So who are we after in FA?

[sully00]

The draft is over and the crazy trade season that went with it.

Finances seem to be ruling the day as much as basketball and teams are likely to be tight with the coin.

Ainge has made it clear that he has his eyes towards FA. But does he have Eddie House/Brian Scalabrine eyes or something bigger. While we sit here and talk about Sheed or Kidd we hear rumbles about Dahntay Jones, kind of ugh. FA signings have not been Ainge's strong suit James Posey aside.

I sense things are being done financially with an eye towards the guard in Miami. I don't think Ainge tries to clear a max salary slot just hoping he will do it for a player he has lined up. Going that route also isn't necessarily the best route.

There could be values for a team willing to commit in MLE FA. I like the idea of Marion but he is not an upside player. What would it take to get David Lee out of NY in a S&T?

Just changing gears and thinking about what is next.

[canman1971]

Well, this team needs a backup center and a pretty good one too, not a Mikki Moore type. Also, someone to spell Pierce at the SF position. There should be some available, but I don't know if the Cs will be willing to go the years on a contract it may take. I think they are going to want a 1-2 year deal tops. This year will be very interesting in the NBA due to the economy and the impending 2010 FA class.

[Kefa461]

An NBA source said the Celtics will keep an eye on such free agents as Detroit forward-center Rasheed Wallace, Phoenix forward Grant Hill, and Toronto swingman Anthony Parker. Denver center Chris Andersen (likely to re-sign), Detroit forward Antonio McDyess (likely to re-sign), Denver forward Linas Kleiza, Detroit forward Francisco Oberto (expected to be bought out), and Milwaukee forward Bruce Bowen (expected to be bought out) are also considerations. Boston Globe

Despite many wild trade rumors of late, including those involving Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen, Ainge and Rivers say they expect the core members of the Celtics to be back. That means Rondo, Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins. Boston Globe

[GreenDreamer]

Please let it be Shawn Marion. Pretty please. That dude would be a perfect fit here. Give us a guy who can swing between the 3 and 4 spots with ease, and replace what we lost with Posey and add so much more. This whole "spliiting the MLE between mediocre players" thing is for the birds. You end up with guys who really don't help you in the postseason. At least Marion would give us a guy who could play 30+ minutes at a high level. Tony and Veal could be packaged for a decent big or guard to deepen us. Veal would likely be cut by any team that took him on in such a deal, and then we could bring him back at the vet minimum, making the money he is actually worth, knowing that he would actually be valuable off the bench for depth. It is a win/win.

[GreenDreamer]

An NBA source said the Celtics will keep an eye on such free agents as Detroit forward-center Rasheed Wallace, Phoenix forward Grant Hill, and Toronto swingman Anthony Parker. Denver center Chris Andersen (likely to re-sign), Detroit forward Antonio McDyess (likely to re-sign), Denver forward Linas Kleiza, Detroit forward Francisco Oberto (expected to be bought out), and Milwaukee forward Bruce Bowen (expected to be bought out) are also considerations. Boston Globe

Despite many wild trade rumors of late, including those involving Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen, Ainge and Rivers say they expect the core members of the Celtics to be back. That means Rondo, Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Kendrick Perkins. Boston Globe

Hill could possibly take the vet min to play here, which would be great. I wonder if we could get a guy like Oberto with the LLE. Bowen is also another possibility at the vet min. I like Kleiza, but not for big money. Still would rather have a guy like Marion than lesser players, especially if we could fill out the roster with cheap vets.

[sully00]

I am with GreenDreamer, I would rather one guy who can do everything we need then trying to get 3 guys on the cheap.

If we could get Marion at the MLE, then I say re-sign Baby and Marbs and lets get it on.

But my guess is the plan is to try and get Dyess and Hill and bring back Marbs on 1 year deals and hope Big Baby doesn't get an offer sheet.

[Celts17Pride]

No source but I get the feeling Grant Hill to Boston is a done deal. At the very least it's between Orl, Phoenix and Boston.

[sully00]

I can't see ORL looking for a wing player at this point and PHX isn't bringing back Grant. My guess is that it is going to be about the same with everyone SA, CLE or BOS for the Senior Tour.

[ddb]

We need a Posey-like SF who can guard Lebron, Kobe, R. Jefferson, and Hedo. So they need to look at guys like D. Jones, M. Barnes, and Marion if the price is right.
We also need an athletic big man who can spare KG/Perk and grab some boards for the 2nd unit...Wallace, Andreson, Dyss, Wilcox are all good candidates.

[BillessuR6]

Wallace has supposedly narrowed down his choices to SA and ORL...I am interested to see where he ends up.

