FanPost

Where Do We Go From Here?

Obviously the Celtics will not be able to live up to the expectations that were laid out for them this year. But Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens will have to move forward. They have a few options.

Option 1: Move forward as if nothing happened. Ainge doesn't change his GM focus away from trading for a superstar like Anthony Davis. Start Smart, Morris, or Tatum. Of course, this has some serious downsides. It kind of becomes a lost season and that starting lineup has really bad spacing either way. Stevens could go totally wild and fill that space with Ojeleye. That would provide spacing and Ojeleye has shown that he can at least play solid defense. The downside here is starting 3 rookies, including a 2nd rounder. There's no obvious choice here.

Option 2: Trade for a wing. Boston could always make a trade for a wing to shore up the depth at a relatively cheap cost. The Suns got Jared Sullinger (never played a game for them) and two 2nd round picks for PJ Tucker. Guys like Ben McLemore, Courtney Lee, Lance Thomas, and Troy Daniels come to mind here. They could also go after a floor spacing big like Muscala or Ilyasova. The Celtics could get an inexpensive short term fix and attempt to salvage this season.

Option 3: Sign a cheap free agent. Guys like Kris Humphries, Richard Jefferson, and Gerald Green would be good, solid options.The Celtics could fill out their roster with a solid veteran contributor to have a similar effect to one of those trades.

Option 4: Prepare for the future. If this is a lost season competitively, Ainge could chose to think about extending the team's window after it lost a year. Horford will be 32 next year; he could be traded in a deal for Anthony Davis or someone else. Marcus Morris will be 29 next year with one year left on his contract. He could be flipped at the deadline for a younger piece or as a piece in a Davis-type deal. Aron Baynes is 30 on a 1 year deal with a solid salary that could be used alongside Morris to match pretty high or traded in a separate deal for a younger player. This would not only bring younger players into the picture but allow for minutes for guys like Yabu, Theis, Tatum, Brown, Rozier, and Ojeleye. Boston can shift the window to fit around Brown, Hayward, Tatum, Irving, and whoever they bring in.



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