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.
So while Roy Hibbert is technically available, and it sure would be nice for the Celts to acquire a young big man who can defend the paint and is improving steadily with his offense, the chances of the Pacers parting with such an asset are nil.
The Hornets might be more willing to listen to offers for restricted free agent Eric Gordon, but the shooting guard probably showed enough after his return from knee surgery to make his asking price high.
There are others in the restricted category who could be of interest to the Celtics, people like Portland’s Nicolas Batum and Chicago’s Omer Asik, but it’s important to remember the locals must still deal with their own crew of free agents.
It is highly unlikely the Celtics [team stats] will be able to find any free agent elixirs this summer. That leaves their immediate fate tied to what they can do with their two first-round draft picks and what their newfound flexibility could mean for them in trade talks both pre- and post-draft.
Herald – Lean pickings on menu
The more I examine the free agent pool and contract status of everyone on this Celtics roster, the less I envy Danny Ainge. He’s essentially building a roster from scratch.
Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley are the only rotation guys who are locked in. As WEEI’s Paul Flannery details; KG, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, Ray Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Greg Stiemsma, Chris Wilcox, Keyon Dooling, Marquis Daniels and Sasha Pavlovic are free agents.
The (attainable) free agent pool is thin. Forget Roy Hibbert. Eric Gordon is talented, but I prefer Avery Bradley. Batum and Asik are solid role players. The key is finding players who will stay healthy. I know that’s impossible to predict, but health is what really doomed the Celtics this season.
If I had to predict the Celtics off season moves, I’d lean towards KG, Green, Pietrus, Dooling and Stiemsma returning. Bass is a wildcard. I fear he might run for more money. Since everyone is saying Ray Allen is leaving, I’m forced to believe it. That would leave Ainge the task of finding a couple of critical role players.
I’m probably wrong. Knowing Danny’s history, he’s probably working on a blockbuster deal right now.
The rest of the links:
Herald – Wanted: Bench support | Pietrus all about Green | CSNNE – Five days later… | ESPN Boston – Brandon Bass report card
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