on to the off-season

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/boston-offseason-offer-tatum-max-130045861.html


Boston offseason: Offer Tatum max extension; watch Hayward pick up option
Kurt Helin
NBC SportsMon, September 28, 2020, 9:00 AM EDT

Boston fans may be frustrated that their team didn’t advance to the NBA Finals — the Celtics beat the defending champion Raptors in the second round, while the top-seeded Bucks had been cleared out of the path — but this is still a team that made strides this season. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown evolved into franchise cornerstones, with Tatum now looking like a No. 1 option, plus Kemba Walker proved a better fit with this team than Kyrie Irving. Throw in role players like Daniel Theis stepping up, and there are reasons for optimism even as the East gets better.

Two things to expect from Boston and team president Danny Ainge this offseason: Paying Tatum the max and watching Gordon Hayward pick up his $34.2 million option.

There will need to be other moves to add depth — they have Memphis’ No. 14 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and two other first-rounders, as chips to use — but Tatum and Hayward are the most expensive decisions.

With Tatum, it seems a no-brainer now to offer him a max extension to his rookie contract. He has become the alpha for this team, averaging 23.4 points and seven rebounds a game this season, even if he learned some hard lessons this past week about the demands of that role deep in the playoffs. Tatum made Third Team All-NBA this season, meaning he is eligible for 28% of the salary cap, make the team again next season and that jumps to 30%, meaning a max extension worth more than $189 million over five years (if the salary cap stays flat at $109 million, more than likely it goes up from there).

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“I ain’t even thought about that yet,” Tatum said of an extension after Miami eliminated Boston from the postseason. “I was just focused on this season. Like you guys know, that’s a process the front office and my agent have to talk about it…

“So stuff like that, when it happens, if it happens, that’s not really my concern right now. I’m not even thinking about that. Just trying to think about the great season we had and the great players, great guys I was around. This was a hell of a year and I enjoyed it and I’m appreciative of everybody. But at the end of the day, this was fun. I’m not really thinking about the other stuff right now.”

With Hayward, the buzz around the league is he will pick up his player option for $34.2 million.

This also is pretty obvious. While Hayward showed flashes of being the All-Star player he was before his devastating leg injury, and versatile wing players are in demand around the league, there is not anything near $34 million waiting for him on the open market. Especially not in a coronavirus-impacted world where NBA owners have taken a financial hit. Hayward is going to take his money then see what the demand for his services looks like in 2021 (which looks to be a very deep free-agent class).

Boston will make some roster tweaks, but will run back the core of a young team — Tatum is 22, Brown is 23 — that is improving. A core than made strides this season, but will find those final steps into contender status are the toughest ones.

Simple and obvious article.

Tatum is the new Alpha and he will be offered an extension.  If Danny blows this he needs to retire.  By "blowing this" I'm not referring to Tatum not signing the extension but him leaving after next year in free agency.  The best way to ensure that doesn't happen is to extend him.  The question is, from Tatum's perspective, should he sign the extension before the salary cap comes out or not?".  It's a lead-pipe cinch the salary cap next year will be lower because of all the TV revenues lost during 2020, so I am guessing sooner is better for him, and for us.

Gordon will take the money.  Whatever you may think of his current game there is no evidence to support the conclusion that he's a blithering idiot, and that's what he'd have to be to not take the $34M.

So we're not going to be changing much and, to be fair, how much do we need to change?  We went six in the ECF, and one of those losses came because of an absolutely amazing block at the rim by Bam on Tatum's dunk in Game 1.  No clean block and Tatum either wins the game or goes to the line to win it.  That would have made last night's game what MIAMI needed to do to stay in this series, not us.

We do need more bench scoring, though.  That is our key, glaring weakness.  Edwards has been a shocking disappointment.  Romeo can't stay on the court and, even when healthy, isn't a shooter/scorer.  We need a Lou Williams/Tyler Herro type.  Someone who can come in an just put points up on the board in a hurry.  They don't need to be able to play 30mpg, they just need to blitz the other team's 2nd unit when he is in.

And let's not underestimate and/or undervalue experience.  Iggy did quite well last night.  I'll bet his Championship pedigree helped steady Miami's young'uns.  Who are our Championship veterans?  Theis and Wanny, both Euro Championships.  Two of our max players, Walker and Hayward, have less playoff experience than the two Js, and it showed.  


bob


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Spot on bob

I posted the article not because it was telling us anything we don't know, but more as a starting point in the coming conversation here.

after the anger subsides and sanity prevails, most will agree it was a successful season, especially with the many changes Ainge made.

this year is likely to see much less change in personnel, IMO.

no more than 2 players from the top rotational players are likely to be different, maybe 3 if Ainge becomes " Trader Danny" again.