The Boston Celtics could use their mid-level exception this offseason to bring on an impact player in their rotation.
Now that the bubble experience down in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on the campus of Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports has ended, the Boston Celtics have their focus on how the roster can improve in the offseason.
Danny Ainge has made it a point to declare that the team is going to improve, saying that the team underperformed when the lights were shining their brightest:
"“We feel like we can beat Miami, but we didn’t. They beat us fair and square. They played better down the stretch of the games in that series. I have great respect for them and all that they’ve accomplished. We’re going to try to get better.”"
Ainge is promising Celtics nation that the team will improve, but don’t forget how difficult it will be to improve; Boston is deep into luxury-tax territory and doesn’t have even a dollar of cap space to spend this offseason.
They do have several incoming first-round draft selections, three to be exact, but don’t have a high enough pick to draft the obvious center of the future or the eventual point guard successor to Kemba Walker.
What they do have this offseason–and what holds more value on a winning franchise like the Boston Celtics–is the mid-level exception at their disposal.
Just who might Ainge pursue this offseason to add to a mix of veterans and ascending youth? Here are the Houdini’s three choices: