The Boston Celtics completely changed their roster, overturning 11 of 15 roster spots. How should they be graded on their busy offseason?
Many NBA teams take advantage of the offseason to change part of their team, adding a needed piece or subtracting a negative one. The Boston Celtics took that idea one step further, rotating out 11 of their rostered players from last season, with just four players retained.
Those four — Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford — represent the only faint hope this team has at continuity. More likely, a busy summer will mean an equally busy offseason learning the playbook and growing camaraderie on and off the court between players new and old.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers’ future in limbo, and teams in Toronto and Washington struggling to add pieces, the Eastern Conference could be opening up for the Boston Celtics. But were their moves this summer the right ones to propel them to the NBA Finals and a date with the Golden State Warriors?
Each individual move is one thing, but seen in the larger weave of a team’s plan, various conclusions can be made. How did the Celtics’ many moves change their fortune? And how should they be graded?
Drafting Jayson Tatum
It’s virtually unheard of for a team to finish first in its conference and then a few months later pick first in the NBA Draft. The Celtics came close to pulling that off thanks to a pick swap exercised with the Brooklyn Nets, holding the top pick in the draft for a month.
Less then a week before the draft, however, Boston flipped the top pick for the third overall pick and a future protected first-rounder. While this allowed the Philadelphia 76ers to draft their guy in Washington guard Markelle Fultz, the Celtics were able to still get their guy two picks later in Jayson Tatum.
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Tatum is the latest in a line of multi-purpose, skilled combo forwards to come out of Duke prepared to make an offensive impact from the jump. While many draft analysts speaking before and after liked De’Aaron Fox, Josh Jackson or even Dennis Smith Jr. above Tatum, the reality is that Jayson Tatum is special and has a higher ceiling than anyone but perhaps Smith Jr.
He has work to do on his playmaking and passing, while defensively there are more things he must learn than those he has already committed to memory. But he can score the basketball from anywhere on the court, and has an array of “moves” every bit as polished as 10-year pros.
Tatum has the offensive ceiling to be a generational offensive threat from the wing, and fits perfectly with Jaylen Brown in the wing lineup of the future. Tatum’s offensive punch makes up for for any weakness on Brown’s part on offense, and defensively Brown is much more capable in a fight than Tatum.
Perhaps not drafting Markelle Fultz was the right move, perhaps it was a mistake. But the Celtics felt — and feel — confident in their selection. The best version of Tatum is off-of-the-charts good, and he is a deserving pick among the very best rookies in the class. Getting Tatum and a future first round pick was a great move.
Grade: A
Drafting Semi Ojeleye
The Boston Celtics have been running counter to the common belief that a team can never have too many wings. On draft night, the Celtics added Jayson Tatum and Semi Ojeleye to a cramped space. At the time of the trade, Boston boasted on its roster Jaylen Brown, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart and others.
Wings are the most valuable commodity in the NBA right now, and especially forwards who can slide down to the power forward position when needed and guard positions 2-4. In Semi Ojeleye, a 6’7″ combo forward out of SMU, Boston gets that exact player to slot in as a reserve piece.
Picked 37th overall, Ojeleye also has offensive versatility that is unusual for a player who fell so far. At SMU last season, he was taught the major skills of playmaking, from easy passes to manipulating the defense.
When a combo forward who can score, pass and defend falls into your lap, you don’t think twice — you make the right decision and sort things out later on. While injuries would need to hit this team for Ojeleye to be called into the rotation, he is a low-cost option at a valuable position who will be preparing for his chance down the line. Compared to those players picked before and after him, the Celtics got a steal at 37.
Grade: A
Drafting Kadeem Allen
The Boston Celtics have defined roles they have filled their roster with — the skilled big, the combo forward, the lockdown backcourt defender, the scoring guard. With Semi Ojeleye they drafted a player in the mold of Jae Crowder, who has since been traded away. In Kadeem Allen, the Celtics have a defensive backup for Marcus Smart.
Allen is an elite defender at the point-of-attack, capable to harrying opposing guards the entire length of the court. While standing just 6’1″, he has a wingspan over 6’9″ and can practically envelop opposing point guards. He is a relentless on-ball defender, and should be able to step in almost immediately to that role.
Offensively is where the question marks are raised. Although he improved over his time at Arizona as a shooter, that is nowhere near a strength for him, and his offensive impact may always be limited. If he can develop an NBA 3-point shot he can stick around the league in the mold of a player such as Patrick Beverly.
If he cannot, then Allen will struggle to make a full-time NBA roster. He is hyper-athletic with a high motor, but without the size or even reserve offensive ability of a player such as Andre Roberson or Tony Allen, his value will be capped.
Boston signed Allen to one of their two-way contracts to give him some time to develop in both their facility and the Maine Red Claws, giving both sides time to weigh things out. With the 53rd pick in the draft the opportunity cost was low, even if the upside is too.
Grade: B-
Drafting Jabari Bird
After going to the well last year for a California Golden Bear in Jaylen Brown, the Celtics took his former teammate with the 56th pick in the draft. Jabari Bird came out of high school as a highly-touted, score-first point guard. While the role was correct, his development into a top-tier NBA prospect never came to fruition.
