Will Danny throw big money at Paul Milsap in Free Agency? Position of need?

[Phantom255x]

We need a center... Someone that can bang down low, and create havoc be it passing in the post or double teams...

Millsap is a great two way, and probably the best PF still available on the market with Blake Griffin's injury history, but I'm not convinced he's going to move the needle much for us. Yes we'll be a dangerous team, but why wouldn't we just go for Hayward then, and just small ball Crowder at the 4?

Oh, they'll go for Hayward... probably as much as Griffin. Top-2 FA targets this summer.

But both those guys will re-sign with their own teams (who are playing a tad bit better than Boston as well record-wise). Utah and LAC.

So these are Plan B and Plan C caliber options Ainge will have to explore in the FA market  (Millsap, Ibaka, Noel), assuming the trade market is not there this summer as well.

[oldtype]

The last remaining plan for making this team as currently constituted is to take one from column A and one from column B (in that order):

Column A (free agents)
Blake Griffin
Gordon Hayward
Paul Milsap

Column B (trade targets)
Demarcus Cousins
Jimmy Butler
Paul George

As long as we can actually do that, I'm not at all hung up on exactly who from Column A and exactly who from Column B we end up getting.  Milsap will do.

[max215]

He absolutely should. This offseason is our last with space: it's use it or lose it. Say we get Millsap on the same deal as Dwight, which is 3 years, 70.5 million. Millsap expires in the same offseason as Jaylen, we move on from Millsap, and build around Jaylen, 17, and 18. Over those 3 years, we compete, watch some great basketball, and make the Finals if LeBron gets hurt.

[PhoSita]

Millsap won't be the first guy Ainge goes after, but I wouldn't be surprised if he offers a 3 or 4 year deal for a lot of dough.

Max215 is right -- this is the last summer the Celts will have space to use.  Millsap might not make the Celts a contender, but he'd give the Celts the piece they need to climb ahead of Toronto as the clear-cut #2 team in the East.