Two current Celtics make Kevin Pelton's top 30 2018 NBA free agents list
Thomas, who sits comfortably in tenth place on the list, behind such luminaries as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul and Paul George, finds himself just ahead of former teammate and Tacoma product Avery Bradley, in eleventh place. This is, of course, a big part of the reason Bradley is now an ex- teammate, as the prospect for ponying up enough to keep both he, Thomas, and what would have been the third Celt on this list was just too much to reasonably expect.
"More reps" ain't gonna cut it. "More range" won't either. I love Marcus. I'm a Marcus Smart apologist. But he needs a shooting coach, now.— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 25, 2017
That other Celtic is Marcus Smart, who comes up 25th overall. While not nearly on the level of Thomas or Bradley in terms of anticipated earning power, he could still demand a tidy sum. Thankfully for Boston, he'll be restricted, coming off a rookie deal, but Pelton hints an uptick in three-point shooting could drastically change his assessment - and presumably contract prospects. It puts Boston in the weird position of hoping he comes along enough to be worth extending (he probably will), but not so much next season the team has to deal with a fierce bidding war for his services (they probably won't, but you never know).
What do you think a fair deal for Thomas will be? How about Avery, with his new team, the Detroit Pistons? What is Smart worth if he develops his shot - and how much should he get if he doesn't? Let us know in the comments section below.
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