The Celtics have too many players, who's next to go?
The Celtics currently hold the rights to 17 players for next season:
1. Rajon Rondo ($12.0M)
2. Kris Humphries ($12.0M)
3. Gerald Wallace ($10.1M)
4. Jeff Green ($8.7M)
5. Brandon Bass ($6.8M)
6. Courtney Lee ($5.3M)
7. Keith Bogans ($5.1M)
8. Avery Bradley ($2.5M)
9. Jordan Crawford ($2.2M)
10. Kelly Olynyk ($2.0M)
11. Jared Sullinger ($1.4M)
12. Fab Melo ($1.3M)
13. MarShon Brooks ($1.3M)
14. Vitor Faverani
15. Shavlik Randolph ($1.1M team option)
16. Colton Iverson (not currently under contract)
17. Phil Pressey
At some point Boston needs to cut that number down to 15. They could try to do this by trading multiple players for fewer in return, or possibly for more draft picks. The four new guys they got from Brooklyn can not be dealt in a multi-player deal until September 12th at the earliest, so if the C's are going to trim the roster before then it'll probably be somewhere else. It's hard to imagine any team under the cap would want to trade draft picks straight up for Humphries, Wallace, or Bogans with their salaries, although I suppose Brooks is a possibility.
Green, Sullinger, Bradley, and Olynyk aren't going anywhere. And as I discussed a few weeks ago, it doesn't make much sense to trade Rajon Rondo at the moment. The contracts of Bass and Lee make them fairly difficult to move for the time being, although there's a chance that once the free agent well dries up and the season draws nearer other clubs might have some interest. The two recent signings Pressey and Faverani are a safe bet to stick around, and considering that the Celtics made a draft day trade to acquire him I'd imagine they want to hang on to Colton Iverson as well (although there are rumors he may play in Turkey).
So who's left? Shavlik Randolph, Fab Melo, and Jordan Crawford. The easy move for Boston is to not pick up Randolph's option. Personally I like his hustle and rebounding, and I think he'd be a good influence on the younger guys through the rebuilding process. I don't see there being any market out there for Fab Melo, but if the C's can find somebody who wants to pay his $1.3 million salary they should let them have him.
Crawford seems like the best bet to be traded right now. He's got some value, and a reasonable (expiring) contract at just under $2.2 million. He might be worth something to a team under the cap looking to add a little scoring punch. Melo's deal is expiring as well; in my best case scenario Danny Ainge would convince anyone interested in Crawford to take Melo also. Even if all they got was a 2nd round pick in return, it'd be a nice move for Boston. They could get the roster down to 15 and shed a little salary without giving up anyone who factors into their long term plans.
Follow Mark on twitter @LucidSportsFan
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| Most likely to be dealt right now? |
2. Kris Humphries ($12.0M)
3. Gerald Wallace ($10.1M)
4. Jeff Green ($8.7M)
5. Brandon Bass ($6.8M)
6. Courtney Lee ($5.3M)
7. Keith Bogans ($5.1M)
8. Avery Bradley ($2.5M)
9. Jordan Crawford ($2.2M)
10. Kelly Olynyk ($2.0M)
11. Jared Sullinger ($1.4M)
12. Fab Melo ($1.3M)
13. MarShon Brooks ($1.3M)
14. Vitor Faverani
15. Shavlik Randolph ($1.1M team option)
16. Colton Iverson (not currently under contract)
17. Phil Pressey
At some point Boston needs to cut that number down to 15. They could try to do this by trading multiple players for fewer in return, or possibly for more draft picks. The four new guys they got from Brooklyn can not be dealt in a multi-player deal until September 12th at the earliest, so if the C's are going to trim the roster before then it'll probably be somewhere else. It's hard to imagine any team under the cap would want to trade draft picks straight up for Humphries, Wallace, or Bogans with their salaries, although I suppose Brooks is a possibility.
Green, Sullinger, Bradley, and Olynyk aren't going anywhere. And as I discussed a few weeks ago, it doesn't make much sense to trade Rajon Rondo at the moment. The contracts of Bass and Lee make them fairly difficult to move for the time being, although there's a chance that once the free agent well dries up and the season draws nearer other clubs might have some interest. The two recent signings Pressey and Faverani are a safe bet to stick around, and considering that the Celtics made a draft day trade to acquire him I'd imagine they want to hang on to Colton Iverson as well (although there are rumors he may play in Turkey).
So who's left? Shavlik Randolph, Fab Melo, and Jordan Crawford. The easy move for Boston is to not pick up Randolph's option. Personally I like his hustle and rebounding, and I think he'd be a good influence on the younger guys through the rebuilding process. I don't see there being any market out there for Fab Melo, but if the C's can find somebody who wants to pay his $1.3 million salary they should let them have him.
Crawford seems like the best bet to be traded right now. He's got some value, and a reasonable (expiring) contract at just under $2.2 million. He might be worth something to a team under the cap looking to add a little scoring punch. Melo's deal is expiring as well; in my best case scenario Danny Ainge would convince anyone interested in Crawford to take Melo also. Even if all they got was a 2nd round pick in return, it'd be a nice move for Boston. They could get the roster down to 15 and shed a little salary without giving up anyone who factors into their long term plans.
Follow Mark on twitter @LucidSportsFan
