First time I am worried

[Ed Monix]

I usually don’t overreact to things in regards to the Celtics because I always had trust in Ainge. Even though things regressed during last few seasons, I could understand the logic and it was mostly down to very bad luck, but now I am worried.

I don’t know if it’s ownership or Stevens but everything that has been done since Ainge left, screams cheap and unimaginative.

The Celtics moves resemble checkers, when guys like, Presti, Ujiri & Sean Marks are all playing elite chess. I could be just dense or blind to some grand plan, but from what I can see their ‘master plan’ was and is, dump Kemba and give up a good pick, open a max contract slot and cross our fingers Beal signs next season…the end.

Look at the players rivals have picked up and Celtics have done nothing. Horford has always been prone to injury and will only more frequent, Williams III has struggled to get on the floor regularly and when he does, he’s a fouling machine. Smart is and will be the same frustrating player that will only be given more responsibility and cause more headaches. Richardson hasn’t had a good season since his time in Miami, although I like Dunn he can’t stay healthy, Brown is coming back from major surgery and our bench is one of the worse in the league.

It seems like Stevens has all his eggs in one basket and is just hoping for the best.

[bogg]

The problem with the "cap space for Beal" route was always that it was inflexible to the point that I assumed the team wouldn't choose it. Here we are though. When you can't sign anyone beyond one season deals and you can't trade for anyone with a contract beyond next season and you can't move any first-rounders because you need them for a Beal offer this is what the summer looks like.

Hopefully they get Beal, I guess.

[Roy H.]

The Celtics are going to develop a reputation as a miserly franchise that doesn’t pay its players.  How many free agents have we seen leave?

Kyrie, Rozier, Morris, Horford, Hayward, Fournier.  Kemba was dumped.  IT was traded while injured.  Thompson was traded after one year.  Finances have run the show the past two seasons.  You think players and their agents don’t notice?

0% chance that  Beal or any premium free agent signs here next summer.

[Celtics2021]

The Celtics are going to develop a reputation as a miserly franchise that doesn’t pay its players.  How many free agents have we seen leave?

Kyrie, Rozier, Morris, Horford, Hayward, Fournier.  Kemba was dumped.  IT was traded while injured.  Thompson was traded after one year.  Finances have run the show the past two seasons.  You think players and their agents don’t notice?

0% chance that  Beal or any premium free agent signs here next summer.

To be fair, we recruited Kemba over Rozier and helped facilitate the sign-and-trade so that he could get paid merely a month after he went on ESPN to burn every bridge in Boston.  We weren’t miserly with Rozier.  We maybe should have kept him instead of signing Kemba to a max, but again, that wasn’t miserly either.

[SparzWizard]

The problem with the "cap space for Beal" route was always that it was inflexible to the point that I assumed the team wouldn't choose it. Here we are though. When you can't sign anyone beyond one season deals and you can't trade for anyone with a contract beyond next season and you can't move any first-rounders because you need them for a Beal offer this is what the summer looks like.

Hopefully they get Beal, I guess.

This is like Anthony Davis all over again.

[Who]

On the bright side, a team that boasts Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown on the same team will be one of the finest if not the finest landing spot for any marquee FAs looking for stars to hook up with to win a Championship.

As FA attractiveness goes, the Celtics are giving FAs a fantastic offer (next summer or future summers beyond).

[Ed Monix]

The Celtics are going to develop a reputation as a miserly franchise that doesn’t pay its players.  How many free agents have we seen leave?

Kyrie, Rozier, Morris, Horford, Hayward, Fournier.  Kemba was dumped.  IT was traded while injured.  Thompson was traded after one year.  Finances have run the show the past two seasons.  You think players and their agents don’t notice?

0% chance that  Beal or any premium free agent signs here next summer.

I completely agree, Ainge’s major fault was his reputation as being heartless, so Stevens first move is to dump Kemba to Oklahoma? For Horford of all people? Horford is a likeable guy but people forget that in spite of him being the team leader, he jumped ship the first chance he got (to our direct rival) and the only reason he’s returned is because he was dumped into the wilderness himself.

I honestly believe that if we kept Kemba this season and things hadn’t improved, he would have opted out the following season. If anything he would have been an amazing 6th man. The player we need moved is Smart because he’ll walk next season if we don’t overpay him.

[sgrogan]

On the bright side, a team that boasts Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown on the same team will be one of the finest if not the finest landing spot for any marquee FAs looking for stars to hook up with to win a Championship.

As FA attractiveness goes, the Celtics are giving FAs a fantastic offer (next summer or future summers beyond).

Ah, until Beal doesn't sign and we need to keep the flexibility going forward.
'Join the Celtics for a 1 year guaranteed contract. We are set up to gut the roster next year and avoid the tax. Maybe we can cut you and get a player you would like to play with'

They could pivot, but I'm extremely frustrated right now.

If/When we exercise the rookie options, are they too expensive, or are the contracts moveable? Do we have to attach future assets?

[PAOBoston]

On the bright side, a team that boasts Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown on the same team will be one of the finest if not the finest landing spot for any marquee FAs looking for stars to hook up with to win a Championship.

As FA attractiveness goes, the Celtics are giving FAs a fantastic offer (next summer or future summers beyond).

