Boston’s ability to avoid bad contracts has been crucial to their rebuild
The Boston Celtics are finally reaching the culmination of their rebuild, and there are all kinds of different ways they have been immensely successful to get to this point. The Celtics have not missed in many areas, and have done exceptionally with all the important details.
One of the most important things about this Celtics rebuild has been the lack of bad contracts. The Celtics have given out max deals to both Al Horford and Gordon Hayward, and there are absolutely no regrets there.
From threm, the Celtics have done an unprecedented job of continually finding amazing value, without making the big mistake that can hurt a team for years. Think of the contracts given to Timofey Mozgov or Evan Turner, and you realize that teams can suffer for multiple years because of one bad deal.
On the Celtics, all they find is value. They got Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes to be main contributors, while paying them next to nothing last season. They have multiple key rotation players that are on rookie deals, and they do not have a single contract on the books that you look at and think they need to find a way to get rid of that.
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The Celtics have made sure that they can sign the max contracts you need to contend, while preserving enough money to have the kind of depth that no one else in the league can compete with.
Going overseas has made a huge impact as well. They are getting players on minimum contracts that are a part of the rotation, and providing great depth. They did that once again with Brad Wanamaker, who is coming in on a rookie minimum contract.
The Celtics have made sure to preserve as much flexibility, while never having to worry too much about losing players because they wasted money on a bad contract. Right now, they are in a position to preserve the entire core they have. It will take them into the luxury tax, but the Celtics are in a position where they can consider paying Smart the kind of money starters usually only make, with him coming off the bench.
The depth is where you really see the results of having so many great contracts. Teams will always find a way to get the top end talent, especially with the luxury tax. When you get to the bench, however, teams are forced to pick and plug players that cannot contribute, and it forces them to shorten their rotation drastically.
The Celtics, on the other hand, have found the cheap bench options that fit in with exactly what they are doing, and they have that little extra cash you need to get real difference makers coming off the bench.
The Celtics are in a position to have as much top end talent as the top teams in the NBA, with a bench that everyone will be envious of. A lot of things have gone into this, and great drafting is probably the most important thing. Brad Stevens is also a primary factor, because he finds something in everything that Danny Ainge gives him.
Next: Marcus Smart more important than ever this season
The complete lack of a bad contracts throughout this rebuild, however, might be the most remarkable part. It has been really easy for teams to miss on contracts, and take risks that never work out. The Celtics have made sure to never hurt themselves with their contracts, and now they are ready to be true championship contenders because of it.