Under-the-Radar Free Agents the Boston Celtics Could Target This Offseason
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge is ready to begin a new chapter of his team's rebuild this summer. After spending most of the past two seasons rearranging his roster while collecting useful trade assets for the future, Ainge now has positioned himself with the necessary salary-cap space to target free agents that would be meaningful additions to his team's core.
"We're going to go after any and everybody that we think is a significant player to upgrade our talent," Ainge said at his end-of-season press conference. "And when I say upgrade our talent, like, you've got to be pretty good to upgrade our talent because we have good players. So we're going after all the top names on the list. And we'll see what happens."
Unfortunately for Ainge, top free agents are far more likely to remain with their current employers or sign with contenders than come to Boston this offseason. Talented big men like Marc Gasol aren't likely to leave a top-flight Memphis Grizzlies team to become the focal point of a rebuilding projected in Boston. A potential free-agent fit in Kevin Love told reporters this week that he was planning to opt into his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers after the season.
However, there is still plenty of talent in the free-agency pool beyond the big names. Several players would be significant upgrades to Boston's core as it attempts to build upon a strong second half of the 2014-15 season.
The Celtics enter the offseason with 11 players signed for the 2015-16 season. Here's a breakdown by position:
Guards: Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, James Young, Phil Pressey (nonguaranteed), Chris Babb (nonguaranteed)
Forwards/centers: Evan Turner, Gerald Wallace, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller
Boston has only $40.4 million committed in guaranteed money on its roster for next season, but that does not include qualifying offers for restricted free agents like Jae Crowder or cap holds for unrestricted free agents such as Brandon Bass or Jonas Jerebko. The Celtics could get under the cap by renouncing those players and the team's trade exceptions.
Here is a look at some of the possible under-the-radar targets in free agency the Celtics could use some of that potential cap space on.
Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers, SG/SF
Wesley Matthews has plenty of uncertainty surrounding his future. After outperforming a five-year, $32 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers that was signed in 2011, the 6'5" swingman will be looking to cash in this summer on the open market.
The 28-year-old guard brings scoring (14.9 points per game in 2014-15), outside shooting (39.3 percent career shooter from three-point range) and defensive versatility that the Celtics desperately need. However, Matthews' health status entering next season remains cloudy after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in March.
Matthews' recovery will last long beyond the free-agency period, which will be a complicating factor for his price tag. Will he opt for a short-term deal to prove he's healthy or value the security of a longer deal? His skills also align with another restricted free agent that Boston controls in Crowder. However, both players have the versatility defensively to handle an assortment of wings and share the court together.
A team will make a big-money gamble on the six-year veteran this offseason despite his recent foot injury, which makes his availability for the start of next season unclear. However, with the premium head coach Brad Stevens has on finding players that fit his pace-and-space system, Boston might be the best destination for Matthews to take his game to the next level in a starring role. His addition could also free up the team to use younger pieces like Avery Bradley or James Young as trade chips to improve other parts of the roster.
Potential Contract Offer: 4 years/$48 million
Kosta Koufos, Memphis Grizzlies, C
The free-agent market will be crowded with big men this summer, but Kosta Koufos may be the most cost-efficient option for the Celtics. At just 26 years old, the 7-footer fits Boston's long-term rebuilding timetable, and he's already received plenty of seasoning during stints in Utah, Denver and Memphis.
Koufos performed as a useful backup to Marc Gasol over the past couple of seasons, but he's also shown himself to be an efficient rim protector in a starting role for Denver during the 2012-13 season, blocking 1.3 shots in just 22 minutes per game. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported last month that Koufos was looking for a chance to start yet again after being limited in minutes behind Gasol in Memphis.
The six-year veteran is also an above-average rebounder, meaning he could help Boston address its desperate need for improvement in rebounding after the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Celtics on the glass during a first-round postseason series sweep. Koufos grabbed 11.4 rebounds per 36 minutes last season, a mark that would have topped the entire Celtics roster last season.