What FAs are exactly going to be on the market next summer? A lot of those guys have re-upped already or will at some point in the near future. Outside of Beal, I don’t see any ones that stick out as players to target. Cs better know something that everyone else doesn’t because this plan could very easily blow up in their face. If they strike out next summer, I can assure your JB/JT will ask out and then you are back to square one (without the benefit of the Brooklyn picks this time).

[Ed Monix]

The problem with the "cap space for Beal" route was always that it was inflexible to the point that I assumed the team wouldn't choose it. Here we are though. When you can't sign anyone beyond one season deals and you can't trade for anyone with a contract beyond next season and you can't move any first-rounders because you need them for a Beal offer this is what the summer looks like.

Hopefully they get Beal, I guess.

That is the scary part because other then Beal there are no real star free agents in 2022, so Stevens plan is truely Bradley Beal or bust.

[Roy H.]

On the bright side, a team that boasts Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown on the same team will be one of the finest if not the finest landing spot for any marquee FAs looking for stars to hook up with to win a Championship.

As FA attractiveness goes, the Celtics are giving FAs a fantastic offer (next summer or future summers beyond).

I hope that you're right, but I don't think that you are.  Why should a free agent trust that the team is going to make smart and costly moves to keep the team in contention? 

Right now, the reputation in league circles is:

1.  Boston is racist;
2.  Boston is cheap;
3.  Boston has no loyalty

Those aren't completely fair, but it's the reputation. 

And, the wild thing is that even if we give up every single player on our roster other than Tatum, Brown and Nesmith, we still won't be able to offer Beal a complete max.  Is he going to take less money to sign here for the pleasure of playing alongside 10+ minimum contract teammates?

There's only one way I see this working out.  *If* we can convince Washington to do a sign and trade with us involving Horford's contract, we may be able to sign-and-trade for Beal and retain Bird rights on our own free agents.  That would probably cost us a first rounder at minimum, but it's really the team's only hope.

[RJ87]

On the bright side, a team that boasts Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown on the same team will be one of the finest if not the finest landing spot for any marquee FAs looking for stars to hook up with to win a Championship.

As FA attractiveness goes, the Celtics are giving FAs a fantastic offer (next summer or future summers beyond).

I hope that you're right, but I don't think that you are.  Why should a free agent trust that the team is going to make smart and costly moves to keep the team in contention? 

Right now, the reputation in league circles is:

1.  Boston is racist;
2.  Boston is cheap;
3.  Boston has no loyalty

Those aren't completely fair, but it's the reputation. 

And, the wild thing is that even if we give up every single player on our roster other than Tatum, Brown and Nesmith, we still won't be able to offer Beal a complete max.  Is he going to take less money to sign here for the pleasure of playing alongside 10+ minimum contract teammates?

There's only one way I see this working out.  *If* we can convince Washington to do a sign and trade with us involving Horford's contract, we may be able to sign-and-trade for Beal and retain Bird rights on our own free agents.  That would probably cost us a first rounder at minimum, but it's really the team's only hope.

I'm fully prepared for us to end up with Andrew Wiggins or Malcolm Brogdon as consolation prizes 2023.

[gift]

Ainge always acquired assets. We are no longer acquiring assets. I think part of my worry is that I don't understand a clear vision or strategy here. The obvious answer is cap space, but that's putting a lot into one uncertain basket. Let's pretend all of this is for Beal. I'm not even sure Beal is the answer. We've paired Kyrie, Kemba and Hayward with Tatum and Brown. Is Beal going to be the difference between those teams and a championship team?

I'd rather accumulate assets and have more than one shot at a player(s) via trade. If no trade pans out, you still have better players to try to win with Tatum and Brown.

I'm historically an optimistic fan, but I'm skeptical about the current trajectory.

[jpotter33]

Ainge always acquired assets. We are no longer acquiring assets. I think part of my worry is that I don't understand a clear vision or strategy here. The obvious answer is cap space, but that's putting a lot into one uncertain basket. Let's pretend all of this is for Beal. I'm not even sure Beal is the answer. We've paired Kyrie, Kemba and Hayward with Tatum and Brown. Is Beal going to be the difference between those teams and a championship team?

I'd rather accumulate assets and have more than one shot at a player(s) via trade. If no trade pans out, you still have better players to try to win with Tatum and Brown.

I'm historically an optimistic fan, but I'm skeptical about the current trajectory.

Yeah, Danny was in error by trying to straddle the fence regarding winning/rebuilding, but I don’t find this extreme “all or nothing” free agency approach any better. So little room for error, especially given the questionable fit that Beal presents already.

[bogg]

The problem with the "cap space for Beal" route was always that it was inflexible to the point that I assumed the team wouldn't choose it. Here we are though. When you can't sign anyone beyond one season deals and you can't trade for anyone with a contract beyond next season and you can't move any first-rounders because you need them for a Beal offer this is what the summer looks like.

Hopefully they get Beal, I guess.

That is the scary part because other then Beal there are no real star free agents in 2022, so Stevens plan is truely Bradley Beal or bust.

Yea, theoretically maybe Lavine doesn't extend with Chicago, but I think he will. You're hoping to depress the Beal market enough with the threat of cap space that someone doesn't beat your trade offer and risk him walking, but you're basically handcuffed until it plays out.