Boston Celtics: How Markelle Fultz would impact Isaiah Thomas’ future
If the Boston Celtics draft Markelle Fultz, what will that mean for Isaiah Thomas’ future in Boston? What should the Celtics do with Thomas?
The Boston Celtics are expected to draft Markelle Fultz with the first pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Fultz is widely regarded as the best player in the draft and a potential franchise centerpiece for years to come. However, the Celtics are in an interesting position for several reasons when it comes to the draft and their potential selection of Fultz.
Boston is coming off a 53-29 season and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Even though the team was soundly beaten (except in game 3) by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics are closer than any other team in the East when it comes to becoming a threat to the Cavs.
Therefore, Boston could feel the need to use the first pick and another asset or two to acquire another star player in his prime like a Jimmy Butler or Paul George. There have already been rumors that the team is going to go after Gordon Hayward in free agency.
The other aspect of the Celtics’ unique position is that they already have a star point guard in Isaiah Thomas. Thomas is coming off his best season, where he averaged 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game. Thomas also posted incredible advanced statistics such as a 26.5 Player Efficiency Rating, 62.5 True Shooting Percentage, and 12.6 win shares.
The Celtics have several options when it comes to handling Thomas after they draft Fultz. Let’s explore some of them.
1) Trade Thomas before or during the 2017-18 season
This would be the most interesting move the Celtics could make when it comes to handling Thomas after adding Fultz to the roster. However, there are several reasons why the Celtics could (and should) look to trade Thomas.
First, for all in the incredible offensive production Thomas brings to the table, he is an extreme defensive liability. Thomas had a -3.3 defensive box plus-minus this past season, and was 467th (out of 468 qualifying players) in defensive real plus-minus at -3.89.
Thomas’ limited size and physical presence will always make him a problem on the defensive end. It’s a problem that as currently stands, limits the Celtics’ ceiling as a team. For a team to have that much of a liability defensively at point guard for 33+ minutes per game puts a lot of stress on the other players on the floor.
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During the regular season, when Thomas was on the floor the Celtics had a defensive rating of 108.6. When Thomas was off the floor, that rating dropped to 99.7. So while he brings incredible offensive production to the table, his overall contributions are limited by his defensive limitations.
The other reason to trade Thomas before the end of the 2017-18 season is because he is set to become an unrestricted free agent where he could command significant money. Currently, Thomas is set to finish the final year of a four-year, $27 million contract he signed back in 2014 in a sign-and-trade deal between the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns.
That contract is one of the best values in the league, as Thomas will make just $6.2 million next season. His teammates Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley are also up there in terms of contract values, as they will make just $6.8 million and $8.8 million respectively next season.
However, Thomas is 28 (and will turn 29 during the middle of next season) and the Celtics could look to go younger with Fultz. By doing so, Boston can bide its time to build a true title contender after LeBron James and the Cavs have aged and are more vulnerable.
The Celtics also have Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier at point guard, and with the likely addition of Fultz, the Celtics should look to maximize the return on Thomas by trading him before or during the 2017-18 season.
2) Keep and extend Thomas
The other route the Celtics could go is retain Thomas (and sign him to an extension next offseason) and explore ways to play both Fultz and Thomas together. As mentioned above, both Crowder and Bradley are on extremely team friendly deals. However, while Crowder is under contract until the 2020-21 season, Bradley is set for an extension next summer.
Bradley is an incredibly valuable player, as he is a great defender and three-point shooter. He is the prototypical 3-and-D player that is extremely valuable in today’s NBA. Therefore, Bradley will also command significant money next offseason, making it hard for the Celtics to retain both players and still improve their roster.
Fultz can be a very good defender when engaged, and can play off the ball for stretches, making it possible that a backcourt pairing with Thomas could work for the Celtics. However, they would be thin at shooting guard with an abundance of talented point guards. Plus, as Thomas ages, it won’t be wise to pay him $30 million-plus per year in his 30s when his defensive limitations already put a stranglehold on the Celtics.
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Therefore, it might be wise to draft Fultz and explore the trade market for Thomas throughout the 2017-18 season. The Boston Celtics won’t be able to knock off the Cavaliers next season, so waiting for the perfect time to strike makes the most sense.