The Boston Celtics’ season ended rather abruptly Thursday night, but there’s still plenty of reasons to be excited about the future.
The Celtics are entering one of their most important offseasons in years. They’re armed to the teeth with draft picks and boast a promising young core, but still need to make a splash in free agency and via the NBA Draft if they want to escape the league’s dreaded middle ground.
But before president of basketball operations Danny Ainge starts dreaming of Kevin Durant, he needs to take care of business in his own house first. Below are the three Celtics players who are set to become free agents on July 1 and our thoughts on whether Ainge should keep them around.*
EVAN TURNER, GUARD (UNRESTRICTED)
2015-16 stats: 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 28.0 minutes, 81 games
2015-16 salary: $3.4 million
This was a big season for Turner, who emerged as the leader of Boston’s second unit and finished fifth in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year voting. His $3.4 million salary is a relative bargain, and he’ll likely command a steeper price this offseason. That said, Turner was a big part of the Celtics’ success this season, and his versatility and ball-handling skills make him a great fit for head coach Brad Stevens’ system.
Verdict: Keep him — for the right price.
JARED SULLINGER, FORWARD (RESTRICTED)
2015-16 stats: 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 23.6 minutes, 81 games
2015-16 salary: $3.4 million
Sullinger shook off preseason concerns about his weight to deliver a solid 2015-16 campaign, solidifying his status as Boston’s frontcourt bruiser. But his effectiveness went out the window in the playoffs, where he was overmatched by Atlanta Hawks big men Paul Millsap and Al Horford and played just 13.5 minutes per game. Sullinger is a solid player, but if the Celtics want to be legitimate title contenders, they can do better in free agency.
Verdict: Let him go.
TYLER ZELLER, CENTERÂ (RESTRICTED)
2015-16 stats: 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 11.8 minutes, 60 games
2015-16 salary: $3.4 million
No one saw a bigger dip in production this season than Zeller, who was the odd man out of Stevens’ frontcourt rotations despite leading the team in Win Shares during the 2014-15 campaign. Zeller was decently effective during his brief stints this season, but his ceiling isn’t all that high. Might as well cut bait and let him earn some playing time elsewhere.
Verdict: Let him go.
*The Celtics also have two non-guaranteed contracts in forwards Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko. Johnson will cost the team $12 million to keep around in 2016-17, while Jerebko will command $5 million. Both players made solid contributions this season and are worth keeping, but cutting them loose could free up valuable cap space for a run at a high-priced free agent like Durant or Horford.
Thumbnail photo via Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports Images
