Boston Celtics Daily Dish: It’s About To Get Stupid In Here!

Happy Hump Day, Boston Celtics fans!

Well, you knew it was going to happen: an NBA player is about to get paid a lot more money than he is worth, because small market teams need to overpay in order to attract talent.  That’s right, ladies and gentlemen: Gordon Hayward agreed to a maximum deal with the Charlotte Hornets:

Whoa – $63 million for a guy who hasn’t made the All-Star team yet?   The Utah Jazz have been promising that they would match any offers Hayward receives all along – it’s your call now, fellas!

Keep in mind, though: not all max offers are built the same.  Hayward is coming off of his rookie contract, so his max contract will not be in the same ballpark as a max offer to someone like Carmelo Anthony – who apparently wants to remain in New York, and may be recruiting another big dog to come play with him:

"This is Carmelo Anthony’s “dream” — play in New York with LeBron James this season.That’s right. New York. Not Miami.Too bad it’s a long shot to happen.According to a friend of Anthony’s, Melo has held out faint hope Knicks president Phil Jackson can pull a miracle and clear out the necessary salary-cap space to get it done, but he is running out of time. Anthony’s decision could come in the next couple of days."

News flash: EVERY NBA PLAYER’S DREAM IS TO PLAY WITH LEBRON.

We now resume our regularly-scheduled broadcast.

Seriously, though – the entire NBA is kind of waiting to see what ‘Melo and King James are going to do.  Check out this video from SI.com that explains why.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics – who don’t have any shot at signing ‘Melo or King James – have fallen off of everyone’s radar.  No major free agent signings.  No significant trade rumors, aside from the ones that still ink the Celtics with Kevin Love.  It’s time to ask the question, though: should the Celtics give up on that scenario, too?

"The possibility of building an overnight contender exists in the Eastern Conference. Three of the East’s eight playoff teams in 2014, including two of the top-five seeds, missed out on the festivities the year prior.The conference field could be further depleted by the free-agency period. Should the Miami Heat (Big Three) or Indiana Pacers (Lance Stephenson) suffer calamitous losses on the open market, the East could be as wide open as ever.Now, why should that matter to a Celtics team that lost nearly 70 percent of its games last season? Because this group could be bolstered by the addition of two top-tier players this summer: Love and a healthy Rajon Rondo."

Last: don’t forget that the Boston Celtics go up against the Detroit Pistons in Summer League play today!  The game starts at 7 p.m. and you can catch the action on NBATV or using the Summer League Live subscription at NBA.com!  Thanks.