With their offseason now underway, the Boston Celtics will have plenty of decisions to make.
First and foremost will be what to do regarding Jaylen Brown‘s contract situation. Given the ramifications of the new collective bargaining agreement and the punishments that come with being over the second tax apron, the Celtics will need to think long and hard before extending a supermax contract to Brown.
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, Boston would be better served by trading away their All-Star wing as they look to revamp their roster after another playoff failure, with the analyst suggesting the Charlotte Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball as a potential return for Brown.
Erik Spoelstra seemed to have an endless supply of tactics up his sleeve, whereas Joe Mazzulla had no backup plans. On offense, the Celtics knew how to play one way. On defense, all year they didn’t use zone and didn’t get reps with aggressive P&R schemes.
“If the Hornets plan on taking Henderson with the no. 2 pick, I’d hit them up to ask about LaMelo Ball,” O’Connor wrote. “He developed some bad habits under Steve Clifford last season. Maybe the Hornets would want to shuffle the deck and pay Brown rather than pay LaMelo for an imperfect backcourt fit.”
LaMelo Ball struggled for health last season, missing the majority of the year due to a broken ankle. However, when healthy, the third-year guard averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 8.4 assists while shooting 41.1% from the field and 37.6% from deep.
LaMelo Ball Comes With His Own Contract Issues
One thing to note regarding any potential acquisition of LaMelo Ball is that he is also expected to enter negotiations on a potential contract extension this summer. However, Ball is not a supermax-eligible player, thus, his cap hit would be significantly less – even if though he will certainly command a salary increase.
LaMelo Ball is a dominant player
Nevertheless, Ball would instantly provide the ball-handling and playmaking that Celtics fans have been asking for, while his perimeter shooting ability and love of pushing the pace would be a perfect fit in Joe Mazzulla’s offensive system.
However, the likelihood that Charlotte willingly moves on from their franchise player is minimal, although the two teams do have a track record of doing business together in recent seasons.
The Celtics Could Run it Back.
According to an Eastern Conference GM who spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, the Celtics will most likely run it back with their current core after once again making a deep playoff run.
“It’s a hard sell; it’s an unpopular choice, especially with everything we have seen in recent years in terms of superteams and major stars going to different places,” The GM said. “But a team like Boston, they need to just keep going at it. That’s what they’re going to do. Look at the Nuggets. They stuck with it, and here they are.”
Jaylen Brown in the Conference Finals:
🧱 More FGA (134) than PTS (133)
🧱 More TOV (25) than AST (24)
🧱 16 3P%
🧱 66 FT%
He was outscored and outrebounded by Caleb Martin in the series 🥶🧱
Currently, all of the Celtics’ core is under contract and could potentially be back in the TD Garden next season. However, after multiple years of falling at the final hurdle, now might be the right time for Brad Stevens to shake things up a little.
Of course, there is plenty of time over the summer for Stevens to assess what he believes is best for the Celtics, which means all we can do until then is wait and see what unfolds.
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Former Top-3 Pick Listed Among Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Trade Options