Next Year’s Roster
On the latest episode of my podcast, From the Rafters, @ParquetPress and I discussed which players will return to the Celtics next year and which could see their time in Boston come to an end. I wanted to go over exactly who I believe will be on/off the Celtics next season. Our guest Tim Sheils (@timsheilsnba) gave his thoughts as well, so to hear his make sure to check out the podcast.
The one thing I see staying exactly the same is the starting lineup. Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown just signed on for multiple years, Jayson Tatum is due for a contract extension, Theis has another year left on his deal, and I fully expect Hayward to pick up his player option. I also don’t think the Celtics will make a move for a center any better than Theis. That’s not a dig at Theis, because I think he’s shown that he’s good enough to be a starting caliber center in the NBA. I just don’t think the Celtics have the means, or the need, to trade for an elite big man that is any better than Daniel Theis is. I’ll also add to the “safe for next year” list Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, Tremont Waters, Romeo Langford, Tacko Fall, and Robert Williams.
That leaves Semi Ojeleye, Enes Kanter, Carsen Edwards, Brad Wanamaker, Vincent Poirier, and Javonte Green. These are the guys that I believe have at least some form of uncertainty going into next season.
Carsen Edwards and Vincent Poirier fall into their own category here. I personally think both will end up on the roster next season, but if they end up not being in Boston, it would most likely be because of a trade on draft night. The Celtics have multiple first round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft and I fully expect Ainge to make a move. Last year the Celtics went into the draft saying they didn’t want to make all of their picks… but they still made all of their picks. I highly doubt that Ainge chooses to do the same this year. Whether that means trading them for future picks, to move up, or for more depth is up in the air. However, my gut instinct tells me the Ainge classic of trading for future assets is inevitable. I also think that Edwards still has plenty of room to grow so it may be a little too early to give up on him yet. As for Poirier, I don’t think that there’s many teams who’d want him. Plus it’s hard to give up a guy with a nickname like “Vinny Sex Pants.” That’s just iconic.
Enes Kanter is also in his own boat in terms of situations. He has a player option coming up at the end of the season, and although he’s stated how much he loves Boston, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t get a bigger paycheck elsewhere. The Celtics have very little cap flexibility with essentially four max players on the roster. Kanter’s current $5 million contract is a huge steal, and unless he genuinely just wants to stay in Boston, he may opt to chase the bag in a different city next season.
The next two players who I see in similar positions regarding next season are Brad Wanamaker and Javonte Green. As Tim Sheils said on the most recent episode of the From the Rafters podcast, this is most likely Wanamaker’s last season in Boston. It’s not because he’s played poorly, either, because he’s actually had a pretty efficient season in Boston - close to top of the league from the line, as well as a respectable 36.7% from deep. It’s just that Boston has other options at the point guard position. Marcus Smart has the ability to run point, Kemba’s the clear starter, and both Waters and Edwards are just much younger with lots more potential than Wanamaker. As for Javonte Green, things could still potentially be up in the air, but I would venture a guess that he’s not in Boston next year. There are just so many good wings on the current roster (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, etc.) that there’s not much room for playing time. Add the fact that Romeo Langford will most likely see an increase in playing time next season, and it means less room to give Green meaningful minutes. He’s also struggled with his three-point shooting, which is extremely important in today’s league. I would say he’s got a 25% chance of being on the roster next season, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
That just leaves Semi Ojeleye. I personally love him for this roster. He’s got the talent to be an elite defender, he’s an extremely hard worker, and has shown massive improvements in his ability to shoot from deep. His rookie season he shot 32% from three and last year he shot 31.5% from three. Meanwhile, this season he has shot 36.7% from behind the arc. While it may only be league average, if Ojeleye can make his shots while he’s on the floor, it lets Brad Stevens leave him in the game longer for his defense. The first couple years of his career it was a matter of surrendering some offensive capabilities for the sake of having Ojeleye’s defense, but now it’s looking like that won’t be the case anymore. I hope Semi stays on the roster next season, but it’s simply a matter of if Ainge and Stevens think it’s worth picking up his team option. I’m a firm believer that it is.
As for who will replace the guys who end up leaving the team? I haven’t got a clue. I just wanted to take a look at the roster we have now, which I love, and see where I think it will be at the start of next season. Go Celtics.
