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Bass sometimes checks just to make sure he’s still a Celtic, but he leaves the rest of it to others. He doesn’t want to ponder the hoop hypotheticals.
“I don’t know, man,” Bass said. “I don’t really try to be too smart of a guy as far as thinking about basketball and being an analyst. I just take care of myself and be able to come in and contribute and help the team when it comes time of training camp and the season.
“I don’t know,” he went on in regard to the potential for more Celtic changes.
He broke into a smile and added, “I’ve got kids, man. If I had to think about that … c’mon man, they don’t pay me enough to do all that. I’ve just got to play basketball.”
So, what you’re saying is that if you got a raise, you’d be all over this stuff?
Bass laughed again.
“If I got a raise, I’ll start thinking about who we should bring in,” he cracked. “I’ll start thinking like Kobe Bryant, you know, like all these guys that the GM needs to talk to me first. But, no, I just need to be Brandon Bass and do my job — come in ready, come in in good shape and contribute any way I can.”
Herald – Brandon Bass won’t take bait
You have to love Bass’ mentality. Head down, skate your lane, focus on things in your control (I just wish he had better hands and a nose for rebounding).
My hunch is that Bass wears Celtic green next season. It’s presumed that Danny Ainge, the man paid handsomely to shape the roster, will have an easier time moving Kris Humphries and his expiring contract.
As for how Ainge is spending his time this summer:
They are likely to be inactive in the free agent market, save for some minimum salary deals. Ainge maintains the Celtics need to shave players off the roster, condense salary, and put themselves in a better financial position, unlike those luxury tax years when they were competing for championships.
They are not making a peep in free agency, they are in complete restructuring mode, and Ainge said Wednesday he is not likely to use the team’s mini mid-level exception or bi-annual exception to sign a free agent who merely would be a stopgap. With the incumbent veterans such as Brandon Bass, Jeff Green, and Courtney Lee along with Wallace, potentially Humphries (if his expiring deal is not moved), and Bogans, the Celtics have enough veterans.
Signing a couple of more won’t help their retooling plan if it means robbing playing time from a youngster.
“Right now we’ll have a full roster,” Ainge said. “So there’s some guys we’re still taking a look at but we got a lot of guys. We’ve been active but just in a different way. We’ve been trying to make more deals as opposed to just free agent signings because we haven’t had cap space and we have a lot of bodies and we have a lot of guys we like under contract.”
Ainge has fielded his share of calls on Rajon Rondo and there are teams such as the Detroit Pistons lurking, waiting for the Celtics to make him available. Ainge has maintained he is not trading Rondo. Rondo’s agent said his client is ready to cooperate and work with new coach Brad Stevens, and Rondo is still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Yet Ainge said teams are not making ridiculous offers for Rondo, such as expiring contracts or low draft picks, trying to feast off a rebuilding team looking to dump salary.
Condensing salary and financial positioning are not sexy terms for fans.
Speaking of the luxury tax, Wyc Grousbeck has to send a check for $1.1 million to the league office this week.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – Bass not sweating future| Fatigue factor | Herald – Sullinger offers friendly help | Kris Joseph back, ready to play for Stevens | CSNNE – McCarty on Olynyk: I love what I’m seeing | Pressey is a lock for camp | Globe – Bass kept cool during tumultuous offseason
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