With the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Boston Celtics’ season is officially over. Going into the offseason, many important decisions will be made that will determine the fate of the Celtics next season.
Kyrie Irving
The biggest question that has been asked all season is what will happen with Kyrie Irving when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. With the 27-year-old point guard vacillating between commitment and disengagement, it’s possible nobody has a firm idea of what he’ll do.
Irving may not even know just yet.
Prior to the start of the season at a season ticket holder event, Irving announced that he plans to re-sign with Boston. Since then, his responses to the media’s questions have made fans question the initial commitment.
There are three possible outcomes with Irving: he re-signs, he leaves, or he agrees to a sign-and-trade.
In the latter scenario, since the Celtics are the only team that can offer him a supermax contract, it is possible that he could agree to the most lucrative deal he can get with the understanding that he will be traded right away.
Although supermax contracts were created to help retain their All-Star talent rather than to facilitate a trade, this would at least give the Celtics some type of talent or draft pick(s) in return, instead of just letting Irving walk.
Terry Rozier
If Irving decides to leave, either walking or agreeing to a sign-and-trade, all eyes would be on Celtics backup point guard Terry Rozier. Rozier’s contract is also up in the summer but he’ll be a restricted free agent, meaning the Celtics can match any offer he receives.
Recent reports are hinting that he isn’t planning on staying in Boston. If that speculation becomes the reality it would leave the Celtics without a true point guard, which is a big concern.
Just ask the Phoenix Suns, who finished the regular season with one of the league’s worst records at 19-63 despite having players like Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton on the roster.
Al Horford
Another possible, but highly unlikely, free agent the Celtics could lose this offseason is veteran anchor Al Horford.
Horford, who signed a four-year, $113.3 million deal in 2016, is entering the fourth and final year of that contract, which is a player option. This means Horford’s future on Boston is entirely on him.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Horford has always remained committed and faithful to Boston; traits that have made him a fan favorite. The 32-year-old, a five-time All-Star, continues to be as dynamic as any big man in the NBA thanks to his blend of skill, size, athleticism and intelligence.
A 12-year veteran, Horford averaged 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.9 steals per game this season while having a career-high true shooting percentage of 60.5.
Aron Baynes
Aussie center Aron Baynes will also have a Player option to return to the Celtics in 2019-20 but has already hinted at a return in his exit interview.
Baynes was a solid addition to the team, providing needed height, size, toughness and energy on the defensive end.
This season, he averaged 5.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game but his contributions were much more than what is shown on the stat sheets. An on-and-off starter for the Celtics, his return may be met with more fanfare from his coaches and teammates than the fans themselves.
Marcus Morris
A fan favorite that will definitely hit free agency in the offseason, Marcus Morris, is one player that has excelled in Boston and who the Celtics might be better off keeping if they can afford his price tag.
The positive side of this is that the Celtics have Bird rights over Morris, meaning that they can match any offer made by other teams trying to sign him if they so choose.
Morris plays with heart and soul, similar to guard Marcus Smart, which is why he’s beloved in Boston. He became a needed piece of the Celtics puzzle as he was able to stretch the floor due to the development of his three-point stroke.
Brad Stevens
For the first time, the future of Celtics head coach Brad Stevens may also be in question. This was the first year under Stevens that the Celtics’ record did not improve, even though they technically added Gordon Hayward for their regular season run.
Stevens’ ability to unify his team left a lot to be desired and his wait-and-see approach, and at times his reluctance to make a change at all, led to numerous chemistry issues throughout the season. This raises the question of if Stevens is capable of coaching top talent or if he’s one of the coaches who’s best strength is maximizing the play of a roster with minimal superstar talent.
As great of a job Stevens has done in the past few seasons, he definitely dropped the ball this year, and he knows it.
2019 NBA Draft
On a more positive note, looking at the future, the Celtics are set to make a splash at (though not necessarily in) the 2019 NBA Draft. With a plethora of potential picks, the Celtics could have as many as four first-round picks this year.
The draft lottery will be conducted on May 14, which will give the Celtics a definite answer of how many first-round selections they will be making this year.
The final potential move the Celtics may make this offseason is something that has been discussed for a while now – a trade for New Orleans Pelicans star big man Anthony Davis.
With a lot of young talent and draft picks, Celtics president and general manager Danny Ainge could make a go at one of the most talented and versatile bigs in the league, unless the Pelicans’ new executive vice president can convince him to stay in the Crescent City.
After witnessing the upsetting postseason performance by Boston, it’s clear that changes need to be made. Knowing Ainge, don’t be surprised to see multiple roster changes this offseason.
