Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2017 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2017/18 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Boston Celtics.
Signings:
- Gordon Hayward: Four years, $127.83MM (30% maximum salary). Fourth-year player option.
- Aron Baynes: One year, $4.328MM.
- Daniel Theis: Two years, minimum salary. Second year not guaranteed.
- Shane Larkin: One year, minimum salary.
- Kadeem Allen: Two-way contract. Two years. $50K guaranteed.
- Jabari Bird: Two-way contract. One year. $50K guaranteed.
Camp invitees:
- Jonathan Holmes: One year, minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Devin Williams: One, year minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Andrew White: One, year minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- L.J. Peak: One, year minimum salary. Exhibits nine and 10. (Waived)
- Daniel Dixon: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
- Daniel Ochefu: One year, minimum salary. Summer contract. (Waived)
Trades:
- Acquired the No. 3 overall pick and the Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick (top-1 protected and 6-30 protected) from the Sixers in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick.
- Note: If Lakers’ 2018 first-round pick doesn’t convey, Celtics will instead acquire more favorable of Kings’ and Sixers’ 2019 first-round picks (top-1 protected).
- Acquired Marcus Morris from the Pistons in exchange for Avery Bradley and the Pistons’ own 2019 second-round pick.
- Acquired Kyrie Irving from the Cavaliers in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, and the Heat’s 2020 second-round pick.
Draft picks:
- 1-3: Jayson Tatum — Signed to rookie contract
- 2-37: Semi Ojeleye — Signed to four-year, $6.042MM contract. Second year partially guaranteed ($902K). Third year not guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
- 2-53: Kadeem Allen — Signed to two-way contract
- 2-56: Jabari Bird — Signed to two-way contract
Draft-and-stash signings:
- Guerschon Yabusele (2016; No. 16) — Signed to rookie contract.
- Ante Zizic (2016; No. 23) — Signed to rookie contract.
- Note: Later traded to the Cavaliers.
- Abdel Nader (2016; No. 58) — Signed to four-year, $5.917MM contract. Second year partially guaranteed ($450K). Third year not guaranteed. Fourth-year team option.
Departing players:
- Avery Bradley
- Jae Crowder
- Gerald Green
- Demetrius Jackson (waived)
- Jonas Jerebko
- Amir Johnson
- Jordan Mickey (waived)
- Kelly Olynyk
- Isaiah Thomas
- James Young
- Tyler Zeller (waived)
Other offseason news:
- Paul Pierce signed a one-day contract to officially retire as a Celtic.
- Marcus Morris acquitted on aggravated assault charges.
Salary cap situation:
- Used up cap room. Now operating over the cap, but under the tax line. Carrying approximately $110MM in guaranteed team salary. Only minimum salary exception available.
Check out the Boston Celtics’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
While many considered the Celtics to be a legitimate threat to land Gordon Hayward this summer, especially due to his relationship with Celtics coach Brad Stevens, it’s doubtful anybody suspected the blockbuster trade between the Celtics and the Cavaliers that led to Kyrie Irving donning a Boston uniform this season. In addition to those two acquisitions, the Celtics traded the No. 1 overall draft pick to Philadelphia in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick and an additional future first-rounder that projects to be a strong pick.
Hayward only met with three different teams, the Jazz, Heat, and Celtics, with his decision ultimately coming down to Utah or Boston. After an initial report by ESPN that Hayward had selected the Celtics, Hayward’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, publicly and forcefully denied that a decision had been made, worrying the Celtics that the premature report may cause Hayward to change his mind and return to Utah. Fortunately for the C’s, that was not the case, and Hayward announced later that night that he was leaving Utah for Boston.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, Hayward’s arrival meant the need to rework their roster to ensure they would have enough cap room to make a max-salary offer to Hayward. The Celtics ultimately ended up trading starter Avery Bradley and his $8.8MM salary to Boston in exchange for Marcus Morris and his $5MM cap hit, thereby clearing the necessary room to accommodate Hayward’s first-year salary.
Then, despite a career year in which Isaiah Thomas averaged 28.9 PPG and played through the death of his sister and a torn labrum in his hip, the Celtics traded him to Cleveland, along with fellow starter Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, Brooklyn’s coveted 2018 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick, in exchange for Irving. Read more