Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
Danny Ainge briefly sounded squeamish. The question was about next year’s $99 million salary cap falling about $2 million short of projections, and news of that sort is never good for a personnel chief with plans to go major free agent hunting when the market opens Saturday.
“That hurt. That hurt a little bit. A little sting, but that’s going to make it a little more challenging,” the Celtics president of basketball operations said of the disappointing cap news. “We’ll be able to fix it. We’re in foul trouble right now, but we’ll be back. We’ll be back in the second half.”
Over the past year, the Celtics have made calculated moves to preserve max cap space and land an all-star free agent. With the salary cap expected to be $99 million — down from earlier season projections of $101 million — Boston finds itself up against the wall in its quest for maximum cap room.
It’s a well known fact the Celtics need to relinquish key rotation players to land a highly coveted free agent. Kelly Olynyk will likely be renounced and not re-signed. The team must part ways with Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko, and trade the non-guaranteed contracts of Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson. Terry Rozier and his $2 million salary will probably be gone, and Guerschon Yabusele might have to hold off on his NBA plans.
At the trade deadline, the Celtics declined to trade for a Taj Gibson/PJ Tucker type-player. A physical veteran presence could have helped Boston during the playoffs, but trading for one of these players would eat into cap space, and Danny Ainge would be relinquishing assets for a 20 game rental.
By moving from down two picks in last Thursday’s NBA draft, the team saved $1.1 million in potential cap room. Throughout the Philly-Boston trade conversations, the media focused on Boston having an affection for Jayson Tatum’s game and character, but rarely mentioned he cap implications of this trade. Boston’s front office likely foresaw the low salary cap projections, adding to the motivation to move back two spots.
Although the front office has put the Celtics in position for maximum cap space, they still might come short of the 30% max room. Crowder, Smart, or Bradley might have to get moved in order to make Blake Griffin or Gordon Hayward a reality. All these questions about the Celtics future will be answered once free agency begins on Saturday.
Page 2: Can Semi Ojeleye Become Jae Crowder 2.0?
A multi-talented forward with a varied offensive arsenal, Ojeleye has the ability to make an impact on an NBA franchise from the outset. Rated 20th overall in DraftExpress’ list of the Top 100 prospects, Ojeleye made 42.9 percent of his three-point attempts with the Mustangs last season while posting 19.0 points per game. He showcased his ability to hit spot-up three-point attempts, a skill that translates well into the Celtics’ three-point heavy offensive scheme which is predicated on ball movement.
Additionally, he displayed an impressive capability for shooting off of the dribble both inside and outside the arc. Ojeleye could be seen creating his shot with relative ease on a plethora of occasions while with the Mustangs, a remarkable skill considering his 6’7″, 241-pound frame.
It’s hard not to notice the similarities between Jae Crowder and Semi Ojeleye. Both are 6’7” bulky wings who can serve as 3-and-D players. Both won conference player of the year in their final college season and were picked early in the second round. Both players transferred schools midway through college.
Crowder averaged 17.5 points and 8.4 rebounds on 50 percent shooting during his final year at Marquette. Ojeleye finished with 18.9 points and 6.8 rebounds on 49 percent shooting last season at SMU.
With all the similarities, it’s foolish to think Ojeleye can enter the NBA and immediately take Crowders minutes. Some folks on twitter have suggested that the drafting of Ojeleye makes Crowder expendable, and his contract should get traded to ensure the team signs Gordon Hayward.
I’m not on board with all the Jae Crowder disrespect. He fell out of favor with C’s fans through the second half of the season. His defense seemed to regress, he turned into a designated three-point shooter, he rarely got to the rim, and his overall production slightly dipped in the playoffs. Then last week, he liked a bunch of anti-Crowder tweets from Boston fans.
I can sympathize with Crowder’s frustrations. He just finished the second year of a cheap 5yr/$35 million contract which will finish when he turns 30. I bet he’s pissed off other comparable wings are making double, and he’s tethered to a bargain contract throughout his prime. Meanwhile, the team drafted small forward Jaylen Brown last year, added more wings in this years draft, and they plan on pursuing Gordon Hayward in free agency. Although Crowder keeps improving his game, the front office continues to search for higher quality replacements.
It’s easy to forget how much Crowder has developed since getting traded from Dallas. Nobody can blame the front office for trying to acquire more wing talent. The long, defensive-minded, multi-positional wings are the toughest players to find in the NBA. I hope Jae Crowder stays in Boston and turns into one of the best role players in the league, and I hope he realizes twitter is not the best outlet to voice frustrations.
The Rest of the Links:
Boston Globe: Holding Pattern with Best Assets | Nets Trade Gift that keeps on Giving
Boston Herald: Top Free Agent Targets
MassLive: Celtics Draft 2018 | Paul George Rumors
CSNNE: C’s May Already Have a Jimmy Butler in Jaylen Brown | Paul George Explains Moving Truck on Twitter
ESPN: Clyde Drexler Explains Superteams
NESN: Marcus Smart Works on his Long-Range Shooting
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