Danny Ainge working on “challenge” of filling up Boston Celtics roster – NBA Update
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge, is working hard to get a roster together before December 9.
The C’s, at present only have 6 players under contract for next season and one restricted free agent in Jeff Green.
The Celtics have made a $5.9 million qualifying offer for Green, but his value could increase if other teams decide to go after the small forward. They also have the likes of super stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and
Rajon Rondo secured for the next year. Those 4, along with Jermaine O’Neal and Avery Bradley, amount to $63.8 million committed by Boston for next season.
That leaves them with a very difficult task of filling out a roster and Danny admits it is proving to be a challenge.
"Every year is a challenge, it brings different challenges," Ainge said as reported by ESPN.
He quoted the example of acquiring Rasheed Wallace, but that was when the President had money to work with. This time around his hands a tied financially.
"A few years back, we had a target and we went after Rasheed [Wallace], and it was easy that way. We don't have the same [financial] flexibility this summer to do some of those things. We're just in the game. We have a list of
players we'd like to get.”
The Celtics spent big back in 2007 when Ainge brought together the Big Three of Garnett, Pierce and Allen, and currently they do not have a lot of funds to bring others in. On the other hand, Ainge says there are plenty of teams
in the NBA with salary room that will only make his job tougher.
“Right now there's a lot of money out there, a lot of teams with cap space. Players are waiting for the big paydays, so we have to be patient in this process."
The Celtics have the advantage of maintaining a solid core in the shape of Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Green, but they need others to fill up the gaps. With the Big Three now aging and not able to put in the performances,
or the minutes, that they used to a few years ago, the importance of support players is all the more amplified.
Ainge admits therefore that he is even considering breaking up those core players and has held conversations with other executives, searching for players he can get if he traded one of the very few he currently has tied down.
"There's been a lot of conversations. That's my job to field all the calls of all the teams and find the value of my players. That's what I do."
Will the Celtics be able to find any buyers for their aging Big Three is a big question right now. If that doesn’t happen, they could even be forced to part with Rondo.
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