The Boston Celtics will go into the offseason with a lot of financial questions at the same time they’ll need to make important moves around the margins to boost their ability to contend for a title — not an easy proposition, to be sure.
What they will know is what the team needs, as well as the general range of players likely be available for the taxpayer mid-level exception (MLE), the most likely tool Boston will have to add an impact free agent.
With the pre-pandemic cap projections set at $115 million and the Celtics already looking a likely taxpaying team even in the pre- COVID-19 era, it seems improbable Boston will have even the full MLE at their disposal.
The two MLEs — previously at $9.75 and $6 million for the full and taxpayer, respectively — will be considerably less, but likely destined for the same group of players the Celtics will want to look at to fill a few lingering needs.
NBA officially in talks with Disney to host remainder of '19-20 season https://t.co/FP3ffmz8tp via @thecelticswire
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) May 23, 2020
Those needs have changed little since the February trade deadline, but could be exacerbated if one or both of forward Gordon Hayward or center Enes Kanter decide to leave in free agency.
The needs in question are threefold — bench scoring, a reserve guard able to spell Kemba Walker as much as possible in the regular season, and a more traditional, bulky situational big, preferably with above-average defense.
So who are the candidates the Celtics should have their eye on?