Brandon Bass doesn’t really make sense as a member of the Boston Celtics. It’s not his fault; the 29-year-old power forward is coming off a perfectly productive season in which he won the coveted Red Auerbach Award.
But given the direction in which the franchise is clearly heading, a player of Bass’ skills and age no longer fits.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge clearly knows this, which is why he has “tried like hell” to trade Bass, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reported Tuesday. Bass’ $6.9 million contract is not overly prohibitive, but this Celtics have still had trouble finding a taker for Bass entering the final year of his contract.
Once upon a time, Bass’ ability to knock down jump shots from 15 to 18 feet would have been invaluable at his position. As more big men extend their range beyond the 3-point line, however, power forwards with midrange games just don’t stretch the defense like they used to. And with Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk needing to prove what sort of NBA players they can be, minutes could be hard to come by at the four this season.
Photo via John Geliebter/USA TODAY Sports Images
