So far I’ve heard names from Jeff Green, Ray Allen, and Brandon Bass to Marcus Camby, Kirk Hinrich, and Jason Terry. With KG taking nearly $9 million less and players coming off of the books, the Celtics will have some money to spend, including the full mid-level exception.

What Is First On The Celtics Itinerary?

According to multiple sources, Jeff Green is almost a lock as the next player to sign with the Celtics. Contract discussions are still on-going between both sides, but there is a great chance that Green will be back with the team for next season.

The Unknowns

Ray Allen and Brandon Bass are two players that may not be returning to the Celtics.

Allen has been offered a 2 year $12 million contract by the Celtics, but he’s in no rush to sign anything just yet. The Memphis Grizzlies offered him the full mid-level exception, and the Miami Heat offered a 1 year $3 million deal.

The question now is, does Ray choose money and a chance to win another ring, just money and have a chance to make the playoffs, or almost taking a veteran minimum and just wants to take his talents to South Beach and have the chance to win another ring? That is what needs to be answered soon, because I think the Celtics will move on if Ray takes his time on this decision.

Brandon Bass is another player that is getting some buzz as of late. Recently he has been in trade rumors involving a possible swap for Atlanta Hawks power forward Josh Smith. The Celtics would have to sign and trade Bass along with a player or two to acquire the All-Star forward. If thats the price they’d have to pay, I’d say its a no-brainer. Bass was good this season, but I don’t think he’s worth a big contract yet.

The New Faces

Right now O.J. Mayo, Kirk Hinrich, Jamal Crawford, Marcus Camby, Carl Landry, Rashard Lewis, Jason Terry, and plenty of others have all been supposed targets for the Boston Celtics.

In terms of need, most of these players fill the blanks the Celtics have on their roster sheet. There really hasn’t been anything concrete on whether there will be any contact with any of these players, but its obvious the Celtics have a lot of interest in acquiring some of these veterans.

The Old Faces

Marquis Daniels, Sasha Pavlovic, Keyon Dooling, Mickael Pietrus, Ryan Hollins, Chris Wilcox, and Greg Steimsma all are free agents. Out of this list, Steimsma, Wilcox, and Dooling are the only players I’d want to see back in green. Those three players were the most productive off the bench for Boston this season.

You could make the case to bring back Mickael Pietrus, but I was somewhat disappointed in his performance all year. I really thought that he’d be like a James Posey, but maybe thats where I feel a bit let down since he didn’t meet those expectations.

Looking To Next Season

In the 2012-2013 season, I want to see a deep roster on this team. Last year, Danny Ainge constructed a team in about two weeks and the Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. With about two months of time to work on bringing the pieces together, I wonder what he has in store.

According to Steve Kyler, Editor and Publisher of Hoopsworld, his sources are telling him that Ray Allen wants to join the Heat and have another chance at getting a second ring.

The Celtics could easily retain Allen with the cap space they have this offseason, but as of right now, it looks like both parties are going to go their separate ways.

A few weeks ago, it was reported that Rondo and Allen didn’t get along this season, and throughout this Big 3 era, there had been a ripple between them. If that’s true, they never let their differences show on the court. But if there is a problem in the locker room, that could possibly escalate into a bigger chemistry issue involving other players.

With Ray Allen having offseason ankle surgery and not being as productive as he has been in years past, maybe it’s not a bad idea to let him walk. Avery Bradley proved that he can start at the shooting guard position, and played extremely well with Rajon Rondo during the second half of the season.

If Ray Allen chooses not to come back, the Celtics will have $10 million to sign another player to fill his role. It has been rumored that the Celtics will try hard to sign Jamal Crawford during free agency.

One thing to remember, shooting guards who are primarily jump shooters can always be replaced. Ray Allen was and still is a special player, but there are other players out there who can hit 3 point shots. It really is too bad that the Big 3 may not retire together in Celtic green, but looking at it from a player’s perspective, there is nothing like winning another championship.

Personally though, I don’t like the fact that he wants to go to Miami. Will I look at him differently if he goes there? Definitely, but I can’t forget the time that he spent in Boston. He helped the Celtics get Banner 17, and we got the opportunity to enjoy and watch 5 seasons of a future Hall of Famer.