Brace for a crazy free agency in Boston

ESPNBOSTON

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Staff Writer

Boston Celtics fans are going to lose their minds when free agency opens on July 1.

We feel comfortable saying this given the sort of uproar that occurs when it's simply suggested that a big-time player might be in town. It happened last summer, when Kevin Love, who wasn't even a free agent but was a player thought to be available in a trade, made a much-publicized romp through the region (culminating in his photographed handshake with Rajon Rondo at Fenway Park).

Some Celtics fans were buzzing this past weekend about a rumor that free-agent-to-be LaMarcus Aldridge was spotted at Logan Airport. The backstory, as best that we can piece together, goes like this: Late last week, a picture circulated on social media that purportedly showed Aldridge at Logan (this despite the fact that it's unclear if the person in the picture is actually Aldridge or if it was even taken at the Boston airport). That spawned social media whispers that Aldridge was spotted at Fleming's steakhouse, that he had dinner with Isaiah Thomas, that he was selling his Portland-area home and hunting for real estate in the area. None of this, of course, was backed up with any hard evidence.

But when Thomas (probably innocently) retweeted a recent Aldridge post on Friday night (one that read: "Only put people on your team who are willing to work harder than you"), some Celtics fans were certain it was a sign that Aldridge would soon be wearing green.

Let's remember some facts here: The Celtics can't legally interact with Aldridge until July 1. Aldridge, who will have no shortage of suitors this summer, is free to explore any city he'd like this offseason. Maybe most importantly, there is no evidence Aldridge was actually in Boston this weekend.

The biggest takeaway from this episode is that July should be bonkers for Celtics fans given the fact that their team will have -- for the first time in nearly two decades -- the ability to free up the sort of cap space necessary to chase a top-tier free agent.

If you're tall and walking through Logan Airport in July, expect to be photographed and have that photo circulated online ("Is that Marc Gasol at Legal Sea Foods?!").

Forgive Celtics fans for being a bit overzealous. Six weeks removed from a first-round playoff exit, there is still cautious optimism that adding some additional talent might help the team take another step toward being an honest-to-goodness contender again (the sort that has a chance to play into late May or early June).

This team has never signed a big-name free agent in many Celtics fans' lifetimes (instead, the Celtics have managed to navigate the tricky trade route for most big-time roster additions). July 1 typically passes with Danny Ainge and his staff focused on players that could have been lured by the midlevel exception or the veterans minimum (at least when the Big Three were here and Boston sought to surround its big names with complementary talent).

This July will be different. Boston, with an intriguing young core, can get top-tier talent to at least answer its calls. Some might even visit. The Celtics can put together splashy presentations and try to woo players with their banner-covered gym. Pitching a player to be the next face of the most storied franchise in basketball ought to go a lot further than any sort of brief weekend visit.

Maybe Aldridge will visit Boston in July. Maybe someone like DeAndre Jordan or Greg Monroe will pop in, too. We'll almost certainly know exactly when they are here and what they do, because Celtics fans, armed with cellphones and a desire to return to contender status, will document it all.

They’ve been waiting a long time for this moment.

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Sounds exciting, although i'd prefer an Aldrich post that said, "Only put people on your team who are willing to follow your lead in working your ass off."


Sam

SAM,

THAT'S A BIG BUTT! LOL

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