Green refocus after KD
Next steps for Ainge & Co. not that clear
SALT LAKE CITY — As the echoes of Fourth of July pyrotechnics still ring in their ears, the Celtics can be pleased with their offseason work thus far.
But they are apparently, and quite understandably, not satisfied.
From all indications, what you see now on the roster, the one that includes Al Horford, whose signing cannot be official until tomorrow at the earliest, is not what will take the floor for training camp.
Nearly four months away from the regular season opener, there is ample time for the Celts to make moves, and they will indeed make moves. The question is how significant those transactions will be.
In the wake of Kevin Durant spurning their affections and heading to the Goliath State Warriors, the C’s can only pray that some clubs gauge the distance between themselves and a championship and are disheartened by the increased mileage. The hope would then be that some of these Davids would decide on more serious rebuilding projects, making available some veteran stars in the process.
But would the Celtics then have the willingness to do what is necessary, even if it hurts a bit, to make those deals?
Sources tell us the C’s are still holding the line on their offers from prior to the draft. They will make trades if teams come around to their price.
Jimmy Butler and Jahlil Okafor are said to be still available, but getting them now won’t be as easy as on draft night when Chicago and Philadelphia, respectively, both coveted the No. 3 overall pick so they could take Providence’s Kris Dunn.
The feeling here is that the Celtics and their fans will be very happy with Jaylen Brown even early on, but Butler and the subsequent recruitment of Horford would have made the club a favorite to reach the Eastern Conference finals. And you have to ask whether Durant’s decision would have been different if he could have joined a team with those two and Isaiah Thomas.
Certainly Ainge may have had to give up a core player to make the deal work, but would it really matter if it got you Durant? The Warriors would be willing to take their chances with KD, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and nine guys named Phil.
Obviously the Celts couldn’t have been certain a Butler deal would lead to Durant, even though back channels are a veritable information superhighway in the NBA. But the Chicago scorer would have been more than a solid piece in the foundation of the Boston project.
Butler fills an obvious need, one that remains, while Okafor could play inside and allow Horford to spend more time at his reportedly preferred position of power forward.
There are indications the Celtics may still be able to do business with the Bulls and 76ers, but both sides will have to get creative.
As it stands, the word is the Celts are looking at a core that will grow to nine with Horford. Also in the group are Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, Kelly Olynyk, Terry Rozier, Jordan Mickey and Brown.
That does not mean that Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko, whose 2016-17 contracts must be picked up by midnight tomorrow, won’t be on the club and play important roles. And it doesn’t mean that R.J. Hunter or even James Young can’t play their way into the main picture with strong showings in summer league and training camp.
Olynyk took a major step forward last year, getting more assertive with his offense in his third season and growing into the kind of threat Ainge and Brad Stevens had hoped he’d become. Injuries knocked him off-course later in the season, but he’s expected to play a key role in 201617, and the point is there’s nothing preventing others from taking what they’ve learned, putting in the hours this summer and forcing Stevens’ hand when it comes to the depth chart.
Could there still be places here for Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller? Doubtful, if only for the fact that each of the restricted free agents should get an offer that the Celts won’t match and that would preclude the players from accepting the one-year qualifying offers to stay.
With what’s here now, the C’s have a bigger hole to fill than some care to realize. The loss of Evan Turner will make life a little more difficult for Stevens, who could plug him into several roles and keep things moving.
In addition to his defense, Turner was most important as a ballhandler and creator off the bench. Now Smart has to step up and become a more polished and trustworthy decision maker. Or the Celts could easily go more with Rozier, who may be poised for a very good year.
Or maybe this won’t even be a question. Maybe the Celtics will make a significant trade that more dramatically alters the rotation. As the free agent pool dwindles, trades may be their best avenue if they are to make a bigger surge up the league’s food chain in this next season.
But with Durant out of their frame, gone, too, is any real remnant of hope the Celts could challenge for the right to be handed a trophy by Adam Silver next June. So while they are certainly working hard to give Brooklyn a very low pick when they have the right to swap first rounders with the Nets next year, the C’s championship focus is further out on the horizon.
Therefore, as hard as it can be to take for a following that would like more immediate results and sparklers, any moves now must be ones that will avoid taking away better opportunities at next February’s trade deadline and in that following summer.