Boston Celtics: B/R deems THIS contract as worst on the Cs

Despite the outcries from fans and media alike complaining about Gordon Hayward’s paycheck, Bleacher Report deems THIS player as having the worst contract on the Boston Celtics.

Coming into this upcoming free agency period, the Boston Celtics will likely be on the sidelines watching things unfold as they find themselves with a copious amount of long-term deals and little wiggle room.

In contrast to previous offseasons, this means that the team is not seen as a top-tier landing spot for the main talents residing on the open market in 2020.

Since 2016, the Cs have been intertwined with the NBA’s top-billed free agents and, in many of those instances, wound up landing a few of them including the likes of Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, and, most recently, Kemba Walker.

While an All-Star signing always brings about buzz within the media and excitement amongst fans, that’s not to say a marriage between the two parties is always destined to be seen as ideal when things are all said and done.

Currently, there are two of these types of signings still residing on Boston’s main roster and, one of which Bleacher Report views as the contract they most likely wish would disappear. While many of you — including ourselves at first — may believe this piece would focus in on Hayward’s deal with the franchise, it is actually geared towards Walker.

Writer Grant Hughes’ reasoning reads as follows:

"He was, however, prone to hot and cold stretches—caused mostly by a sore left knee. That injury seemed to linger through the layoff and affected him in the bubble. Celtics president Danny Ainge verified what we all saw, saying Walker was “definitely not himself” during the playoffs.Walker is 30. That’s a critical milestone for any NBA player, a signal that the downside is coming. Small guards tend to age worse than most, so we can’t just write off Walker’s knee issue as a blip. It might be a sign of decline.Boston is on the hook for three more years and $108 million, assuming Walker opts in for the 2022-23 season, which seems likely. Thirty-three-year-olds don’t tend to leave over $37 million on the table in search of longer-term deals.Pain is coming toward the end of Walker’s contract. And with Jayson Tatum proving he can be a No. 1 option on the ball this season, Walker’s contributions on offense matter less than the Celtics might have envisioned. The playoffs showed Walker is already a target on the other end, which further devalues what he brings.Walker is a very good player, and he’s a zero-maintenance locker-room presence who helps morale. But if Boston had to do it over again, it probably wouldn’t throw the full max at him."

While the Houdini would love nothing more than to counter this choice of choosing the 2020 All-Star starter by B/R, unfortunately, we can’t help but see their point. His knee injury is rumored to be “career lasting”, which has us at the site worrying about what the future may have instore while he’s still a top-paid talent on the Boston Celtics.

Though there is still hope that all will be alright between the two parties moving forward, and Walker will wind up living up to his max-contract, the early signs show that there could be a lot of unpredictabilities moving forward and, in turn, could lead to Beantown second-guessing their decision to bring on the point guard in the first place.