NBA insider: Celtics are looking at ‘vital’ roster choice forward of pivotal offseason

Celtics

“If you end up making a $600 million funding in a duo, it isn’t essentially a rubber stamp at this level.”

The percentages aren’t precisely on the Boston Celtics’ facet at this level within the Japanese Convention Finals.

Boston at the moment trails the Miami Warmth 0-3 within the best-of-seven sequence. Previous to the Celtics, there have been 149 groups in NBA historical past dealing with a 0-3 deficit in a playoff spherical. All 149 squads misplaced their respective sequence.

The primary order of enterprise for Brad Stevens and Boston’s entrance workplace this offseason would possibly contain Joe Mazzulla’s future. However Boston’s roster will doubtless not be spared from a possible overhaul.

ESPN insider Brian Windhorst touched on the questions dealing with Stevens and the Celtics this summer time on Monday morning.

“They need to make a reasonably vital choice with Jaylen Brown this summer time,” Windhorst stated on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “He’s eligible for a contract extension now of over $280 million. He received’t actually know the total quantity till the wage cap comes out, however it’s going to be an enormous, big quantity. And Jayson Tatum additionally certified, though he can’t signal it this 12 months; he’d need to signal it subsequent 12 months.

“Right here’s the factor: I completely suppose that the Celtics ought to maintain these guys collectively. However if you find yourself making a $600 million funding in a duo, it isn’t essentially a rubber stamp at this level, [with] the best way this season has ended and the best way final season ended. And also you’ve acquired to decide in the event you’re the Celtics: Is that this an excellent pairing, or is that this a terrific pairing?”

The duo of Brown and Tatum have achieved loads of success collectively in Boston, peaking with the Celtics’ run to the NBA Finals final 12 months.

If the Celtics wished to dole out hefty new contracts to each Brown and Tatum over the subsequent two summers, Boston’s core will arguably be the most effective within the NBA. Having two All-NBA gamers as your headliners offer you a reasonably strong base to retool and retrofit your roster within the coming years.

However Brown and Tatum’s eligibility for supermax contracts has the potential to be a double-edged sword for Boston.

Despite the fact that the Celtics now have the fiscal flexibility to supply each gamers extra money and time period than different franchises, allocating almost $600 million to the pair may hamstring the staff’s potential to construct a powerful supporting solid round them transferring ahead.

For Boston, it’d come down as to if or not Stevens and Co. imagine that the Celtics can win a title with each Tatum and Brown standing as their prime choices on the court docket.

“I don’t know that you may make investments 600 million in ‘superb’. Jaylen Brown is extremely, extremely desired available in the market, so I feel it simply makes every part be reevaluated by the Celtics,” Windhorst added. “I’m nonetheless of the assumption that we get to July (and) Jaylen Brown’s going to get that supply. However man, it’s actually arduous to suppose that simply operating it again is the factor to do for Boston at this level.”

Each Tatum and Brown struggled in Sunday’s Sport 3 blowout loss to the Warmth, combining for simply 26 factors and sinking certainly one of 14 makes an attempt from past the arc. 

Brown specifically has had a forgettable sequence in opposition to the Warmth. Over three video games, Brown is averaging simply 16.7 factors per sport, nearly 10 factors beneath his regular-season scoring common (26.6).

Brown’s inefficiency and miscues have additional thwarted Boston’s potential to maintain up with the Warmth. The 26-year-old wing is taking pictures simply 37.7% from the sphere, together with a dreadful 10% from 3-point vary.

Any roster anchored by each Tatum and Brown must be a playoff lock for the subsequent decade. However is that core ok to raise the Celtics to be a constant title contender?

Stevens must make that call over the subsequent couple of months.