WALTHAM, Mass. – With the kind of financial muscle few teams have in the NBA this offseason, every deal that goes down will have a ripple effect on the Celtics’ offseason plans.
Especially those at the small forward position which is one of the Boston Celtics’ many needs this offseason.
Milwaukee has come to terms on a five-year, $70 million deal with their own restricted free agent Khris Middleton. Toronto has landed DeMarre Carroll from Atlanta (four years, $60 million).
And Portland swooped in shortly after midnight to strike a deal with Dallas’ Al-Farouq Aminu that’s worth $30 million over four years.
Free agency isn’t even a day old and we’re getting a much clearer vision for the price tag that the Celtics or any other team for that matter, will have to pay a starting small forward.
Of the ones that are available (and we don’t count LeBron James because well, he’s LeBron James and he’s not going anywhere), Orlando’s Tobias Harris is probably the best of the bench.
Only 22 (he'll be 23 in two weeks), Harris is a restricted free agent.
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However, league sources indicate that there’s a lot of uncertainty as to whether the Magic will match an offer sheet for him, especially if the starting salary is $14 million a year or higher.
In addition to Harris, Boston is reportedly high on Toronto’s Amir Johnson, former Celtic Gerald Green and Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez.
San Antonio’s Danny Green was also a player on the Celtics’ radar, but there are reports that he will re-sign with the Spurs (four years, $45 million) who have traded Tiago Splitter to Atlanta to clear additional salary cap space to make a run at Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge.
Boston has a handful of their own free agents they could potentially re-sign, a group led by restricted free agent Jae Crowder and Jonas Jerebko.