Poll: To keep or not to keep, Amir at 12m next year

[Evantime34]

Amir should be kept unless we need his salary slot to sign a max player. I doubt we end up signing a max player in free agency let alone two.

I don't see us getting anyone better in this free agency class than Amir at his salary slot.

[Denis998]

People undervalue Amir, he is responsible for the shift in defensive rating when compared to that of last year. We went from good to great with him.

[Who]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

[PhoSita]

People undervalue Amir, he is responsible for the shift in defensive rating when compared to that of last year. We went from good to great with him.

You could also point to the fact that Crowder is playing a lot this year, and Kelly has improved defensively.


Amir is a nice player, but he's a placeholder.  What the Celts really need is a guy who has a similar skillset to Amir but gives about 125 - 150% what Amir gives the team right now and plays closer to 32 minutes a night. (e.g. an above average starter)

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

And yet it's plausible.

It will be interesting to see how Ainge fills up all the cap space, and handles the fact that multiple trades will probably be required to avoiding having almost half the roster consist of rookie contract players.

[Evantime34]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

Who are some pairs of guys that you would prefer to Amir that are free agents?

I say pairs because we have enough space to sign someone at a higher salary slot than Amir. In order for us to sign someone to replace Amir it would need to be the 2nd free agent we are getting, since we have enough space to sign a big time free agent and keep Amir.

[Csfan1984]

I'd let him go to have more FA $. If I can't get anyone I like I offer him another 2 year with only one year guaranteed but at $14 million per. Congrats AJ you made $2 million more for giving C's more great flexibility.

[Celtics18]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

It seems highly likely to me that he won't acquire someone better to fill Amir's role for next season.

[Who]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

Who are some pairs of guys that you would prefer to Amir that are free agents?

I say pairs because we have enough space to sign someone at a higher salary slot than Amir. In order for us to sign someone to replace Amir it would need to be the 2nd free agent we are getting, since we have enough space to sign a big time free agent and keep Amir.

Gosh, it is depressing looking at that free agent list.

I really do not want Amir back next season as Boston's starting center.

To answer your question - I don't know. It's not pleasant reading. Those FA lists. Overpaying an average guy like Ezeli or a bunch of older bigs like J.Noah or M.Gasol.

I wouldn't be looking for a pair though. Just a single guy. A center. I wouldn't keep Amir if a center is acquired (FA or Trade). I don't want Amir competing for backup big minutes with all the young big guys that are already here.

[Who]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

It seems highly likely to me that he won't acquire someone better to fill Amir's role for next season.

Yeah (deep sigh), after this thread it is starting to look that way to me too. Unfortunately.

[Evantime34]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

Who are some pairs of guys that you would prefer to Amir that are free agents?

I say pairs because we have enough space to sign someone at a higher salary slot than Amir. In order for us to sign someone to replace Amir it would need to be the 2nd free agent we are getting, since we have enough space to sign a big time free agent and keep Amir.

Gosh, it is depressing looking at that free agent list.

I really do not want Amir back next season as Boston's starting center.

To answer your question - I don't know. It's not pleasant reading. Those FA lists. Overpaying an average guy like Ezeli or a bunch of older bigs like J.Noah or M.Gasol.

I wouldn't be looking for a pair though. Just a single guy. A center. I wouldn't keep Amir if a center is acquired (FA or Trade). I don't want Amir competing for backup big minutes with all the young big guys that are already here.

Completely agree that I'd like to see us get a new starting center next year. But we disagree on who our current starting Center is.

IMO Amir is our starting PF not Center. Jared Sullinger always guards the other team's opposing centers. He is also listed on the NBA website as a center.

Now if we get Simmons I think he becomes our starting PF and we move Amir to center immediately. I could also see us draft Poeltl and starting him at center if he's ready.

As far as free agents for the C spot I think Jefferson might be good for us as a post scorer but due to his defensive issues and injuries he probably should only be playing 25 minutes a game. Whiteside is better than what we have but I am terrified that he would become a locker room issue once he got paid. Ian Mahinmi could give us some athleticism.