Bird has the scoring part down, dropping 14.3 points per game in his senior season at Cal. He’s an excellent shooter, knocking down 2.4 3-pointers per game last season. For his four-year career he shot 37 percent from long range, a skill he will need to translate to the pro-level to have a shot at a full roster spot.
He will also need to prove he is more than a one-trick pony. Bird is not a facilitator in any sense of the word, averaging just one assist per game last season despite playing 32 minutes per game. Rebounds, steals, blocks, free throw attempts — he provided even average help in none of these categories.
Despite the popular trends for two-way players, there is always going to be a need in the league for bench players who can create their own shot and score at an efficient level. But for Bird to make either the Celtics or another team, he will need to prove much more than he has to this point in his basketball development. Another low-cost pick, but one with less of a clear path to providing value.
Grade: C
Traded Avery Bradley for Marcus Morris
The Boston Celtics entered the summer with their sights set on the highest of free agents. Just as last year they were granted a meeting to pitch Kevin Durant on the Celtics, this summer they had the same opportunity with Gordon Hayward. When he agreed to sign with Boston, they then made a move to clear the requisite cap space to fit in his maximum salary.
Boston Celtics
While presented with a number of options, the Celtics ultimately opted to move Avery Bradley. Rather than simply dumping him on a team with cap space, however, they flipped him to the Detroit Pistons for Marcus Morris, a combo forward making little enough to fit in Hayward’s contract.
Bradley was a key member of the Celtics’ rotation for the past few seasons, developing into a high-level individual defender and a capable shooter and secondary playmaker. He was the perfect fit next to a small point guard such as Isaiah Thomas, as Bradley could take the other team’s greatest backcourt threat.
But Bradley was going to be an unrestricted free agent after next season, and would surely demand either a significant raise or sign elsewhere. By trading him now, the Celtics can groom Marcus Smart into that role while spending considerably less. As far as winning this season, Boston may have taken a small step back in the deal, but in the long run this was the right team-building move.
Morris is no slouch, however, providing capable two-way play for Detroit after signing a bargain contract in Phoenix. The Suns offloaded him in their pursuit of LaMarcus Aldridge two summers ago, and Morris is again part of a salary-clearing trade, except this time going the other way. It is possible he may start for the new-look Celtics, but if not his defense and shooting ability should guarantee him a place in the rotation.
Grade: B
Signing Gordon Hayward
Rudy Gobert is one of the league’s best defensive players and an underrated offensive one. But Utah’s rise from lottery-dweller to second round playoff team came because Gordon Hayward developed into not only his team’s best player, but a true star.
Offensively Hayward was the straw that stirred the drink in Utah, with coach Quin Snyder calling plays for him from start to finish. Hayward can handle the ball, making plays for others and creating shots for himself. As a catch-and-shoot player, Hayward became deadly from inside and outside the arc. While not elite in any area, Hayward’s ability to score from anywhere on the court makes him a difficult player to defend.
Defensively Hayward is no slouch either, frequently guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player. He has the size and strength to take on traditional power forwards, and the athleticism to stay with smaller, faster wings. Utah was the league’s third-best defense last season in part because of Gobert, but also because Hayward was able to be an offensive star without sacrificing on defense.
In signing Hayward the Celtics not only added a star, but they reset their timetable in a positive way. Having signed a shorter second-contract, Hayward is just 27 despite spending an extra year in college. He has continued to add to his game each and every season, increasing his scoring every single season he has been in the league. Under former head coach Brad Stevens, Hayward may have even more to offer.
Grade: A+
Signing Daniel Theis
In an age of high-octane basketball coverage, with players scouted in middle school and international players pulled into mock drafts, it is not often that an unknown player signs a contract. While certainly not unknown to NBA teams, most of those following the league were at a loss when they heard the contending Boston Celtics were using a valuable roster spot on German forward Daniel Theis.
At 25 Theis is not a young prospect, but rather an established veteran looking to play in the world’s best basketball league. Long and sturdy, Theis has made a name for himself as a lockdown defender on the wing, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award last season in the Basketball Bundesliga League (BBL).
Theis is also a three-time All-Star in the BBL, and earlier in his career was named the “best young player” in Germany. Far from just a defensive stopper, he is also an excellent shooter, knocking down 41 percent of his 3-pointers for Brose Bamberg last season.
A fixture on the German national team, Theis is one of only two players now playing in the NBA, alongside Dennis Schroeder. In the group stage of this summer’s EuroBasket tournament, Theis has shot 40 percent from distance for Germany, scoring 7.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, a block and a steal in 20.8 minutes per game.
The Celtics have the luxury of not needing Theis, but instead can take a flier on a two-year, minimum contract. But if Theis’ defensive prowess can translate to the hyper-athletic NBA, he could be the epitome of a 3-and-D wing for the Celtics. That’s well worth both the roster spot and the relative pittance in salary.
Grade: B+
Signing Aron Baynes
After signing Gordon Hayward, the Celtics had just a cap exception or minimum contracts to offer free agents in finding a potential starting center. With Ante Zizic not yet ready for the role, and Al Horford wishing to start at the 4, the team had limited resources but a fairly significant need.
