So Much For Those Fake Trade Rumors, The Celtics Signed Marcus Smart To A Four-Year Extension

 

    In my lifetime as a Celtics fan, I cannot remember a more maddening player than Marcus Smart. The erratic guard can make some of the best defensive plays that you've ever seen and then later on that same possession, he chucks up one of the worst 3-pointers in NBA history. From the start, we have accepted the good with the bad from Marcus in hopes that eventually he would learn from all of the childish crap. Nope, instead he seems to have gotten more delusional over the years and who could blame him as the C's continue to prop him up for some reason and constantly stroke his fragile ego. Despite being the best (and only legitimate) trade asset that the team possessed, they made the strange decision to reportedly sign him this evening to a four-year contract extension (beginning in 2022-23) worth $77 million.

    For weeks, if not months, we've been fed countless lies about how much the Celtics wanted to trade Smart and with Brad Stevens in charge now (and not Marcus' biggest fan Danny Ainge), we were led to believe that perhaps the needed change (moving Smart elsewhere) was finally about to materialize. The timing of this makes you wonder though since almost all of the best free agents have been signed weeks ago and many big names have likewise been traded to other teams. You have to think that Stevens & Co. tried to pull the trigger on such a move but after many tries, they were forced to go back to Smart with their hats in their hands and say sorry, here's an absurd amount of money to make you feel better. 

    The main problem with Marcus is that he fancies himself as a superstar while the truth remains that he at best is a role player on a championship contender. He was the sixth overall pick out of Oklahoma State in the 2014 NBA Draft for the Celtics, meaning that he's played his entire professional career here. Due to Kemba Walker's gimpy knee, Smart was the starting point guard for much of last season (45 of 48 regular season games) and as a result, he averaged a career-high in 13.1 points per game and 5.7 assists per game. Those are both pretty middle of the road numbers in the league and keep in mind, his individual highlights have been back-to-back NBA All-Defensive first team spots in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Those are nice honors but nothing to grossly overpay a guy like him for. The constant hype from the franchise, the team broadcasters, some media members and many fans doesn't help in this case leaving Smart to become a very polarizing figure: if you like the Celtics, you either love him or he drives you absolutely crazy and you totally hate almost everything about his game. 

    Smart must truly think that he is either Ray Allen or Stephen Curry with the amount of 3-pointers that he takes (5.9 per game last season and a career-high 6.6 the year before that) given that his 3-point percentage is terrible: 33% last season and 32% for his career. He has a very fiery personality which is quite unlike Jayson Tatum-the quiet superstar-or Jaylen Brown-the thoughtful All-Star. For these reasons, Smart has had infamous run-ins with many teammates, coaches and even himself (memorably punching a mirror a few years back on a road trip in LA). At this point in his career (7 seasons in) and age (27), he is not a kid anymore and while I wish he would just grow up, I doubt it'll occur when the Celts are still rewarding him with laughable money like this. I shudder to think how he'll function with his new teammate Dennis Schroder who is similarly nuts. Yikes, you want to hope that things will improve for Boston next season and beyond but a move like this makes you question everything about their plans for the near future.

Last Season Dennis Schroder Bet Big On Himself & That Didn't Turn Out So Well, Now He's A Celtic

    We have reached that sad dead zone in NBA free agency where almost all of the top players have long been scooped up and teams are left to fight over the crumbs or in this case, flawed guys that have shown flashes here or there but not enough to be more coveted. Enter guard Dennis Schroder: you might remember him as the bozo that for some unknown reason (was it a terrible agent or his irrational self-worth?) turned down a four-year, $84 million extension last spring with the Lakers. He didn't have a bad 2020-21 by any measure: in 61 starts for LA, he averaged 15.4 points per game, 5.8 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game. Apparently, that didn't impress anyone though (or maybe he's just a complete prick?) since he was still available until this evening when the Celtics reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with him for the mid-level exception ($5.9 million). 

