Next's year's roster

[Geo123]

I see absolutely no reason for Pierce not to be back.  I'd love to re-sign KG for another year.  Ray, I love ya, but it's probably time to hang them up.  If he still wants to play and can get a contract for another year or two, I wish him well, and am thinking that he'll probably end up his career wearing something other than Celtics green.  

Pierce will definitely be back.  To me, Rondo, Bradley, Pierce, Johnson, Moore and Steimsa will be back for sure.  Pietrus and Bass may be back (Bass's choice and Pietrus if he wants to since he's a FA).  For Green it depends on his health, he says he wants to be back.  KG denpends on $'s and the rest?  Thanks for your service. With 2 #1's and some cap space we will have change and we will be more athletic...  

[RJ87]

I don't know what we're going to do with the draft, but I think an interesting lineup could be:

PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Pierce / Jeff Green
PF: Michael Beasley
C: KG

Beasley is intriguing... I would like to see the Celtics take a wack at a undervalued player or 2 for the right price. Although with Beasley being restricted I'm guessing Minnesota would match anything low.

I don't think Minny extending Beas his qualifying offer is a done deal. It is worth $8.1m afterall, so there is a chance - albeit a slim one - that he makes it to unrestricted free agency.

[Neurotic Guy]

I think the only possible silver lining to Ray's injury is that he moves from a definite no to a maybe for next year.  Many here seem to have little faith that Ray can return to form.  What the heck do I know (and for that matter, what the heck do you know?), but I don't see why he can't be an off the bench dagger thrower next year.  For the 2-3 million it will cost (IMO), why not?   Ray's value to teams looking to round out a roster has gone way down given the ankle risk. So hopefully he wants to stay and take 2-3M.

I actually doubt there is impetus for Ray to stay unless DA can put together a contending roster.  To me that means he's got to find a boarding big and a decent active starting center (Varejo fills both needs) -- I doubt KG wants to play another year here at the 5.

I don't know whether DA can grab something good in the draft or parlay his picks with a player for someone to bolster the roster -- but I do think we need an infusion beyond JG/Wilcox for next year.  Like what David West would have been this year (though I think they need more of a Milsap-esque guy).

[perks-a-beast]

One huge asset this Celtics team has moving forward is their back court. Rondo and Bradley will easily be the quickest and most pestering guard combo in the NBA for years to come. It's so hard for opposing teams to get into their rhythm against those two. Avery is only getting better and it's going to be a pleasure to see him blossom into an all star caliber player, ecspecially alongside Rajon.

The captain will be back. Pierce has more than earned the honor of retiring a Celtic. He doesnt want to be anywhere else. Trading Pierce shouldnt even be an option unless you're getting a young all star in return. PAUL PIERCE IS THE CELTICS. It would be like the Yankees trading Jeter, not going to happen.

I'm also really excited to see what Jeff Green can bring to this team next year. He's exactly the kind of player you want to pair with Rajon Rondo. He's young, can run the break and create offense for a C's team that has shown major struggles in that area this post season.

Kevin Garnett is not going anywhere. KG clearly has at least 2 more years left in him. We know it and he knows it. He's not going to sign with any other team because he has no intentions on of playing for a coach who is not Doc Rivers. Expect KG back on a 2 year deal worth 28 mill or something like that.

As much as i love Ray Allen he's done. Maybe not with his career but definantly as a Celtic. He's going to want more than Danny Ainge is going to be willing to pay a 37 year old shooting guard with ankle problems. I wish Ray the best of luck wherever he ends up next season- Alot of contenders could use him but i think the Celtics organization realizes it's time to move on and look at other options.

The Celtics will need a guy to fill the void Ray Allen leaves in the back court. With the cap space they have available they could go after a Chauncey Billups or an Andre Miller. Kirk Hinrich may be a better, cheaper option.

If cleared to play i hope Chris Wilcox is back next year. He seemed to fit really well with what the Celtics were trying to do. He's a guy that's going to outplay the contract you give him. Wilcox has never played in a playoff game so he's going to be eager to prove himself in the post season. Will also help with this teams massive rebounding problem.

I'd love for Pietrus to be back. He's a good chemistry guy/plays great D. If i were him i'd be looking for a long term deal and the Celtics may be reluctant to give it to himj but we'll see what happens.

I'd also love if Stiemsma came back. Garnett has already been vocal about this and i trust what KG sees in him. Gregs only going to get better, ecspecially with a full training camp/practices with this team.

Expect the 2012-2013 Celtics to look something like this:

RAJON RONDO/ KIRK HINRICH/ KEYON DOOLING
AVERY BRADLEY/ MICKAEL PIETRUS/ DORON LAMB
PAUL PIERCE/ JEFF GREEN/ DRAYMOND GREEN
BRANDON BASS/ CHRIS WILCOX/ JAJUAN JOHNSON
KEVIN GARNETT/ GREG STIEMSMA/ RYAN HOLLINS

and i fully expect to contend the next 2 years.

[Eddie20]

Might as well just play young ball and put people in the seats.

