Boston Celtics
Key additions: Robert Williams (draft), Brad Wannamaker (free agency)
Key subtractions: Greg Monroe (free agency), Shane Larkin (free agency), Abdel Nader (trade)
No, the Boston Celtics didn’t execute a sign-and-trade for LeBron James, and they didn’t trade for Kawhi Leonard or sign Paul George either. In all honesty though, this would’ve been a successful offseason for Danny Ainge‘s club simply by virtue of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward getting healthy.
After all, this resilient group took LeBron James to a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals without its two best offensive weapons. Throw those two back in the mix and remove the King from the picture and suddenly the East runs through Beantown again.
The Celtics valued their young talent, and it’s hard to blame Ainge for doing so, even with the Kyrie-Terry Rozier thing likely to reach a head soon. Re-signing Marcus Smart and Aron Baynes to fair deals made the summer even better, especially since Smart’s contract is perfectly constructed to form the backbone of a blockbuster deal if the opportunity arises.
Robert Williams looks a bit shaky so far in the “draft steal” department, but even if he turns out to be a total bust, the Celtics still had a solid, albeit quiet summer. Such is the luxury of entering the offseason with the best roster in the East.
Grade: B