It appears Wyc Grousbeck is about to grant Danny Ainge’s wishes.
Grousbeck, Ainge and the rest of the Boston Celtics should have a relatively quiet summer. There are some roster decisions to be made, though, and despite the Celtics’ already exuberant payroll, don’t expect money to get in the way of their continued efforts to win another championship.
He didn’t outright state as much, but Grousbeck certainly seemed to hint the Celtics are willing to do whatever it takes to keep the current core together.
“We put winning ahead of everything else,” the Celtics owner told the Herald. “Every now and then you’ve got to make room and play the kids and get a Gordon Hayward in free agency, and other times you just try to keep a core together and build onto it. And we’re in the latter stage right now in trying to keep this group together and build onto it as best we can.”
The biggest financial question facing the Celtics this summer will be Marcus Smart’s restricted free agency. As the Herald points out, a $6 million qualifying offer is all but certain, as is Smart’s likely denial.
The Celtics already are over the cap even without potentially re-signing Smart, which means the luxury tax looks to be a certainty.
“Hopefully we’ll have an expensive roster,” Ainge told reporters earlier this week. “And I think that we’ve been managing the payroll pretty well up to this point, and we know that there’s some really big, tough decisions going forward.”
He added: ” … And I think that the way that our team played this year (and) the hope that there is, I think that that will make it easier for them to step forward and realize the potential of this team and be willing to pay the money that we need to to be as good as we can.”
Grousbeck wasn’t about to argue.
“This team, out of the 15 teams, might be my favorite in one way, which is the underdog spirit and the dive on the floor, do whatever it takes,” he told the Herald. “Marcus Smart obviously dives on the floor half the plays, but everybody in their own way is going over and above. And they’re all about each other. I haven’t seen one selfish play this whole season that I can remember.
“I’m on fire about this team. I couldn’t love them any more. I’m getting goosebumps talking about them.”
So while there might not be any fireworks this offseason, it doesn’t sound like there will be much cost-cutting, either.
