Perhaps the biggest dilemma facing the Boston Celtics this offseason is what they elect to do (or not do) with guards Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier.
Should they re-sign Smart and trade Rozier? Should they extend Rozier and let Smart walk? Should they let both players leave after their respective contracts are up?
Well, the reported answer to those questions is one many might not expect.
“(Danny) Ainge could easily kick back, use that 27th overall draft pick on a project center who may be ready in two years and keep his team intact,” The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn wrote Saturday. “And that very well could be the plan.
“A team source said the Celtics want to bring back Marcus Smart and keep Terry Rozier for added depth and being a fully loaded roster next season, where they will be the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.”
Now, those very well could be the Celtics’ intentions, but things might not go according to plan.
Smart, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, might fetch a contract higher than what the Celtics are willing to pay. And as for Rozier, would the Celtics really turn down the Dallas Mavericks, for example, if they were offering a lottery pick?
Your guess is as good as ours. Rozier isn’t a restricted free agent until after next season, after all, and his trade value might never be higher than it is right now.
The Celtics’ best course of action might be to retain the same roster that just made it to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals — and it seems that’s what they want to do. Whether they’re able to pull it off, however, remains to be seen.
