The Boston Celtics have the cap
space necessary to offer a top-tier free agent a maximum contract this
offseason. Not typically big players in the free agent market, General Manager
Danny Ainge is willing to improve his team in any means possible —including dishing out a lucrative contract to a star this summer.
"We haven't ever had cap space,
I don’t think, in the history of the Celtics," Ainge jokingly said.
"For sure since I've been here. So we need to use that space wisely. We
can't just spend it just because we have it."
The Celtics certainly have the cash (roughly $33.2 million in spending money) to land a
star. But will a player be interested in hopping on board Ainge’s rebuilding
train—albeit one that is soaring much faster than anyone could have imagined—to
become the centerpiece of the 17-time NBA Champion Celtics?
There is a widespread myth that free
agents do not want to come to Boston. While the Celtics have never inked an elite
player through free agency, how many stars have the Celtics actually heavily
chased on the open market? The franchise has consistently looked towards trades that better the team in the short and long-term, along with mindful picks in the draft, to reload their squad. However, this year’s free agency presents the Celtics
with a new opportunity to dispel the notion that players are uninterested in
signing a contract to play on the famous parquet floor. With the Portland Trailblazers’ LaMarcus
Aldridge set to hit the open market, the time is now for the Celtics to rail in
their ideal star in free agency.
Aldridge is likely the player the
Celtics chase the hardest this summer. The dynamic 6-foot-10-inch
forward/center has a polished post game with a superb ability to finish around
the basket. Aldridge—who posted 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per
contest with a 22.85 player efficiency rating in 2014-15—also owns a
commendable mid-range game that fits well into Boston’s offense, which relies
upon strong shooting from its big men.
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| The Celtics could make a big push to sign free-agent-to-be LaMarcus Aldridge. (Craig Mitchelldyer-USA Today Sports) |
It’s easy to sell Aldridge to
Boston’s management and its fans—but what do the Celtics offer to the four-time
All-Star?
First and foremost, the Celtics provide Aldridge the chance to be the cornerstone of the most
successful franchise in league history. Aldridge, reportedly unhappy with the
media’s newfound obsession with Damian Lillard, can defect to Boston and instantly become ‘The Man’ for the Green and White.
The extraordinarily weak Eastern
Conference is something Aldridge can’t ignore. The only current realistic title
contender is the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. The Atlanta Hawks,
Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls are all a player (or two) away from being bulletproof threats to win the
championship. If Alrdidge stays in the West—either to remain in Portland or to jump
ship to the Dallas Mavericks, the purported favorites to land the free-agent-to-be—he will have to deal with the Golden State Warriors, the San
Antonio Spurs (another serious contender for the All-Star’s services), the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles
Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies in the immediate future.
Does Portland even stand a chance against
any of the aforementioned teams come playoff time? What about the Mavs?—currently led by an aging Dirk Nowitzki—who got smacked by the Rockets in the first-round of the postseason? Good luck going deep into the playoffs in either Portland or Dallas.
Aldridge has reached the second round
(2014) just once in his career and his team was promptly swept by the eventual-champion Spurs.
If Aldridge flocks to Boston, he
could find himself in the Conference Finals as early as next season. The
Celtics are an up-and-coming team with a young core of guards (Marcus Smart,
Avery Bradley, Isaiah Thomas and James Young) and a treasure cove of draft
picks over the next couple of years. Boston can offer Aldirdge a four-year, $80
million contract. Sign with the Celtics and he’s assured a playoff spot for the
extent of his deal. Join Boston, the ‘city of champions’, and he immediately becomes
the top power forward in the conference.
Aldridge said last summer his goal
was to be the greatest Trail Blazer of all-time. He was steadfast in his desire
to leave a legacy in the City. Now frustrated with the direction of the franchise
and no longer enamored with painting his mark in Portland, why not follow the
footsteps in the long list of Celtics legends? Aldridge wants to be revered. He
wants to be the talk of a city. Playing in Boston gives him the best chance to do
that. Watch the tribute videos the Celtics made for Kevin Garnett and for Paul
Pierce and witness yourself how the city honors its basketball heroes.
Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, John
Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish—to name a few Celtic legends—have
their numbers retired in the rafters and all of them remain treasured by the city.
Garnett and Pierce will soon see their numbers raised as well. Aldridge has the opportunity to join Boston’s decorated history. Question remains, is Aldridge intrigued by the chance to join a pool of basketball legends?
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