The prize big man I expect hte C's to target is Al Horford. He can guard 5's, rebound, spread the floor and give us some rim protection. I don't see him leaving Atlanta unless the Hawks completely collapse though.

In free agency I'd much rather see us chase guys that allow us to go small and switch on screens, like Harrison Barnes.

In the end something tells me we strike out in free agency but then combine our cap space with picks to bring in quality players. I expect us to target Love, and Gallinari in this manner.

[Celtics18]

I could definitely see our center of the future coming from the draft.  Maybe Poeltl or maybe take a chance on Skal.

If we draft a center with our top pick, it makes sense to me to keep Amir as a solid stopgap to start until the youngster is ready, and then come off the bench once it's time.

[PhoSita]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

It seems highly likely to me that he won't acquire someone better to fill Amir's role for next season.

Except, perhaps, Jordan Mickey and / or somebody they draft in the 1st round.

Better overall in the short term, perhaps not, but better in the long term and for less money, not to mention a much more valuable trade asset?  Absolutely.


A young player on a cheap deal that's been given the chance to play through growing pains and struggles and develop into a reliable contributor -- especially at a position of talent scarcity (for example a PF / C that can defend multiple positions) -- is always going to be a far more valuable trade piece than an aging veteran with bad ankles on an outsized expiring deal.

[JBcat]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

It seems highly likely to me that he won't acquire someone better to fill Amir's role for next season.

Yeah (deep sigh), after this thread it is starting to look that way to me too. Unfortunately.

What do you think of Dwight Howard?  I was never really a fan of his goofyness, but maybe has matured a little.  Even though he is playing with Harden we may be able to provide a better situation for him going forward.

Al Hortford would be a nice get but I don't see him leaving Atlanta.

It would be nice to consolidate Amir, Lee, and Zeller to 1 veteran upgrade, and have a new young C as a backup.

[Celtics18]

It will be pretty flipping disappointing if Ainge cannot get someone better than Amir this summer.

It seems highly likely to me that he won't acquire someone better to fill Amir's role for next season.

Except, perhaps, Jordan Mickey and / or somebody they draft in the 1st round.

Better overall in the short term, perhaps not, but better in the long term and for less money, not to mention a much more valuable trade asset?  Absolutely.


A young player on a cheap deal that's been given the chance to play through growing pains and struggles and develop into a reliable contributor -- especially at a position of talent scarcity (for example a PF / C that can defend multiple positions) -- is always going to be a far more valuable trade piece than an aging veteran with bad ankles on an outsized expiring deal.

I don't think it's an either/or proposition. 

Even if Sully's back next year--which I'm certainly not convinced he will be--there should be room to add a young player to the big man rotation.

[PhoSita]

Even if Sully's back next year--which I'm certainly not convinced he will be--there should be room to add a young player to the big man rotation.

My preference would be to let Amir and Sully go, and re-sign Zeller to a cheap multi-year deal. 

Zeller on a cheap deal (because the Celts have torpedoed his value this season by screwing with his role -- thanks to the awesome David Lee trade) will be a much better trade asset than Amir Johnson on an expiring, especially when you factor in the likelihood of Amir being injured for a significant chunk of next season. 

Give Zeller a consistent ~20 minute per night role (specifically in lineups with good spacing and a ballhandler who can effectively hit a rolling big man) and there will most assuredly be more than one team out there willing to give up value to get a reasonably young seven footer who can walk and chew gum at the same time, if you want to trade him.

Olynyk, Zeller, Mickey, Jerebko and then maybe a rookie and / or a free agent signing becomes your big man rotation.  I could take or leave Jerebko, but he can play multiple positions / roles and he's cheap.

The Celts don't really need to have too many big men on the team, because the team is at its best going small.  On a lot of nights they won't be able to have more than one of them on the floor for any extended period of time anyway.