    Boston will be the mercurial German's fourth NBA team (Atlanta and Oklahoma City being the others) in only nine seasons and with any luck, this will be the NBA equivalent of a one-night stand: quite enjoyable for both parties but ultimately nothing more lasting than that. Schroder will want to have a monster season individually with the C's so that when he goes back to free agency next summer, he will get paid much closer to that boatload of money that he laughably left on the table for the Lakers. Likewise, the Celtics desperately needed a starting point guard and this way, they aren't forced to shoehorn Marcus Smart into that spot every game or better yet, they can finally trade him. Haha yeah right, I'll believe that when I see it even with Danny Ainge out of the picture

    It has been an interesting ride in the NBA for Dennis The Menace (I can only assume that fantastic nickname hasn't caught on more because it's too dated?). He was a first-round pick-17th overall-for the Hawks in 2013 and after basically a redshirt year in his rookie season, he averaged 10 points per game his second season and that continued to go up his next three years in A-Town before they flipped him to the Thunder in a massive three-team trade that also involved the Sixers. After two pretty solid seasons in rebuilding OKC, he got to play with LeBron James for one fleeting campaign in LA. There are a couple notable Celtics connections to Schroder: as a Hawk, he had some epic playoff battles with the Celts early in his NBA career. Furthermore, he and former Boston point guard Rajon Rondo are mortal enemies that seem to legitimately hate each other and they always get into a hilarious shoving and shouting match every time that their numerous teams meet.

    The bottom line is that this should be an enjoyable hookup for both Schroder and Boston since nobody can deny his talent: his career-highs are 19.4 points per game (2017-18 w/ATL), 6.3 assists per game (the previous season with the Hawks) and those 1.1 steals per game (twice). You wish that he was a better shooter (just 33.7% career on 3-pointers) which no doubt makes Smart smile but at least he's a good free throw shooter (83.1% for his career). Dennis is listed at 6-foot-3 but only 172 pounds so new Celtics head coach Ime Udoka will surely need to be creative at times to protect him defensively and let the much bigger and stronger Smart take on the league's larger guards. I never thought in my life that I'd cheer for this joker but as long as he doesn't act like too much of a jackass, this is a solid move by Brad Stevens so late in free agency. Realistically, you couldn't have expected a much better player than him and we all like Payton Pritchard but he should never be more than a backup guard at this level.  

In Brad Stevens' First Move In His New Role With The Celtics, He Flips Kemba Walker For Al Horford

 

    The Celtics offseason began two weeks ago but you could say that it officially got underway this morning as new president of basketball operations Brad Stevens (in Danny Ainge's old job) made a pretty significant trade: Boston swapped point guard Kemba Walker, the 16th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and a 2025 second-round pick to Oklahoma City for center Al Horford (remember him?!), center Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick. Wow, take a breath. More than simply an exchange of aging players and draft picks, this was about saving some money for the Celts and getting out from under Kemba's awful contract (he's owed roughly $73 million over the next two years). Of course, the C's also had to take on Horford's brutal deal (he's due to make $53 million with $41 million guaranteed in the next two years as well) to make it all work.  

    Before I get into Walker and Horford some more, let me be the first to say that Brown might actually be the most valuable player from this trade in only a year or two. He's 21 years old and he just wrapped up his second season in the NBA averaging 8.6 points per game, 8.9 rebounds per game and 1.1 blocks per game. No doubt, Stevens must have remembered when Brown absolutely torched the Celtics for 21 points and 23 rebounds back on March 27 in Oklahoma City. At 7-foot-2 and 245 pounds, Brown figures to get a legitimate shot at center or at least backup center which have both been somewhat of a black hole for years for the Celtics. As it stands right now, he'd be competing with the likes of Horford (a shell of his former shelf), Robert Williams (always hurt), Tristan Thompson (loves the night life), Luke Kornet (goofy white guy) and Tacko Fall (fan favorite side show) for minutes at center. Also, Brown was undrafted out of UCLA and he has only played for the tanking Thunder so being in (what hopefully is) a winning environment should bring out the best in him. 

