Boston Celtics free agency: 3 center targets Cs should prioritize for MLE

Meyers Leonard

It appears Meyers Leonard isn’ prioritizing money in his next contract, based on a recent conversation he had with Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

"“Now, it’s not even about the money or the one year for me,” Leonard said. “I know going into free agency, what I want is to compete in the playoffs and to compete for a championship, and I want to have a significant impact. “Whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, I’m thinking 20 to 25 minutes. I feel that I’ve shown people, no question about it, that I can be impactful on both sides of the ball every single night, and that I certainly do bring value.”"

It’s certainly the right offseason to prioritize making money on your next contract given all of the question marks surrounding how business is going to be conducted moving forward. In other sports, the top players (think the Patrick Mahomes’ or Mookie Betts’) are still getting the record-breaking deals.

It’s the players at the tier Leonard occupies who will likely suffer the most. After losing his starting role in Miami, he should be looking for the right fit. 20-25 minutes per game on a contender is ideal for him…as are the Boston Celtics.

With room for someone to take control of the starting job, Leonard can win the starting job in the same fashion Daniel Theis did last preseason.