Boston Celtics Off to Better Start in Free Agency This Year
By Derek Mcvay
The Celtics should be happy with their start to free agency this year
NBA free agency doesn’t officially begin until this Friday, July 1. However, for the Boston Celtics, things are already off to a better start in comparison to last year. Last year at this time, Celtics fans were left hanging their collective heads as Boston couldn’t get so much as a meeting with a marquee free agent.
As the start of free agency neared last year, the Celtics were linked to players like LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan and Kevin Love. All three were pegged as top-tier free agents, the kind of free agents that Boston has had trouble landing in year’s past. Well, history proceeded to repeat itself.
The top prize of last year’s free agency class was Aldridge. Before free agency started, he organized free agent visits with seven different teams, not one of which was the Celtics. While it was overly optimistic to think Boston had a chance at signing Aldridge, it didn’t seem farfetched to think they would at least get an opportunity to make their pitch to him, but apparently it was.
That ultimately forced the Celtics to move to other names on their free agent list, but their luck remained unchanged. Love stayed put, and ultimately so did Jordan after he led the Dallas Mavericks to believe he would sign with them, only to change his mind at the last minute.
Other names that surfaced included Jimmy Butler and Greg Monroe. Butler reportedly had a meeting with Boston set up, only to cancel it and re-sign with the Chicago Bulls. With Monroe, the Celtics were one of five teams expected to meet with him. However, Monroe had evidently already ruled Boston out before they even had a chance to talk.
When all was said and done, Boston’s biggest free agent signing ended up being Jae Crowder, whom they re-signed. Things appear to be headed in a different direction this year.
This year, Kevin Durant is the top dog, and while it is highly unlikely he signs with Boston, he is at least giving them the time of day. The Celtics are one of six teams – and one of only two from the Eastern Conference – that have been confirmed to have the opportunity to meet with Durant. There are still a few other teams hoping to get a chance, but they are not definite at this point.
Other “marquee” – I use that term loosely because it depends on who you ask – free agents that are set to meet with Boston include a pair of big men in Al Horford and Dwight Howard. Personally, the only scenario where I’d like to see either of these two in a Celtics uniform is if Durant promises to come to Boston if they sign one of them.
It may not seem like something to get worked up about, but the fact that Boston is securing all of these face-to-face meetings is a sign of progress. It’s a commentary on both the current state, and future of the Celtics.
Maybe Boston’s season ended in a disappointing fashion this year, but the season as a whole could be considered a success. Just one year ago, the Celtics couldn’t even get a free agent the caliber of Monroe to entertain the idea of playing in Boston. Now, you have three All-Stars putting the Celtics on their short list of potential destinations.
It’s a testament to the progress this organization is making, and the direction they are headed in. The roster is virtually the same as it was at this time last year. The only thing that has changed is that people around the league have had more opportunities to watch this team, and its coach.
Next: Guerschon Yabusele Expected to Play in Summer League
Now that the Celtics finally have the opportunity to make their pitch, the next step is figuring out how to close the deal.