    Even if you didn't go to UConn or at least root for the Huskies, you had to love Walker dating back to his college days. He used to be an electrifying guard but injuries really derailed his brief two year stay here in Boston. After missing a grand total of 45 games in eight years with the Hornets, Kemba was out for 16 games his first year with the C's and 29 this past season. He's still only 31 but he has a ton of mileage on his gimpy left knee that forced him to fittingly miss the last two games (Games 4 and 5 vs. Brooklyn) with Boston. In 2020-21, he still averaged 19.3 points per game and 4.9 assists per game but he's never been a great 3-point shooter (36% in his NBA career) and his on-court chemistry with Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown was always sort of lacking something. It sounds like he won't be with the rebuilding Thunder for too long though so hopefully he gets to play for a quality team to wrap up his great NBA career on a true contender. He seems like an awesome guy so we wish Kemba nothing but success in the future. 

    You have to laugh at the irony of one Celtics free agent flop (Kemba) essentially being replaced by another free agent who willfully chose to leave the team two years ago but since then he's bounced around from the Sixers to OKC and now he returns to the C's at the ripe old age of 35. Does Al have much left in the tank after 14 seasons in the NBA? Probably not, you'll remember that Oklahoma City paid him to sit out for much of last season (what a life!) since they were you know trying to lose as many games as possible. In the 28 games he did play in 2020-21, he averaged 14.2 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 3.4 assists per game. More than anything, I think Horford's biggest role moving forward is to be the leader that this group so desperately lacked last season. It also cannot hurt that such a respected veteran around the league at least appears to be genuinely excited to return to Boston where he had played for three seasons from 2016/2017-2018/2019. The Celts need all the recruiting help that they can get when it comes to free agency because unfortunately they will always be fighting an uphill battle against much more attractive markets for NBA stars like Los Angeles, Miami or New York and Brooklyn just to name a few.

The Next Day After Bowing Out Of The Playoffs, The Celtics Made Some Major Personnel Moves

 

    Haha wow, that didn't take long did it? Mere hours after the short playoff stint ended for the Celtics, they were right back in the news this morning with the bombshell news that GM/President of Basketball Operations is retiring from the team while head coach Brad Stevens is being shifted over to that position. The C's hate firing people publicly so this lightning fast reaction to such a miserable season is curious. Ainge has had a bunch of heart issues so it makes sense that he needs a less busy schedule and the team is paying Stevens so much money in the near future that they might as well keep him around in some role. 

    NBA head coaches are mostly useless, their day-to-day purpose is basically to get out of the way for the star players and coach up the lesser talents while you pray that the top guys can tolerate you. Sounds fun huh? Nobody could argue that Stevens is one of the top basketball minds in the world but after eight seasons here, I'm sure he is a little tired of all the NBA drama after coming from a relatively low-key college environment at Butler. With that said, who Boston chooses is their next head coach is a very important decision. To connect with their two best players-Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown-it would make perfect sense to hire a young African-American that preferably played in the NBA in recent years. Getting a retread like former Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce or Lakers assistant (and former Bucks head coach) Jason Kidd-who have already been rumored to come here-would be a mistake. I feel like a guy such as Chauncey Billups-current Clippers assistant coach-is the ideal candidate. He was a great player, won an NBA championship and is tough-minded so he wouldn't shy away from criticizing Tatum or Brown when they needed some harsh words. 

        As for Ainge, he did not officially retire from the NBA so don't be surprised at all if he pops up somewhere else. Obviously the Utah Jazz are a slam dunk choice for him since he's from Utah, went to BYU and is a Mormon. There was even talk today that he bought a property in Utah in the last few months. Ainge had a great run with the Celtics as a player and then as a GM (the only guy to win titles in both jobs) but it was clear, that he might be too old and out of touch not to mention his drafts have been mostly awful outside of Brown and Tatum. Every job has an expiration date and the Celts need some new voices and ideas. Clearly, they are going nowhere fast right now and while having the best players is what the league is all about, it also helps to have somebody that attracts the best free agents. Stay tuned, if today is any indication, it's going to be a wild summer for the Celtics. 

Jayson Tatum Is The C's Franchise Player & With His Extension ($195 Million?), He's Paid Like It

 

    As serious fans, we all consider ourselves to be overly qualified to be wannabe GMs in whatever sport(s) we like but the truth is that it's way harder than anyone thinks. With that said, Celtics GM Danny Ainge made one of the easiest decisions of his entire tenure in Boston today by getting his young superstar Jayson Tatum to agree to a five-year extension that can be worth up to $195 million if he reaches certain All-NBA marks in that time frame. Swingman Jaylen Brown is a very good and promising player as well (that unfortunately plays the same position) and point guard Kemba Walker has been an All-Star multiple times but there is no doubt who the best player is on the team and also most importantly, who has the most potential further own the line.

