Danny Ainge’s Offseason Exploits Tour 2016 has officially hit the road.
According to a report by Andrew Perna of Real GM on Thursday, Ainge, the general manager and president of basketball operations of the Boston Celtics, met in New York City this week with agent Jeff Schwartz, who represents both Kevin Love and Harrison Barnes.
Ainge met with Jeff Schwartz in NYC this week, according to a source. Schwartz represents Kevin Love and Harrison Barnes.
— Andrew Perna (@Andrew_Perna) June 16, 2016
The Celtics are set to be major players on the market this summer, especially since they come armed with a surplus of cap space and plethora of tradable young assets, including the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft (a selection they seem to be aggressively shopping).
Boston has been linked to Love before, but the Cavs forward is locked into a contract that will pay him upwards of $93.5 million over the next four seasons. Still, Love has failed almost entirely to properly integrate into Cleveland’s biosphere during his two years there, lending credence to rumors that the team could look to trade him after the season.
Barnes, meanwhile, is headed for restricted free agency this summer, and though the Warriors appear intent on retaining him, there are sure to be plenty of other suitors at his doorstep as well.
The Celtics appear to be one piece away from serious contention right now and could really benefit from a scoring/rebounding stretch four like Love or a versatile combo forward like Barnes. Expect Ainge and the gang to be busy at work this offseason as they have more than enough resources to pluck these types of All-Star/championship-caliber talents away from their current teams.
Image via Boston Celtics on YouTube
H/T Rotoworld
