Prior to this NBA season, the Boston Celtics were regarded as one of the more promising teams in the NBA. Boston had the perfect blend of young talent and a deep, veteran supporting cast. That Celtics’ roster looked poised to overtake the juggernaut Golden State Warriors in the coming years. Instead, they finished with a 49-33 record. This resulted in an early playoff exit, losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games. The season was full of disappointment and selfishness. With many of Boston’s key players being free agents this offseason, the question has to be asked, will the Boston Celtics bright future end up being a period of mediocrity.
Free Agents
Boston has four key players poised to be free agents this offseason, three are unrestricted. These players include the Celtics’ only All-Star Kyrie Irving, Marcus Morris, Al Horford, and Terry Rozier. It’s important to note that both Horford and Irving have the ability to opt out of their contract.
Comments made by Irving showing his distaste for Boston all but guarantees he opts out. If Irving does opt out, he’ll likely leave for another team. Horford said he’s opting out in a recent interview but would like to take a “team friendly” deal. Morris is completely unrestricted and will look for a big contract this offseason, one that Boston won’t offer. Teams like Phoenix and Chicago are likely to offer monstrous contracts to Rozier, offers that Boston likely won’t match. If all goes as expected, Boston will lose Irving, Rozier, and Morris.
Depending on the deal that Horford gets, Boston will have roughly $15-20 million dollars to use in free agency. It’s unlikely Boston signs anyone to the caliber of Morris, Irving, and Rozier, but they could easily fill out the roster with decent role players. Next offseason Jayln Brown is also going to be up for a big contract next season. He’ll likely get a rookie max contract. Along with Gordon Hayward’s $63 million over the next two seasons, it gives Boston no room to work in free agency in the coming years.
Underdeveloped Talent
Another issue that’ll keep Boston as a mid-tier NBA team for the coming future is the underdevelopment of their young talent. In last year’s extremely shocking playoff run, Tatum, Brown, and Rozier cemented themselves as some of the NBA’s best young stars. Many expected a massive jump from all three this year. Unfortunately, it seemed that they had all regressed.
Now, it’s possible that the significant underperformance of these players could be due to limited minutes in the Celtics rotation. Even when they got minutes, they played inefficient and selfish. Brown did show promise in the playoffs, but his shortcomings in the regular season every year he’s been in the league can’t be understated. It’s also important to note Brad Stevens recent struggles as a coach could influence Boston in an extremely negative way.
The combination of limited cap space, underdeveloped talent, and streaky coaching will keep Boston trapped in the NBA’s middle-ground. In order for Boston to get out of that situation, they need to unload the contract of Gordon Hayward. They’ll also need to re-sign Rozier. Keeping giant contracts to a minimum is crucial for Boston. Being a large market will allow them to sign big name free agents. Finally, Boston will be able to give out large contracts to players who’ll contribute. If Boston can manage their contract situation and properly develop their young talent, they can save themselves from inevitable mediocrity. But, as of now, the Boston Celtics bright future is looking very dim.
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