Last summer, the Boston Celtics fell victim to the second-apron restrictions put into place in the latest edition of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. They were forced to cut significant salary avoid the harsh penalties that accompany overspending to such a high degree.
Boston sent both Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to new homes. While they put together a stronger regular season than many would’ve expected, they still didn’t replace the talent that they lost in all of the salary cap gymnastics.
This summer, those same apron penalties could help the Celtics re-strengthen their roster.
The sad and pathetic Cleveland Cavaliers, who had no business being a Conference Finalist, rolled over and died as the New York Knicks finished off a series sweep on Monday. Those Cavs are only going to get sadder as the months go on. They, much like Boston a year ago, have apron penalties staring them right in the face.
Cleveland finished this season $4.5 million above the second-apron threshold. They currently project to be $210,758 above it again next season with at least three roster spots left to fill. Their years of playoff shortcomings should be enough evidence for their front office to determine that they’re not a serious contender.
All of this is to say that change is almost certainly coming for the Cavaliers this summer and the Celtics shouldn’t exclude themselves from, perhaps, helping to facilitate said change.
What kind of change should Boston assist with, though?
Surely trading for either of Cleveland’s primary scoring options, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden should be out of the question.
Harden, for his undeniable knack for wilting when the lights get bright [see his two (2) made field goals in Monday’s Game 4], and Mitchell, because poaching him from Cleveland would be difficult without trading Jaylen Brown.
Brown and Mitchell aren’t that different. If Boston is going to move off of their longest-tenured player, they can’t do so for a lateral move.
What about Evan Mobley?
Mobley’s elite defensive skillset makes him someone you’d at least have to consider if you’re the Celtics. In just five seasons as a pro, he’s already earned two First Team All-Defense selections and won last seasons’ Defensive Player of the Year Award.
At just 24 years old, there’s still time for him to add more to his offensive repertoire and possibly become a strong second-option who can create his own offense.
That simply isn’t the case, at this point. Mobley averaged over 18 points per game in each of the last two seasons, but the majority of his points come in low-usage spots. It’s not often that Cleveland just gives him the ball and can feel confident that good things will happen.
The former USC standout’s three-point shooting also took a huge dip down to 29.7% this season.
Because of that, his looming four-year $222 million extension becomes heavier. Can the Celtics, a team that struggled to create offense in Games 5 through 7 of their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers this spring, really afford to gut the amount of assets required to land Mobley, who doesn’t seem to be a solution to that issue?
Probably not.
Jarrett Allen is the best candidate for the Celtics to target
Jarrett Allen is likely Boston’s best option to try and poach from Cleveland’s possible firesale this summer.
The 28-year-old big man plays his role well and does so for a reasonable price. His three-year $90 million contract extension will kick in next season. An average annual value of $30 million isn’t a steal, but it’s not overly steep either.
He blocks shots, grabs rebounds, provides vertical spacing with his length and athleticism, and finishes well at the rim. Not to mention that Allen showed out in both of Cleveland’s Game 7s this spring.
It’s not impossible to imagine him playing up to the level of his paycheck and making whatever trade the two sides would agree to be worthwhile for Boston.
That’s where it gets interesting. With the Cavs likely entering the summer with the goal of cutting cash, their motivation in a deal would be different. Think about how last summer the real value of trading Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang came in the financial category.
There’s a world where Cleveland would still want Derrick White in return. It makes some sense, right? The salaries work, both teams would get a different kind of player than they already have -- it just doesn’t solve the cap issues for the Cavaliers.
Maybe Boston could land Allen for pennies on the dollar?
If they get moving on a deal before the end of the current league year, then Allen fits into the Celtics’ $27 million trade exception, allowing them to take on his salary without sending equal value back. Whether or not the Cavs want him is a different story, but Sam Hauser’s $10 million could lessen the financial burden for Boston if they were to include him in a hypothetical deal.
Draft picks would play a role, too, but the quality/quantity of said picks would be impacted by Cleveland’s level of desperation to avoid the apron.
It just feels like implosion is on the horizon for the Cavs and if the Celtics can capitalize, it could revamp their title hopes heading into next season.
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