I definitely want to see Grant Hill here as the back up SF for the minimum. He looked really good last season for the suns.

But I am more worried about center alternatives. I am pessimistic about our chances of getting Rasheed and I see a big drop after him. I guess we could live with Pachulia, Oberto but back up center is a position that worries me the most...

We need some real quality off the bench, splitting the MLE and minimum veteran guys just won`t cut it...

[jfs1000d]

Marion would be nice, but I would really like more length, kind of like a Rasheed Wallace.

Grant Hill played for Doc in Orlando. They have a good relationship, and Grant wants to play. That's a great bench if we could do Rasheed and Grant Hill. Anthony Parker? Like him too. Not sure we are going to be able to get him and Sheed however.

Marion? It's a need, but we are still woefully short. Celtics with BBD and Powe are height challenged. We have undersized SGs, undersized SFs and undersized PFs galore.

We need length.

[sully00]

What is the deal with Chris Wilcox? Is he just totally brain dead? I mean he is 6'10" super athletic and puts up 15/9 per 36 and shoots 53%. Why doesn't he play?

[Egregious Blunder]

MLE players
Zaza Pachulia
Brandon Bass
Ron Artest
Charlie Villanueva


Partial MLE players
Chris Andersen
Hakim Warrick
Rodney Carney
Chris Wilcox
Marcin Gortat
Drew Gooden

LLE players
Sean Singletary

[jfs1000d]

What is the deal with Chris Wilcox? Is he just totally brain dead? I mean he is 6'10" super athletic and puts up 15/9 per 36 and shoots 53%. Why doesn't he play?

He makes Stromile Swift seem complicated...

[Celtics_Champs]

My top M.L.E. players.

Shawn Marion
Rasheed Wallace
Antonio McDyess
Charlie V.
Anthony Parker

---those come from no real rumors, but are also realistic enough. There is no ron artest in that bunch, even though I would love to see him here for the full MLE, not happening though.

My top L.L.E players

Stephon Marbury
Hakim Warrick
Rodney Carney

---again, no real surprises. Since Rondo is likely here to stay, we don't need a top PG like A.I. or Kidd, or Andre Miller, so I slot Marbury in to the LLLE, and hopefully he comes back. Frustrating yes, but at times showed flashes of the true starbury.

Either way, celtics need to add through few agency, whether it be one guy or multiple guys. If they go cheap again like last year, I will be kind of irked. Last year, I understood the circumstances, but this crop of F.A. is too good to land a solid bench player.

P.S. Don't sign Robert Swift, and call it a day, Danny.

[Edug27]

In a perfect world, we would grab Shawn Marion and Gortat. Backup SF and C are our biggest needs. I dont envision Rasheed signing with Boston, when he can get more minutes and a larger role on a contender elsewhere. Plus, hes become strictly a jump shooter nowadays, so we really dont need him. We need a rebounder at the C spot, and a one-on-one scoring threat off the bench at SF. This would be our roster.

Rondo/Marbury = Rondo is an elite PG. Enough said. Marbury can become effective once he goes through training camp and becomes more comfortable with the team.

Ray Allen/House = Ray still has the shot, and is clutch, even when he struggles. Plus his FT shooting is second to none. I think he will learn from last years post season, and come back strong this year. House is streaky, and opens the floor for us. We need to keep him.

Pierce/Marion = This is key. It gives us another scoring option on the bench, and it can allow Pierce to lower his minutes. Marion can also sub in for Ray, and we can have a big lineup with Marion and Pierce at the 2 and 3.

Garnett/Big Baby = Garnett should be healthy, and BBD has proven he can step in and fill any voids if anything should happen to KG. BBD might lack size, but he plays like a big man.

Perkins/Gortat = Big bodies downlow. I like Gortats toughness. When you sub him and Perk together, you dont lose much.

[eris]

In a perfect world, we would grab Shawn Marion and Gortat. Backup SF and C are our biggest needs. I dont envision Rasheed signing with Boston, when he can get more minutes and a larger role on a contender elsewhere. Plus, hes become strictly a jump shooter nowadays, so we really dont need him. We need a rebounder at the C spot, and a one-on-one scoring threat off the bench at SF.

Sure, but I don't think the C's can get both. Frankly, it will be a long shot to get either.

[Celts17Pride]

In a perfect world,

The Celtics would get Dwight Howard, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. That's my version of a perfect world.

[Hemingway]

We should offer Sheed a starting spot.

[LarryLegend]

where have you seen that Sheed is limited his options to Orlando and the Spurs? Not doubting, just curious.