Ranking the 3 best contracts on the Boston Celtics

Winning teams–like the Boston Celtics–do well because they have a combination of star-power and bargains on their rosters. Here, we honor the best deals on the C’s.

The way the NBA salary cap is structured, there is meant to be parity for all 30 teams in the league. The Boston Celtics are one of the league’s best because of the fact that general manager Danny Ainge is able to find value through the draft, free agency and in trades.

Take Isaiah Thomas as an example. Thomas’ MVP-esque 2016-17 season was done on a contract that paid him $8 million annually. The deal that brought Thomas in saw the team give up a merely protected pick and Marcus Thornton.

Giving up an inefficient gunner paired with a pick for an All-NBA point guard on a mid-level deal is the definition of general managing know-how. In the years since, Ainge has used several different outlets to find talent that is worthwhile…and worth the price.

Aron Baynes is another recent bargain. In 2017, the big man signed a one year deal worth $4.3 million contract. Even after making an impact on the 2018 playoff team that stormed to game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, Ainge was able to bring him back for $11 million over two years.

This year’s roster is no different. While there is the occasional misfire, like giving $5 million to Vincent Poirier to take up a roster spot, there has also been value signings from last summer and the years that preceded it.

Here are the three best contracts on the 2019-20 Boston Celtics: