Boston Celtics: Breaking Down the Best Free Agents to Pair with Rajon Rondo

Now that their season is over, the Boston Celtics must prepare for the possibility that both Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett will be playing elsewhere next season.  Of the Big Three, only Paul Pierce is under contract for next season.

Given the emergence of point guard Rajon Rondo as a passer, defender and even a scorer, Boston may  well have some giant shoes to fill (quite literally, in Garnett's case) if they are to continue as perennial playoff contenders and the former Kentucky Wildcat is to continue to blossom as one of the best floor generals in the game.

Fortunately, this summer's free-agent market is laden with players who could come to Beantown and help continue the winning ways.  Here are seven who, if paired with Rondo, would help keep the Celtics in the playoffs for years to come.

No. 7 Chauncey Billups

Billups missed most of this season with a torn Achilles tendon, but he still averaged 15 points a game playing shooting guard for the Los Angeles Clippers.  He's a bit old at 35, but his reputation as a clutch three-point shooter and his championship experience would be more than welcome in Boston should Ray Allen leave for another team.

More importantly, Billups proved to be a great leader during his years with the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets. With the Celtics starting to use younger players like Avery Bradley more and more, a veteran shooter like him is all the more attractive.

No. 6 Kirk Hinrich

Like Billups, Hinrich going to Boston depends on what Celtics GM Danny Ainge wants to do at shooting guard.  If he wants to keep the 2-spot as one for talented three-point shooters, Hinrich could prove to be a fine option.

For those unfamiliar with Hinrich's game, three-point shooting is pretty much all he does.

Still, should Ray Allen depart, Rondo could play well with this former Kansas Jayhawk. Hinrich has a shooting guard's build and, like Allen, he's deadly when left open beyond the arc.

No. 5 Ryan Anderson

If Kevin Garnett leaves Boston, there's going to be a giant hole at power forward.  Enter reigning Most Improved Player Ryan Anderson, who shot up the ranks at the position this year when he averaged 16.1 points and 7.7 rebounds for the Orlando Magic.  On top of that, he shot an impressive 39 percent from three-point range.

The only roadblock to Ainge signing Anderson would be that the former California Golden Bear is a restricted free agent, so any offer the Celtics make could be matched by Orlando.

Still, if Ainge gets the numbers right, his team will gain an up-and-coming forward with an uncanny ability to stretch the floor.

No. 4 Antawn Jamison

Jamison is one of the league's older players at 35, but he can still score with gusto.  Bouncing back from an injury-riddled 2011, the former Tar Heel averaged 17.2 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2012.

Should Boston make him an offer, chances are they'll want him to play power forward in the absence of Garnett.  He has the size for the position at 6'9", 235 pounds, but doesn't have the low-post toughness of the man he could potentially replace.

Still, Jamison is a decent enough scorer and good enough at getting open that he and Rondo could build a great on-court relationship.

No. 3 Jason Terry

Much of Terry's success has come off the bench, but he is still an absolutely phenomenal shooter.  He was instrumental in helping the Dallas Mavericks win the NBA title last year. This season he averaged 15.1 points while shooting 38 percent from downtown.

He would likely take Ray Allen's place in Boston. Both players have similar approaches on offense. So it wouldn't be much of an adjustment for Rondo if Terry donned the green and white.

No. 2 Brandon Bass

I know I've mentioned several power forwards, but allow me to be blunt: Danny Ainge absolutely must  re-sign Brandon Bass.  The former LSU Tiger proved to be a good defender and inside presence during the playoffs. And given how good a scorer he was in college, he has the potential to be great in the NBA.

In his first year in Boston, he averaged a career-best 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.  Should Garnett (who can play both power forward and center) move to another team, or even retire, Bass can use his budding relationship with Rondo to finally break out and have an All-Star season.

No. 1 Roy Hibbert

Ever since trading Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder last year, the Celtics have been lacking a low-post presence. Nothing against Garnett, but he is a scorer first and a tough defender second.

That said, should Garnett walk, Ainge should reach out to restricted free agent Roy Hibbert, who averaged career bests in all major categories in 2012.  The former Georgetown Hoya is a great rebounder and shot-blocker, and he also has a developing offensive game that could turn him into one of the most dominant centers in the league.

More importantly, he has great size at 7'2", 260 pounds.  Put him on the floor with Rondo, and the Boston Celtics could become another incarnation of Lob City.