    Tatum is only 22 years old and he just finished his third NBA season but note the huge leap that he made from Year 2 to Year 3 which was outstanding. The No. 2 pick out of Duke in the 2017 draft (thanks Sixers for taking that fraud Markelle Fultz!), Tatum played in his first NBA All-Star Game this past season and was named to the All-NBA third team after averaging a team-high 23.4 points, seven rebounds, three assists and 1.4 steals per game. For such a young player, the swingman came into the league with the all-around offensive game of a longtime NBA standout. He can shoot very well (40% on 3s both this season and for his career), he can drive to the hoop utilizing a variety of creative moves and he consistently hits free throws (81% this season and 83% for his career).

    With Gordon Hayward bouncing after three frustrating seasons in Boston, it is heartening to see Tatum not going anywhere for awhile longer granted the third NBA contract is generally when top talent start to reevaluate their situations the most as they enter unrestricted free agency. As long as the Celts have Tatum along with Brown who also has All-Star potential in his own right, they will be a factor in the Eastern Conference. There's really not too much to pick apart with Tatum: he's 6-foot-8 but listed at just 210 pounds so needless to say, he has to get stronger to not only last longer in the NBA but additionally to be able to use power to get baskets not only his moves and sneaky speed. Perhaps his most annoying trait is how much he complains to refs constantly during each and every game. Blame it on his Duke background, the fact that he came up in the AAU culture and probably has been a star his entire life or that he was tutored by the late Kobe Bryant (who was also known for his whining), but if he could cut down on that a bit, that would be a little more esthetically pleasing.  

    In the grand scheme of things, these are all small complaints about a guy who has all the ability in the world on the basketball court and thankfully doesn't seem to be a clown. More than any other big-time pro sport in the U.S., the NBA is ruled by stars and that's why the C's had to make this decision without hesitation. When your team isn't located in warm weather sexy locations like Los Angeles or Miami, you need to cling to these stars however they come about. Think of Giannis in Milwaukee, when is the next time they'll ever get a player of his caliber to play there? It sucks but that is the way it is so let's be happy that at least we have Tatum on our side (haha for now at least).

Nice To See Danny Ainge Wake Up And Finally Make A Few Moves For The Celtics In Free Agency

 

    For Celtics fans, the last few days had been nothing but torture: between GM Danny Ainge doing his usual NBA Draft con job (getting his name crowbarred into a bunch of far-fetched trade rumors but then never completing them) and using two mid-first round picks on Wednesday, followed by crickets the first day of free agency on Friday (besides Enes Kanter getting traded back to Portland), we needed something to be even slightly positive about. After Gordon Hayward signed a four-year, $120 million dollar deal with Charlotte this afternoon, Boston was left with the bitter reality that they had gotten absolutely nothing in return for seeing their former prized free agent skip town after only three injury-plagued and disappointing seasons. 

    Hallelujah, the tide finally started to turn a bit in the Green's favor this evening as news trickled in that they had signed veteran center Tristan Thompson to a two-year deal worth $19 million while point guard Jeff Teague had also agreed to a one-year contract for the veteran's minimum. Right before these moves came into fruition, Brad Wanamaker signed a one-year with Golden State, hence the sudden need for a new backup point guard that head coach Brad Stevens could count on in crunch time. These moves alone aren't groundbreaking on their own but at least they demonstrate that Ainge is still trying to improve the team and not simply hoping that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can continue to develop into franchise players and carry a bunch of inexperienced youngsters to even greater heights mostly by themselves. 

    Obviously not getting a much-rumored sign-and-trade deal done with Indiana for Hayward involving Pacers center Myles Turner is the biggest headline out of this rapid succession of moves for the Celts. When Gordon moved his personal deadline for picking up his ludicrous 2020-21 option ($34.2 million!) from Tuesday to Thursday, you knew that he was as good as gone. That fact was cemented when he opted out on Thursday night to become a free agent. I liked Hayward's game going back to his Butler days with Stevens, long before he got here but thanks to an incredibly bad streak of luck when it came to freak injuries and long stretches where he never really fit into the gameplan, I am not going to lament him leaving here that much. It was time. The frustrating part is that Ainge wasted one of the only real assets that he had on the current roster. 

