Remember that trip Kevin Love took to Fenway Park on June 1? Maybe he just really likes baseball.
Love isn’t coming to Boston to play hoop for the Celtics, that’s almost for certain. The All-Star power forward is almost certain to join LeBron James in Cleveland in a couple of weeks.
So, what is the Celtics’ Plan A, now?
All signs point to “stay the course,” but there will undoubtedly be some player movement before training camp opens. The C’s currently have a whopping 18 players ready to go for 2014-15, so something has to give. Situations to keep on eye on:
Rajon Rondo
There has not been one fresh Rajon Rondo trade rumor this week. What’s the deal? For all you Rondo haters, sorry. It’s becoming increasingly likely that No. 9 will be wearing green when the season begins in late October. If Danny Ainge is indeed hell-bent on trading the longest tenured Celtic, he will likely do so when Rondo’s stock is higher than it is today. A trade would most likely happen near next February’s trade deadline, after Rondo shows some GMs across the league that he is still something of a triple-double machine. Rondo had just one triple double last season as he slowly recovered from his torn ACL from the year prior.
Jeff Green
It’s regarded as more fact than opinion around here – Jeff Green is overpaid. But get this: If Green puts up numbers like he did this past season (16.9 points per game), it’s a safe bet that the small forward will actually opt out of his current contract to look for more money on the open market. What a country. Green, set to earn $9.2 million in 2014-15, would be coveted in free agency considering NBA GMs love to overspend on swingmen.
Brandon Bass
Wow, he’s still here?! Bass has been mentioned in nearly more trade rumors than Rondo over the past few years but this may finally be the year. The power forward will become an unrestricted free agent next summer and could certainly help a playoff contender down the stretch of the 2014-15 season. Of course with the East so top-heavy, who’s to say the Celtics won’t be playoff contenders themselves. They’ve certainly got the depth issue covered as presently constituted.
Follow Metro Boston sports editor Matt Burke on Twitter: @BurkeMetroBOS
