It should be no surprise that Danny Ainge is already looking toward next year's roster. First, the Celtics will have to decide what to do with their own free agents. One guy they're hoping not to have to make a decision on? Brandon Bass.
Sunday Basketball Notes - Gary Washburn - Boston Globe
The Celtics are hoping that Brandon Bass exercises the player option on his contract at $4 million, which would be a bargain for his production. Or the Celtics could agree to an extension for Bass, who appears to have found a home in Boston. The contract that may affect matters is Glen Davis’s four-year, $26 million deal with the Magic. Davis has underperformed that contract, and Bass may hold out for something more
Of course, the team is also going to be highly interested in attracting free agents from other teams. Both Doc and Danny have some ideas on what it's going to take to get other guys to sign here:
Please Come To Boston - Steve Bulpett - Boston Herald
"You sell (to free agents) what you have on your team, and that’s tough to say now because we don’t know what we’ll have on our team yet," [Doc Rivers] said. "But I don’t think it’s a hard sell — the tradition and what we’ve accomplished.
"But you also have to have players to get other players. No matter where you’re at, it’s rare that a player is going to go somewhere where there’s no other players. So we want to make sure we have the assets and players that other players want to play with. And I think when that time comes, I think we’ll be ready for it."
"It’s a different pitch depending on the circumstances," [Danny Ainge] said. "The money they’re going to make, the length of the contract and the amount. With every player, that list of five or six things can be prioritized in a different order.
"I think that there are a lot of things in play. The first thing is the quality of your team and the opportunity he may have to win.
It's interesting to hear both Doc and Danny talk about how important the existing core is when attracting free agents. If the Celtics do happen to trade for Pau Gasol, it very well could be as a selling point for future free agents considering the Celts. Also, for those who like to read into things, Doc's "We don't know what we'll have on our team yet" statement could be foreshadowing some trades to come.