    Looking ahead, Thompson and to a lesser extent Teague should make Boston slightly better this season. Thompson was the fourth overall pick of the 2011 draft and for most of his nine years in Cleveland, he has tormented the Celtics whenever they matched up, especially in the playoffs. Once again, after LeBron left the Cavs, the franchise has turned into a disaster. However, Thompson has posted his two best seasons in back-to-back campaigns. Known as a ferocious rebounder with a limited offensive game, he has averaged double-doubles the last two seasons: 10.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 2018-2019 followed by a career-best 12 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He is much better overall than Daniel Theis and therefore should start right away. One of Boston's biggest issues in the bubble postseason-and dating back years now if we're being honest-was rebounding and Thompson immediately addresses that and at the age of 29, he figures to have some good productive years left in the tank. Getting away from the Cavaliers and onto one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference should also motivate him plus he'll be back in the playoffs where he seems to shine the most.

    On the other hand, Teague's peak is behind him (who knew that he was an All-Star in 2014-15?) but that doesn't mean that he can't provide some value to the C's at the ripe old age of 32. Additionally, with the way that Kemba Walker's knee wasn't right for much of last season including in the bubble, Ainge had no choice but to get someone that he could depend on when Walker undoubtedly misses more time with another mysterious injury that the Celts will try to downplay as always. Teague was the 19th pick of the 2011 draft by the Hawks. You'll remember that he was part of some fun playoff series between Boston and Atlanta early on in his career. After seven seasons in Atlanta, he played for a year in Indiana (his home state) before three years in Minnesota and then he was traded back to the lowly Hawks last season where he averaged 10.9 points and 5.2 assists per game. Unlike Thompson who can't hit free throws to save his life (61% for his career), Teague is excellent at the line (he's shot in the 80s for the last 10 seasons in a row). 

    The craziest part out of all of this is that the 2020-21 NBA regular season starts exactly a month from today. I'm not kidding, it really does return before the NFL playoffs have begun. Given that the NBA Finals just wrapped up in early September, that's preposterous. I thought they would surely start after New Year's but Christmas Day is such a ratings draw for the league that they simply had to fast-track this offseason to get those key holiday games in. Let's admit it: the league has a virtual sports monopoly on Christmas with usually five games (featuring many of the top teams and players) from the afternoon to late at night. About the only thing that makes sense is that they've cut 10 games off the regular season thanks to Covid-19 so instead of the 82-game grind, it'll be a 72-game sprint or something like that. Granted, I won't be complaining about any of this when it's the dead of winter, I'm stuck inside every night due to the miserable weather and that's where the NBA will be clutch in our pandemic lives.

Celtics Trade for Isaiah Thomas, The Shorter Non-Evil One That is Nate Robinson 2.0

The 2015 NBA Trade Deadline came and went today with Boston making a sneaky big move and also a minor salary dump. The Celtics traded shooting guard Marcus Thornton (8.9 points per game) and Cleveland's 2016 first-round pick (sure to be at the end) to the Suns for point guard Isaiah Thomas (15.2 points, 3.7 assists per game). Small forward Tayshaun Prince (7.6 points per game) was sent back to Detroit (lucky him) for Swedish power forward Jonas Jerebko and Italian small forward Luigi Datome (he is sure to be a cult favorite in the North End).

The fact that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge could flip the aging Thornton (who will be a free agent this summer) for Thomas is pretty remarkable. He's very undersized (5-foot-9, 185 pounds) but the former University of Washington star has made a name for himself after only three years in the NBA. Take it with a mountain of salt since it happened in Sacramento but last season in 34.7 minutes per game Thomas averaged 20.3 points, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 72 contests (54 starts). Phoenix made the curious decision to try and play three point guards together this season (Thomas, Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic) with mixed results-9th place in the loaded Western Conference. With all the moves they made today, the Suns are left with Bledsoe and now Brandon Knight after Dragic was shipped to Miami.