They weren't exactly packing the Garden pre-big 3. And to be honest, Pierce, Big Al, Perk, Rondo, Green, etc. had more upside than the Rondo, Bradley, Green, and two young bigs lineup you propose.

[Stig]

It seems most people want Green and Wilcox back. I can understand about Green because he's cheap now and Angie likes him, so we'll probably bring him back for 5-6m a year, as a backup small forward. But I can't see how he'll be able to start, it'll take him half a season just to get back to what he was, which wasn't good enough for a starter.

As for Wilcox, I wasn't very impressed by him in the games I watched, with this heart issue, I'd rather give up on him, or sigh him but looking for a mid season trade packed with Bass.

[Cman]

Im done with old ball.

Starting lineup should be

Rondo
Bradley
Green

and two other young bigs. Dont really care who.\

The fact is we arent a contending team, not now, not next year unless we get Dwight Howard or some other superstar.

Might as well just play young ball and put people in the seats.

Boy that's depressing... Oh well, all things must end at some point.

Over the next five years, Boston sports fans are about to get a big dose of what other cities feel all the time (Big Three window closing, Brady aging -- though he's got 2-3 more good years, Red Sox reverting to the... Red Sox, Bruins ... well, Bruins might be the best hope).

[LarBrd33]

Greg Oden or bust.

Seriously though we'll probably be significantly worse next year unless KG comes back.  Most likely we just swap out Ray with Jeff Green and call it good.

[Bean_town fan]

Im done with old ball.

Starting lineup should be

Rondo
Bradley
Green

and two other young bigs. Dont really care who.\

The fact is we arent a contending team, not now, not next year unless we get Dwight Howard or some other superstar.

Might as well just play young ball and put people in the seats.

Boy that's depressing... Oh well, all things must end at some point.

This is reality! By no means does this mean I have 'given up' but the rebuilding process needs to start! I have no doubt that DA will try his best to make some eye melting moves....and he's just the kind of guy to get it done. But if not, at least we see some young, good players develop......grow as a team and dare I say it, lottery picks = faster rebuilding process?

[oldmanspeaks]

I am surprised no one has mentioned Illyasova in Milwaukee. He should be sick of losing by now and he has improved quite a bit. He will take significant cap space but he would fit well as he can rebound and run.

[Stig]

I am surprised no one has mentioned Illyasova in Milwaukee. He should be sick of losing by now and he has improved quite a bit. He will take significant cap space but he would fit well as he can rebound and run.

I remember someone on the forum said Illyasova wants money, not win.

[Jon]

I look to bring back nearly everyone on short deals.  There's no one worth signing to a max contract this summer, so there's absolutely no reason to save cap space this summer: the last thing we need to start doing is overpaying for mediocre talent like the Pistons did several years ago with Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon. 

Everyone under contract will be back (Rondo, Bradley, Pierce, JJ, Moore). 

KG should absolutely be back for at least 1 year, but I wouldn't hesitate to go 2 (and have him expire at the end of PP's contract).  I absolutely wouldn't go to 3 years (I don't think KG wants that anyway).

Given that KG is going to command at least 10 million a year, I wouldn't hesitate to bring back Ray, Green, and Bass on 2 year deals.  Green should have no problem with that.  With Bass and Ray, it may be more of a challenge. 

But in both cases we can still pay more over those two years than any other team, and that may change things.  For instance, would Bass turn down a 4 year 24 million dollar deal for a 2 year 16 million dollar deal?  Maybe, maybe not.  And while Ray might like to start, we can also offer him more than the MLE, which is not something that most other teams in pursuit of his services can. 

Over the next two years, we then try to draft well, and use our aging superstar core to help teach and develop the young guys.  Between the summer of 2013 and the summer of 2014, DA can decide whether he wants to pursue free agents to put around Rondo, Bradley, Green, and hopefully at least one other young guy we developed, or whether he wants to go the path of 2007, and attempt to trade some of those guys and picks for current superstars. 

[snowball]

As far as I'm concerned, Jeff Green has not proven
a single thing. His trade was a mistake and his play
when healthy was not what we expected. I would not
sign him if it meant losing KG. No way.

[Onslaught]

As far as I'm concerned, Jeff Green has not proven
a single thing. His trade was a mistake and his play
when healthy was not what we expected. I would not
sign him if it meant losing KG. No way.

Yea, I've seen nothing from Green to make me want him unless it's for dirt cheap.

[Jon]

As far as I'm concerned, Jeff Green has not proven
a single thing. His trade was a mistake and his play
when healthy was not what we expected. I would not
sign him if it meant losing KG. No way.

Yea, I've seen nothing from Green to make me want him unless it's for dirt cheap.

While Jeff Green may not be a future superstar, he would help a lot right now.  He can create his shot, and paired with Rondo (and Bradley and Hollins), he could really get out on the break. 

I think next year it's worth bringing him back.  I don't think money is as big of a deal as years.  I'd give him a 1-2 year deal at 5-10 million a year (ideally lower, but I'd go higher to retain his value).  We just don't want to invest long term in him until we know what we're getting.