Outcome for Boston Celtics No. 2) Cs bring on depth
The Boston Celtics have done everything right to make sure they have the best shot at Bradley Beal in free agency next summer.
Still, since the star shooting guard has a player option and is eligible for a more significant extension than the Cs can offer him, there’s a chance he passes up on the opportunity to team up with his childhood best friend and chooses generational wealth.
There’s no problem with Beal’s decision, but it impacts the team’s goals, as he is their Plan A.
No worries, though, for next year’s free agency class has more to offer than just Bradley Beal.
Let’s say the Boston Celtics bring back Marcus Smart, extend Robert Williams, bring back their guys on rookie deals like Pritchard, Nesmith, and Langford, but sell on Horford to create maximum cap flexibility; where would they go from there?
Suppose Smart, and Williams’ extensions come out to what I think they will, around $17 million and $12 million, respectively.
In that case, the Boston Celtics will have about $99 million on their books with seven players on their roster with the NBA’s salary cap at $119 million and NBA luxury tax threshold at $145 million.
The Cs could use that space to build an insane depth chart around the Jays.
The Boston Celtics can go into next summer and sign many complementary pieces to supply Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with as they compete for banner No. 18.
They could shore up their frontcourt needs with Thaddeus Young, Jonas Valanciunas, or Robert Covington. They could also look to target Joe Ingles, TJ Warren, or Kyle Anderson to play behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown at the wing.
The Cs will have access to Dennis Schroder, Gary Harris, or Ricky Rubio in the backcourt. This outcome is arguably just as good as formulating a Big-3.