I'm not going to worry too much about Jerebko and Datome since who knows if either guy will ever put on a Celtics uniform. For what it's worth, (my name is) Jonas averaged 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while Luigi averaged 3.7 points per game in very limited action. It got to the point recently where Detroit (21-33) had basically phased them both out of the rotation (well not like Datome was ever in that anyway) entirely so what else has to be said?

Boston's (20-31) first game after the All-Star break ironically enough is in Sacramento (18-34) tomorrow night (10, CSN). Through the magic of the god-awful Eastern Conference, the Celts are only 1.5 games behind Miami (22-30) for eighth-place. If you are like me and you see absolutely no point for them to make the playoffs this season, we got some good news late tonight as the team announced that Jared Sullinger is out indefinitely with a foot injury. It is not surprising that a fat guy like him seems to break down every year but he is one of their best players that they have to build around so yikes.

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It Is No Surprise At All That Jeff Green Will Get Another Shot With The Celtics

I never thought there was a chance that free agent forward Jeff Green would end up anywhere else but the Celtics after head coach Doc Rivers and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge monitored him so closely while he missed all of last season with a heart ailment.

Now, Green is healthy and ready to get back on the court so I'm happy to say that it is with Boston. His agent broke the news this afternoon although he wouldn't reveal the length or value of the deal so I guess we will have to wait for the details. Contracts can officially be signed beginning on Wednesday. I feel like he'll be extra motivated by sitting out last season to prove that he's fine while also showing the Celtics that he's much better than what he showed in his abbreviated 2010-11 season with them.

After getting traded from the Thunder to the Celtics before the 2011 NBA trade deadline (in the Kendrick Perkins deal), the former Georgetown Hoya could never really get comfortable. As someone that watched him all throughout college and in Oklahoma City and loved his game, trust me when I tell you that he will play much better this time around. Most importantly, he seems like a smart, nice guy that is willing to learn.

Green is 6-foot-9 and only 25-years-old so he should provide the size and youthful energy that they can always use on a team full of old and mostly undersized players. He can play inside but also has the quickness to play outside, get to the hoop and create his own shot. In 26 games (2 starts) with the Celtics, he averaged 9.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes. After being a starter and playing big minutes in Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (their original Big 3 before James Harden emerged), I'm sure it was tough for Green to adjust to a new team, conference, environment and system. He had been drafted by the Sonics and been with that franchise for his entire career (3+ years), no doubt he saw the great things they were building.

For his career, he's averaged 13.9 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 44% from the floor, 34% on 3-pointers and 77% on free throws. Rivers has known him for a long time since his older son Jeremiah played with Jeff at Georgetown. That's part of the reason why they're so close. If we're being positive you have to think that he'll put it together this time around with a full training camp, preseason and regular season with the Celts. If nothing else, it gives Rajon Rondo someone else to run with while also making sure that Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass don't have to play too many minutes during the regular season thus not wearing them down for the playoffs.

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Brandon Bass Joins This Summer's New 3-Year Deal Club With The Boston Celtics

I always thought he was an honest guy but I guess Celtics head coach Doc Rivers wasn't lying or even stretching the truth at all when he said he wanted "the band back together," referring to the squad that lost to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in June.

On the heels of Kevin Garnett re-signing for three years last week and free-agent guard Jason Terry agreeing to a three-year deal earlier this week, comes today's news that starting power forward Brandon Bass will also get a three-year contract worth $20 million to stay in Celtics green.

Last season was Bass' first in Boston and it was a memorable one as he averaged a career-high 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 59 games (39 starts). He shot 48% from the floor and 81% on free throws. As can be expected when a bench player's minutes get bumped up, the warts on his game started to show later in the season and particularly in the playoffs (11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 46% from the floor, 92% free throws)when the microscope was really on him.

Bass struggles when his shot isn't falling (who doesn't?) and he has trouble around the rim against bigger guys since he's undersized for a power forward or center (which he had to play sometimes in a small Celtics lineup). With that said, he's a hard-worker, a true professional and quiet guy. After playing for four teams in his first seven years in the NBA, he earned the right to hopefully stay in the same spot for more than two seasons in a row, something that he's never done. He played two years in New Orleans, two years in Dallas and two years in Orlando before getting traded last year for Glen Davis.

