Boston Celtics: 3 superstars worth monitoring this offseason

Whether or not the Boston Celtics ultimately pull the trigger, Danny Ainge should keep his eyes on these 3 stars’ situations this offseason.

If you honestly assess the Boston Celtics roster, you’d realize that as it stands, it may be just short of contention. Barely scraping by a Toronto Raptors team that lacked a true superstar–with Kyle Lowry past his prime and Paschal Siakam proving to not fit in that category–and sweeping a Philadelphia 76ers team missing Ben Simmons was not exactly the most convincing run through the postseason.

Now granted, the Miami Heat proved to be the best team in the Eastern Conference via their destruction of both the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks. This isn’t the “least-ern” conference any longer, though, and there could be several risers next season.

The Brooklyn Nets figure to make the most profound leap, introducing the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving duo to the league under the guidance of first-year head coach Steve Nash. Philadelphia also figures to be a riser, introducing a brand new head coach in Doc Rivers and potentially fixing their mismatched frontcourt-heavy roster.

Miami may even improve themselves. Potential deals for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Oladipo loom large, with the team ultimately focused on teaming them with Jimmy Butler in 2021 free agency. 

As I pointed out yesterday, the Cs need to stop living with regrets after watching players they didn’t trade for like Kawhi Leonard–and now Anthony Davis–win and come close to an NBA Championship:

"Ainge can’t live with regrets anymore. The Celtics need to pounce on deals this offseason if they arrive. That includes flipping the expiring deal of Gordon Hayward, sending out smaller contracts like Enes Kanter and Daniel Theis, or even trying to upgrade the point guard position."

This offseason, there could be several stars looking to leave their current teams…and likewise, teams may be looking to move on from superstars that may not fit their future plans. Here are 3 whose situations the Boston Celtics should monitor: