Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
“We have two open roster spots, which we will use when it’s all said and done,” said Ainge. “So three weeks from now, we will have 13 contracts. But we’re not in a rush yet. We have trade possibilities, and we’ll be keeping an eye on the free agents that might be able to help us.
“By the trade deadline date, we will have a full roster one way or another.”
“It (Sullinger’s injury) might have some affect on what we do now,” admitted Danny Ainge, Boston’s president of basketball operations. “But it’s not going to have an affect on what we do long term.”
In other words, teams looking to give up talent attached with a toxic (read: long and bloated) contract are not realistic options under consideration by the Celtics.
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One free agent option that remains available is Kenyon Martin. However, league sources indicated on Friday that the C’s have not expressed any interest in adding the former all-star recently and even with Sullinger’s injury, it appears that’s not going to change.
I don’t think anyone, including Danny Ainge, has a clue how the Celtics roster will look in two weeks. While the odds of making a deep playoff run took a major hit with the injuries to Rondo and Sullinger, the Celtics still have a decent bench (Terry, Barbosa, Green and Wilcox). This team is still better than an 8th seed.
If they can make a run over the next 10 days, look for Ainge to add guys who can contribute this year. If not, look for Ainge to make moves to dump salary. Ken Berger of CBS Sports:
With injuries mounting, teams have begun inquiring whether Boston is willing to trade Jason Terry to get under luxury tax, sources say.
The Celtics are $1.5M over the tax line and need to make some decisions before the Feb. 21 trade deadline.
I still don’t see the “blow-it-up” option as a viable move. Blow-it-up for what? There are no obvious deals out there. ESPN’s Marc Stein speculates on trading Paul Pierce for the Clippers’ Eric Bledsoe, but do we really need another promising guard (see Rondo, Bradley)?
As for Jared Sullinger, team doctors decided having surgery now was the best option:
After undergoing tests on Thursday, the decision was made to fix the problem rather than attempt to manage the pain the rest of the season.
“We knew this could happen. We knew it a month before the draft that this could happen and at some point it probably would happen,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “We were hoping it would be a summer thing, rather than the middle of the season, but it happened now. He was playing great and the good news is we know he can play. We know he’ll be a very good player and, in the long run, this will make him healthier.”
This is the smart move. You don’t want a promising young rookie risking further damage by playing through pain for half a season.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Celtics solder on sans Sullinger | Sweet emotions for Jeff Green | Giving the game what it needs | Not again!? | Globe – Depleted Celtics beat Magic for 3rd straight win | Sullinger out for season | Herald – Melo up for any opportunity | Vets step up minus Sullinger | Bass finds rhythm | CSNNE – Blakely: Tougher to replace Sullinger than Rondo | Green’s dunks ignite Garden | Pierce: Just trying to give game what it needs | Stretch of adversity brings consistency for Green |
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