The Celtics' rollercoaster ride of the season ended Thursday night after Boston fell to the Golden State Warriors 103-90 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The team had a notable turnaround in the second half of the year under new head coach Ime Udoka but ultimately missed a crucial title opportunity after blowing a 2-1 series lead against an experienced Golden State team...
The challenge of overcoming the Warriors, Heat, Bucks, and a host of other contenders in the ever-improving Eastern Conference will be a tall order for Brad Stevens and Boston's front office as the team finally turns the page on construction for the next season. Let's first look at the offseason outlook and the tools Boston has at its disposal as they try to take another step toward building a perennial contender.
The backup big man was selected at the trade deadline for more depth after the team got rid of Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando at the trade deadline. He played well in the spot minutes one or two times so he could return as a training camp invitee on a non-guaranteed deal after splitting most of his season between Boston and the Maine Red Claws.
A top shooting guard was released from the G-League in March. He will likely play with Boston in the Summer League and would be a restricted free agent if the team offers him another two-way deal.
The athletic guard had a couple of opportunities early in the season when injuries and COVID-19 ravaged the Celtics. He spent most of his season in Maine with Boston's G-League affiliate, making him another possible Summer League candidate as the Celtics assess his future.
The Celtics have several players signed to minimum deals (Stauskas, Fitts, Morgan, Hauser), and none are assured of a roster spot next year. Boston will likely bring them all to camp to compete for an open spot or two (the team may carry 20 players in the offseason), but most of these spots on the 15-man roster should be considered open when it comes to exchanges/free agents.
The veteran big man has more than half his contract guaranteed for next season ($19.5 million of $26.5 million) thanks to the Finals appearance. League sources told MassLive the Celtics are expected to bring Horford back after a sensational regular season that led to some of the best basketball playoffs of his career, including a high-scoring postseason run in the Bucks series of the Game 4. The Celtics do nothing to bring Horford back since he's under contract, but it will solidify the team's front line for another season as he and Rob Williams anchor what was the best defence in the NBA in the NBA. Eastern Conference during the regular season.
One of the most comprehensive tools Brad Stevens has to improve this summer will be with a litany of trade exceptions created over the past year. The team gave up second-round picks to create a new one of these TPEs, which opened the door for the team to add salary simply by sending a draft pick. The larger TPE worth $17 million is due in July, so the Celtics could be active early in the trade market or during free agency to try to implement it. Don't look for it to be used on a player via sign-and-trade free agency, though. That move would limit Boston, and that's something the Celtics will look to avoid, according to sources, as the team enters the luxury-tax territory.
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