The Boston Celtics were supposed to be one of those teams that tanks it during the 2014-2015 season, but it does not appear that is the plan. Instead, Brad Stevens has found ways to win enough games to remain in the playoff hunt very little talent and experience. Will that mean a lot to someone like Kevin Love?
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports that the Celtics are planning to make a push for Love if and when he opts out of his current deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer. If that doesn’t work, Danny Ainge could turn his attention to Detroit Pistons big man Greg Monroe.
The Celtics have a good core of young players led by Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Marcus Smart and the newly-acquired Isaiah Thomas, who is under contract for three more seasons and has looked completely revitalized since being traded to Boston. That young nucleus combined with the Celtics’ plethora of draft picks could make them intriguing for big-name free agents.
Kyler notes that the Celtics will also be interested in Marc Gasol, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler. Simply put, they will not be settling for another bridge season.
Of course, the Cavs have been on fire as of late and Love looks much more comfortable than he did at the start of the season. He is almost certain to opt out of his deal, but the most likely reason for that would be to get more money from Cleveland.
Ever since LeBron sub-tweeted Love and seemingly took a shot at him, the Cavs have won a whole bunch of games. They’re starting to look like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
