The Boston Celtics think they are a superstar or two away from becoming a real title threat. With plenty of cap space, the Celtics are chasing some big names this offseason. Since they were unable to make a deal during the draft to land a superstar, they've turned all of their attention to free agency to do so. Here are all the latest Celtics rumors and news you need to know.
Celtics' Plans For Horford And Durant
The Celtics are going to make pushes for Kevin Durant and Al Horford this week, and the Boston Herald has the details on what the pitches will look like.
According to sources, they have made arrangements to speak with representatives of Kevin Durant and Al Horford, if not the players themselves -- the preparations in this case being the acquisition of the proper telephone numbers, not any illegal early talks.
And it won’t just be members of the Celts’ basketball administration on the line speaking in harmony. A source close to the situation said that All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas will also be in the room to sing backup and take a solo turn as he and the team try to entice the prospects.
The Celtics are going to pitch Durant on the idea of teaming up with Horford in Boston. The Celtics want Horford either way, as they have a major need for a big man, especially one who can score. The Celtics will likely offer Horford the max, but they have backup options in mind in the event they can't land Horford.
Celtics' Backup Plans At Center
Horford is the top center target for Boston, and they've also been linked to Dwight Howard. The Herald also has a pair of names that the Celtics view as backup plans.
But if Horford cannot be secured as a free agent, expect the C’s to look into the likes of Cleveland’s Timofey Mozgov and Indiana’s Ian Mahinmi.
Neither of those two players can match Horford, but they'd be decent stop-gap options.
Jerebko And Johnson's Contracts
The Celtics have pushed back the guarantee dates for the contracts of both Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko.
Celtics have agreed to amend the guarantee date for both Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko to July 7 instead of July 3, per source.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) June 30, 2016
Johnson is set to make $12 million and Jerebko $5 million, but both are on non-guaranteed contracts. Pushing back the deadline gives the Celtics a few extra days to figure out if they can land some like Durant or Horford.
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