Ainge: Big 3 may stay beyond contracts
July 1, 2009
WALTHAM, Mass. (AP)—The Big Three of the Boston Celtics very well could stickaround beyond their current contracts with a changing cast of supportingplayers.
Ray Allen(notes) will be 34 after the one year left on his contract, Paul Pierce(notes)will be 33 after his two remaining years and Kevin Garnett(notes) will be 36 after thethree years left on his deal.
General manager Danny Ainge was enthusiastic Wednesday about the idea thatthey might stay longer than that if they are healthy.
“Absolutely, no question,” he said. “If they take good care ofthemselves, which all three of them do, and they stay healthy I think there’s areally good chance. I think all those guys will be up in my office pretty quicklooking for more years on their contracts.”
Ainge also said he planned to address the contract situation of point guardRajon Rondo(notes) this summer after handling more pressing matters that came with thestart of the free-agent signing period Wednesday. Rondo will make $2.62 millionnext season, and the Celtics can make a qualifying offer after 2010-2011 to makehim a restricted free agent and allow the team to match any offer he receives.
Glen Davis(notes), a solid replacement when Garnett missed much of the second halfof the season and all of the playoffs with a knee injury, plans to seek freeagent offers that the Celtics will have a chance to match.
Backup forward Leon Powe(notes) was allowed to become a free agent and isn’texpected to return. He could miss more than half the season following surgeryfor a serious knee injury in the playoffs.
Substitute guard Eddie House(notes), an effective 3-point shooter, decided tofulfill the last year of his contract for $2.86 million rather than exercise hisoption to become a free agent.
The Celtics had no first-round pick this year after trading it to Minnesotain the Garnett deal before the 2007-08 season when they won their 17th NBAchampionship.
They chose guard Lester Hudson(notes) of Tennessee-Martin with the 58th pick of the60-pick draft.
“Every year there’s players picked at 58 and … they rarely do make it,”Ainge said. “I think Lester has the opportunity of a lifetime that a lot ofpeople would like.”
Hudson, who once had a quadruple-double in points, assists, rebounds andsteals, thinks the fact that he’s 24 and that he grew up in a tough neighborhoodwill help.
“I’m more mature, can handle a lot of stuff that’s thrown at me,” saidHudson, the NCAA’s second leading scorer last season. “I’ve been going througha lot over the past couple of years, a lot of bumps and bruises in my life, so Ithink they help me out a lot.”
The Celtics greatest need is a forward who also might be able to back upcenter Kendrick Perkins(notes). Among available free agents Ainge is interested in areRasheed Wallace(notes) from Detroit, Grant Hill(notes) from Phoenix, Marcin Gortat(notes) fromOrlando and Zaza Pachulia(notes) from Atlanta.
“We know that probably the whole pool of money for free agents isn’t goingto be what it’s been in the past,” Ainge said.
Davis’ value shot up during the strong finish to his second season.
“Everything’s been pretty positive with Glen. We haven’t hadnegotiations,” Ainge said. “We’re hopeful that he’ll be part of our team thisyear.”
Five of the Celtics’ 11 players under contract for next season are 24 oryounger. Davis is 23.
“I don’t feel like the world’s going to collapse when our Big Three are tooold to play anymore,” Ainge said.
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