Koufos will demand a sizable raise from his $3 million salary, but Ainge can offer him a starting job and a chance to shine under Stevens. After averaging just 15.3 minutes per game during his career, Boston could be a match for the big man if the price is right.
Potential Contract Offer: 3 years/$27 million
Marco Belinelli, San Antonio Spurs, SG
Marco Belinelli was a valuable role player for the San Antonio Spurs last season, and his sharpshooting ability from three-point range (39.2 percent over his career) makes him an ideal fit for a Celtics offense that wants to better spread the floor with capable shooters. The Celtics have a glut of young guards in the backcourt, but all are young and affordable, making them easy to trade if an upgrade like Belinelli was brought in.
Boston ranked an ugly 27th in three-point shooting last season, hitting just 32.7 percent of its threes. Avery Bradley was the team's only rotation guard that shot above the league average (35 percent) from downtown.
Belinelli's strong track record would help the Celtics immediately improve the team's woes in that department. The 6'5" guard is a subpar defender and has limited athleticism, but an above-average defensive backcourt that includes Marcus Smart and Bradley could cover up those warts.
At 29, Belinelli is still in his prime and likely looking to earn his first major payday. The shooting guard has earned no more than $3.3 million in a season during his eight-year NBA career. The Celtics will have the necessary salary-cap space to make a sizable investment in Belinelli in hopes he can provide a major scoring boost to their second unit.
Potential Contract Offer: 3 years/$20 million
Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic, SF/PF
For a team without a superstar, crunch-time scoring can be a problem. The Celtics began to address that issue last season by adding the offensive-minded Isaiah Thomas at the trade deadline, but Ainge acknowledged finding players with shot-creation ability remains a priority this offseason.
"We often talk about transcendent players and stars," Ainge said in April, "But I think the hardest skill to find in our league is guys that can score in the fourth quarter, the last six minutes of the game type of scorers.
"Usually, the offensive patterns don't score baskets at that time. Usually, it's the individuals and the talent, and I think that's always a priority, regardless of need by position...it'd be nice to have one or two more of those before the season starts next year, and ideally at other positions [than Isaiah]."
As Kevin O'Connor of CelticsBlog points out, Tobias Harris was one of the best performers in those late-game situations in the 2014-15 season. The 22-year-old hybrid forward had no problem putting up big points all year long with the Orlando Magic, posting a career-high 17.1 PPG. His shot-creation abilities in crunch time make him an ideal match for a guard like Thomas and would also provide Stevens with a host of scoring options when opposing defenses ratchet up the pressure in tight games.
Still, Orlando's offense struggled mightily despite Harris' impressive numbers, and Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report points out that some other parts of his game may not be worthy of a big-money offer:
"Harris' career 16.3 player efficiency rating is only a tick above the league-average 15.0. His unsightly minus-2.53 real plus-minus ranked 324th out of 474 players in 2014-15. He's not a great perimeter defender, which is potentially problematic on a team lacking reliable rim protection.
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Harris is a restricted free agent, but the Celtics have the necessary assets in future draft picks and young talent to make the Magic an enticing offer for his services via a sign-and-trade. Would a future first-round pick be enough to convince Orlando to sign-and-trade away their 6'8" forward? Boston has the capital to find out.
Potential Contract Offer: 4 years/$50 million
Boston already has several role players signed to long-term deals (Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas), giving the team plenty of salary-cap space to hunt for big names. However, with the salary cap set to rise to potentially $89 million in the summer of the 2016, according to Stein, the time to lock up free agents is now before the competition gets stiff when more franchises have cap room. If Ainge comes up empty on landing a superstar, landing a couple of second-tier players would be a wise consolation prize.
All statistical and salary information provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. All quotations were compiled firsthand by the author unless noted in the text.
Brian Robb covers the Boston Celtics for Bleacher Report.
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