The Celtics visit Brooklyn tonight for a game against Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett‘s team, but the front office will probably be far more plugged in to what happens during this evening’s NCAA tournament action. The C’s are in line for the sixth overall pick, but they’re just a game up on the Jazz, who have the league’s fourth-worst record, as our Reverse Standings show. That means a marquee prospect figures to be wearing green soon. Here’s the latest on the future-focused Celtics:
- Brandon Bass will be a trade candidate again this summer, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The power forward has played well and isn’t pouting, according to Washburn, who says Boston’s frontcourt logjam and its focus on rebuilding could be the impetus for a deal.
- Today’s addition of Chris Babb on a contract that’s non-guaranteed for next season gives the Celtics four players with non-guaranteed deals for 2014/15, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The Celtics have proven adept at using non-guaranteed contracts as trade ballast the past two summers, and Boston has the chance to do so again in a few months, as Forsberg examines.
- Avery Bradley has suggested that his desire to stay with the Celtics is tied to his enthusiasm for playing with Rajon Rondo. They’ve nonetheless shared the court for a total of just 159 minutes since Rondo made his season debut January 17th, as Forsberg points out in a separate piece. The C’s should pair them together more often before Bradley hits restricted free agency this summer, Forsberg argues.