The Boston Celtics are coming into the offseason with a ton of cap space and the team may look at Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol, Kevin Love and Jimmy Butler as potential options to sign on the market, as Danny Ainge wants to make moves for Brad Stevens and it comes after the team traded Rajon Rondo.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Celtics are planning to speak with all the top free agents on the market, with Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders listing Kevin Love, Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol, Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard as potential targets. Kyler writes that Kevin Love is the number one target followed by Greg Monroe and that the market likely will depend on whether Love opts out of his deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Monroe was a trade target at the deadline, but he wanted to stick out the season and hit the free agent market as an unrestricted player. The Pistons had the chance to re-sign him last summer as a restricted free agent, but they could not get that done and now the team could lose Monroe. The Pistons traded for Reggie Jackson and ditched Josh Smith, two moves that could help convince Monroe to stay. Monroe has said that he is not ruling out the Pistons in free agency, but the New York Post reported he was "noncommittal" about his plans.
The Lakers and the Knicks are expected to be very active this offseason and they could be the main competition for the Celtics for free agents. Earlier in the season there were reports that the Celtics were going to chase Gasol in the offseason, but most expect him to stay with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Celtics are third in the Atlantic division this season record and that is a major improvement after the team ended up sixth in the draft last season. The team is rebuilding and trading Rajon Rondo was the final major piece that Ainge moved that connected back to the playoff years. The team has Marcus Smart developing and they re-signed Avery Bradley last year and now they could look at making a splash in free agency.
Kyler describes Monroe as a backup target if Love doesn't opt out and the Celtics think they can convince Love to sign with their young talent and new point guard in Thomas. The report also says that the team will "swing for the..fences" and try and woo players like Gasol, Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler, who will be a restricted free agent. With the injury to Derrick Rose, it's very unlikely Butler leaves the Bulls, but he will get offers and Chicago will have to match or let him go.
