Robb: What's Next For Celtics After Amir Johnson Signing?
BOSTON (CBS) – The start of free agency is here, but you wouldn't know it with the lack of noteworthy moves Danny Ainge has made so far. Around the league, teams are signing stars like Kevin Love and Anthony Davis to extensions, while second tier free agents like Al-Farouq Aminu and DeMarre Carroll are heading to new destinations in Portland and Toronto respectively for big paydays.
As a costly market for NBA players has been set here, what can we expect from Ainge and company? The team got things moving by agreeing to terms with Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko, and re-signing Jae Crowder, but those weren't the sexy signings Boston fans were looking for.
Where do those moves leave the Celtics? Here's a free agent primer with everything you need to know about what the Celtics can and can't do in the coming weeks following these recent moves.
The Roster
Assuming the team signs first-round picks R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier, the team has 14 guaranteed contracts in place for the 2015-16 season once Johnson, Jerebko and Crowder become official. That number doesn't include second-round pick Jordan Mickey, who is expected to compete for a roster spot.
Phil Pressey and Chris Babb are also signed to non-guaranteed deals for the time being, but their odds of making the roster took a significant hit once the Celtics kept all of their picks on draft day.
The Salary Cap Situation
Boston's current 11 guaranteed contracts amount to $43.2 million, which is a well south of the salary cap that is expected to fall between the $67-69 million mark.
Jerebko and Johnson will add roughly $16 million to that number once their deals become official, with Crowder in at roughly $7 million.
What's with the Rising Salary Cap and These Huge Deals?
Thirty million dollars for Aminu? Sixty million for Carroll? $24 million for Johnson? Why are borderline role players getting paid so well? It all comes down to the rising salary cap, which will jump by over $20 million dollars in the 2016-17 season. Essentially, guys that are getting paid $15 million per year now will be the equivalent of paying a guy $10 million next year once the salary cap spike takes effect.
Remember the four-year, $32 million dollar deal Avery Bradley signed last summer? Many critics were up in arms about the high price tag, but that contract looks like a bargain compared to deals given out this year. Keep that mind while you try to evaluate what constitutes an overpay in a different economic climate this offseason.
The Jerebko deal at just $5 million annually is a bargain now if he plays like he did last season. Johnson may look like one next year, if he stays healthy.
What Can We Expect From Celtics Now?
Boston wasn't expected to land any of the premier free agents on the market, but they are piecing together the frontcourt by coming to terms with Johnson and Jerebko. Both players are on short-term deals (two years) that will keep the Celtics competitive in the interim, but maintain Boston's flexibility to throw big money at a star a couple of years down the road.
For now, don't expect the dealing to be done. Ainge will still have some cap space to spend, especially if the team ends up dumping Gerald Wallace in a trade to someone willing to take on some cap room. Stretching him (resulting in a $3.3 million cap hit for the next three years) is an option as well.
Bottom line? The dealing has just begun. Buckle your seatbelts, the Celtics will stay active in the weeks to come.
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Brian Robb covers the Celtics for CBS Boston and contributes to NBA.com, among other media outlets. You can follow him on Twitter @CelticsHub.