His most valuable asset is that he's only 27-years-old which on this squad makes him a child. Celtics president of basketball operations aka GM Danny Ainge had both the present and future in mind with locking him up for the next three seasons. With KG, Pierce and Rondo back, the C's will be a factor in the Eastern Conference for the next few seasons. Once KG and Pierce retire, it will be Rondo's team which means he needs dependable guys around him. Enter Bass who can run the floor but also excels in the half-court game since he's such a good shooter from mid-range and he can also get to the basket.

Bass was the last starter from last season's team to be signed by Boston. He opted out of his previous contract after the postseason ended but he made it clear all along that he wanted to return. He will have more competition next season from rookie Jared Sullinger but that should bring out the best in both of those guys.

Now, the only major players left for the Celtics to sign or let walk is guard Ray Allen and forward Jeff Green. With the Clippers out of the running (they re-signed Chauncey Billups and signed Jamal Crawford this afternoon), it appears that the Jesus Shuttlesworth sweepstakes are down to Miami and Boston. I'm not very sentimental but I think it would be cool if the C's bring back Allen, provided he understands his role which would likely entail coming off the bench provided that Avery Bradley is healthy. If he can agree with that, by all means bring him back. As for Green, like Bass his camp has said the whole time that he wants to return so I expect that to happen.

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Celtics On The Verge Of A Big Move Involving A Hornet Not Named Chris Paul

As expected, it is hard to keep up with all the moves in the NBA now that training camps and free agency are officially underway for the shortened 2011-12 season.

Even the Boston Celtics are overhauling their roster when that appeared almost impossible as the Rajon Rondo for Chris Paul deal fell through. On the heels of the Glen Davis for Brandon Bass swap, the signings of Marquis Daniels and Keyon Dooling (which I wrote about yesterday), the C's also inked free agent forward Chris Wilcox along with forward/center Greg Stiemsma.

They resigned Jeff Green to a one-year deal ($5.9 million is what they offered before the lockout) while rookies JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore also got one-year contracts.

The big news broke late tonight though as Yahoo reported that the Celtics are very close to doing a sign-and-trade that would send Jermaine O'Neal and a second player to New Orleans for David West. Yes he's 31 and coming off ACL surgery but that would be a steal for Boston since the former All-Star would have been one of the top free agents on the market before suffering the injury.

If it happens, West could sign a three-year deal worth between $27-29 million with the Celts. All Boston would need was a half decent center and they will be a contender in the Eastern Conference once again.

Stay tuned, I'm sure much more developments will occur with the possible David West deal tomorrow.

Like Dooling, Wilcox is a former lottery pick (8th pick by the Clippers, 2002) that has been something close to a bust. He's played for five teams (Clippers, Sonics, Knicks, Thunder, Pistons) and strangely enough, the only time he averaged in double-figures was the three in Seattle (14.1 ppg, 13.5 and 13.4). Last season in Detroit, he put up 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game. For his career, he averages 8.8 points, 5.1 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field and 64% from the free throw line.

It should tell you something that I had never heard of this Stiemsma character before today. Haha he doesn't even have a player profile on ESPN.com. Free agent big guys Michael Sweetney and Jamal Sampson were also expected in camp with rookie guard Gilbert Brown but as of tonight, none of them had shown up yet.

UPDATE 12/10: Green's deal is reportedly for one-year, $9 million dollars (twice what he made last season). If he stays with Boston and doesn't get traded, he needs to show much more of the ability that he had in Oklahoma City. For most of his short time in Boston last season, he looked lost.

UPDATE 12/11: Ok well it turns out that getting David West was all a dream (with respect to Biggie). Today, he signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Indiana Pacers. Why? I'm not quite sure, they'll never be better than average in the next few seasons. Are they really an upgrade over New Orleans?

The Celtics will reportedly re-sign swingman Sasha Pavlovic. He basically didn't do anything in 17 games during the regular season last year and then didn't play in the playoffs. He'll be stuck behind Paul Pierce, Green and Daniels.

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