy is really, really skilled. Then you have Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlain.
“I like what I saw in Jaylen the second half of last year, and I like what I see in Jayson Tatum. I like what I saw of Jayson even in college, how well he rebounds. Same with Jaylen.”
That the Celtics are looking for key contributions from a second-year player and a rookie is indication that a.) both can play, and b.) the C’s are still in developmental mode on a few fronts.
The trading of Bradley will also open the door wider for Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier, the latter of whom was a victim of the numbers last season. He figures to get a better shot now.
“I’m really impressed with Terry,” said Ainge. “He came in and worked out a couple of days in Boston, and he looked really, really good. He looked better than he even did in the playoffs for us. I think Terry has a very bright future. I’m very excited about him.”
Overall, it’s clear the Celtics don’t believe they’re where they need to be to compete exactly eye to eye with the league’s elite. Therefore, between now and next February’s trade deadline, their roster would have to be considered very much a fluid entity.