Celtics Need to Play the Long Game

Thanks to the Warriors, the NBA is pretty predictable for the next couple years, which gives the Boston Celtics a reason to build for the future.

We’ve all been watching the NBA Finals, right? It’s ridiculous how great the Golden State Warriors are. Even when it seems like they are playing sloppy, they still manage to hold 20+ point leads over the team with the best player on the planet, LeBron James.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, who crushed the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, are currently getting crushed in the NBA Finals. This tells that Boston needs to do a lot more to even come close to getting back on top of the basketball world again.

With the offseason coming up, the Celtics have the most leverage and the biggest impact on almost every move that could happen.

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From trades to free agency signings, Boston has tons of options this summer. They could try trading to try to go into win-now mode, which would still be unlikely, no matter what moves they decide to make. The smarter option would be to use this offseason to build for the future.

First, the Celtics need to keep their pick at all costs. Markelle Fultz out of Washington is too talented to pass up. NBADraft.net compared Fultz to James Harden, which makes sense due to his playmaking and ability to score. Fultz also has a higher assist percentage and a lower turnover percentage than Lonzo Ball. He really is the complete package, and the Celtics would be foolish to pass him up.

In free agency, the Celtics have options to sign some of the top free agents, including players like Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin. Chris Mannix told CSNNE that Hayward will be Boston’s No. 1 target in this offseason.With all signs pointing to Hayward

With all signs pointing to Hayward, the Celtics look to add a 27-year-old scorer, who continues to get better every year. Also, Hayward will thrive under his former coach at Butler, Brad Stevens. This would be a great addition for the Celtics, as it will take pressure off of Isaiah Thomas to be the primary scorer.

Boston has the option to trade a couple of pieces away this summer as well. You could expect just about everyone on the roster to be in trade rumors, even their leader, Thomas. The most likely players to be shipped out of Boston will most likely include Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson, and maybe even Kelly Olynyk. It seems as if nobody is safe when it comes to trade rumors.

Unless the Celtics can get a trade that is too good to turn down, they should keep next year’s Brooklyn pick, as it could lead to yet another promising young star. With that projected top-3 pick in 2018, the Celtics could draft another great talent in either Michael Porter Jr. out of Missouri or Mohamed Bamba out of Texas, both with incredible assets that would help Boston tremendously.

A potential lineup of Thomas, Avery Bradley/Fultz, Hayward/Jaylen Brown, Porter or Bamba, Al Horford would be absolutely lethal within the next 3-5 years.

It’s easy to say that the Celtics are built the best for the future. All they have to do is make sure they do not give up their future as long as the Warriors and Cavs are running through the NBA with ease (mostly the Warriors).

Next: 6 Potential Starting Lineups for the Celtics in 2018

Boston will get closer and closer every year to getting over the top, and it won’t take long as long as they don’t make any risky moves for the next couple summers. Stick to the plan and the Celtics will be the next dynasty in the NBA.

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