They met that need in signing Aron Baynes to a one-year, $4.3 million contract. The Australian center first broke into the league with the San Antonio Spurs, then spent the past two seasons backing up Andre Drummond in Detroit.
Although lacking offensive polish, Baynes is a bruiser down low, and immediately steps in as the Celtics’ best rebounder. Defensively he was one of the best players on the Pistons last season, with opponents scoring just 98.5 points per 100 possessions with Baynes on the court — a number that would have led the league over a full season. ESPN‘s Real Plus-Minus rated Baynes as the 10th best defensive center in the league last season.
The Celtics struggled to clean the glass even with Amir Johnson and Tyler Zeller last season, and both of those players are gone — as is Kelly Olynyk, probably the team’s best full-time center last season. Baynes is a low-cost option who can fill his role well, and who isn’t coming in with the expectation of closing games — Horford will close at center. Baynes isn’t changing the direction of this team, but he’s a solid signing.
Grade: B+
Signing Shane Larkin
In the midst of their chaotic summer, the Celtics cut reserve guard Demetrius Jackson, leaving a hole for a backup point guard. Rather than take a flier on a young prospect, the Celtics brought over former NBA player Shane Larkin.
Larkin bounced around the league coming out of Miami, before finally heading overseas to ply his trade. He was a steady hand at the point in Spain’s top basketball league last season, and was expected to re-sign for a significant pay increase. Instead he accepted Boston’s invitation to return to the States and compete for a title.
For the Spanish club Baskonia last season, Larkin put up 17.3 points and 6.8 assists per 36 minutes — significant increases on the inconsistent numbers he put up during his time in the NBA. Boston is not relying on him to start, but rather to serve as the third point guard behind Kyrie Irving and Terry Rozier.
With Marcus Smart also able to handle point guard duties, Larkin does not figure to play a substantial role for the Celtics, but is present in case they need him. He sacrificed money to step back into the league, and Boston sacrificed a roster spot. It’s a low-risk, but most likely low-upside, move for Boston.
Grade: C
Trading for Kyrie Irving
When the news leaked that Kyrie Irving was demanding to be traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers, potential trade packages from every team in the league were bandied about. While Boston was always mentioned as a team with the assets to make such a move, the idea that the two main Eastern Conference contenders would trade with each other was dismissed as lunacy.
Boston and Cleveland then descended into said lunacy, putting together a massive deal with even larger implications. Once the smoke of negotiations had ceased, the Celtics sent out Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Antet Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ unprotected 2018 first round pick, and a future second round pick for Kyrie.
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On the surface, that’s an incredible amount of assets for one player, even one as special as Kyrie Irving. Thomas outperformed Irving by himself last season, and Jae Crowder is one of the best values in the league on his contract. The Brooklyn pick alone was probably the best asset available for Irving league-wide.
Boston did this deal because of upside, and because of timetable. A free agent after this season, the Celtics were going to be hard-pressed to either replace Thomas in free agency (without much cap space) or pay him an incredible amount of money well into his 30s. Add in complications with his hip injury, and Boston decided it needed to move Thomas now.
At just 25 years old, Irving fits the timetable of this team better. He is under contract for two more seasons, and has expressed interest already in re-signing in Beantown. With Hayward and Irving, the Celtics have players in their prime ready to win now and stay relevant while Brown and Tatum grow into their primes.
Irving also offers championship upside, as he reaches another level in the postseason. Few players in the league could have played at the offensive level of Kyrie Irving during the last three games of the 2016 NBA Finals. While his motor is inconsistent in the regular season, and his defense is even more so, Irving has that special next level few players have.
The trade and its value has been well covered elsewhere on the site. Boston probably gave up too much for Kyrie Irving in terms of pure value. But they both swung for the fences and lengthened their timetable, and there wasn’t another young All-Star point guard waiting around. This was a move they felt they had to make.
Grade: B
Overall
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is said to be one of the best coaching minds in the world. He looks at the game differently than many of his peers, fitting together rosters and players in designing rotations and after-timeout plays. With a completely new team, Stevens has his work cut out for him in putting together a contender.
Only four players remain from last year’s team that won 53 games, and that means this team will not rocket out of the gate. These many moves mean a lack of continuity, and it takes time to develop familiarity. But Boston has the pieces to compete both now and down the road.
Taken individually, most of the moves Boston made look solid. From trading down to add an extra pick and take Jayson Tatum, to signing Hayward, to trading for Irving, this team added a number of high-end pieces.
But they also gave up pieces, players that made a significant impact for this team the past few years. From playoff heroes Jonas Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk, to utility wing Jae Crowder, to Boston favorite Isaiah Thomas, this team gave up its stars to add new ones. Their offseaon cannot be looked at as pure additions.
Time will tell how the new pieces all fit together, but it does look like Boston has put a better roster together. This is a group of players ready to contend for years and years to come, long after the passing of LeBron James‘ reign. That’s how smart front offices rebuild, and Boston has done so with exceptional skill. This offseason doesn’t make them the favorites to win a title next season, but their future is bright.
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Grade: A-