The Boston Celtics are working to conclude a rebuilding process that saw Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo while young stars like Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder emerged in 2015. However, while the Celtics have put some good pieces in place, they have been stockpiling draft picks over the past two seasons that means the team will have a very busy offseason. Team president Danny Ainge is making his free agency wish list while getting linked to trade deals along the way.
According to ESPNBoston.com, the Celtics will first eye their current roster. A trade of Gerald Wallace is a top priority considering the veteran will earn $10.1 million next season. The next move will be to retain Crawford and potentially Brandon Bass. Meanwhile no one else is really safe from trades. That means players like Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Evan Turner could be expendable considering that team-friendly contracts. So who are the Celtics eyeing to bring in for 2015?
According to the Boston Herald, LaMarcus Aldridge could be a real favorite in free agency. The 29-year-old is expected to depart the Portland Trail Blazers as he is looking to sign a long-term contract that gives him security. The Oregonian previously reported that Aldridge rejected a four-year deal from the Trail Blazers, wanting a five-year contract instead. The Celtics would have to be willing to hand that out. The team could easily make the move work as Aldridge would be a solid fit for the departing Brandon Bass. However, interest is high in the power forward, so the Celtics would need to be aggressive.
The Herald has already reported that Kevin Love is a target. The Celtics wanted a trade for the forward before he ended up going to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were hoping to pair Love with Rondo. Now that the point guard is gone, Love might no longer be an option. Instead, players like Greg Monroe and Marc Gasol will be targeted instead.
There is also talk that the Celtics are not as committed to Isaiah Thomas as originally believed when the team acquired the point guard. The emergence of both Smart and James Young makes Thomas expendable despite the solid year he had in Boston. According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, the Celtics are planning on being involved in trade talk for Ty Lawson with the Denver Nuggets. Boston could easily offer up Thomas in a trade deal and have a one-two punch of Smart and Lawson to work with.
Ainge is getting ready for a busy summer. Boston showed great potential after getting into the playoffs while Stevens looks like he could be the real deal in terms of coaches. That could entice a lot of players to head to Boston for next year.