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Getty Al Horford, Celtics
Welcome to the first of what will be a regular NBA mailbag feature here at Heavy Sports.
Insider Steve Bulpett will answer your questions – those related to current league issues and even some unusual perspectives and opinions from his 37 years of NBA coverage. (Want to know which former league city he misses most? Want to know about the Celtics’ first ever trip to Sacramento?)
We will try to tackle everything here in the heavy mail bag.
Leave your questions in the comment section below or email them at [email protected] Plus, join the thousands of fans who follow @HeavyOnSports on Twitter and Instagram to see some of your questions answered live!
Warriors Setting the Blueprint and Al Horford’s future with the Celtics
We’ve heard a lot about rival owners who are mad at Joe Lacob about how much the Warriors spend on paychecks and luxury taxes, but we also know that some owners are very competitive. After the Warriors have won another title with monstrous pay and tax, do you think more owners might be willing to delve into luxury tax if they think a title is on hand? – Nate D., Rochester, New York
I’m not sure how many teams are motivated more by closeness to a league than by what they believe to be sound financial practices, but there is certainly evidence in the former as far as the Celtics are concerned. After keeping an eye on the bottom line to avoid the hefty repeat tax, the Celts have scored two wins from the 2022 title and opened their wallet (and their tax bill, which will total around $ 50 million when the roster will be terminated) this offseason in an effort to reach their 18th banner.
With no real prohibitive favorites at the top of each conference, teams are enticed to spend what it takes to stay competitive and outrun the pitch. But those decisions will come down to a judgment by each club’s basketball operations staff, and then the owner looking to the bottom line and choosing whether to give the green light to the investment. Some will be more willing than others.
I think the most interesting point here is what you allude to in your first sentence. In fact, some owners may be angry with the Warriors and other tax teams for spending so much and potentially upsetting the balance of power on the pitch. But I can directly state that the owners who are paying the high commissions now and have done so in the past are perhaps even angrier at those teams accepting payments from the tax pool and not reinvesting them in their payroll – and then complaining about those who spend over the limit.
One owner told me he wanted the NBA to require teams to put that money back on their roster to help grow the league. “They shouldn’t just be pocketing the money,” he said.
I was discussing a critical colleague with another taxpaying landlord, who bluntly replied, “He didn’t complain while he cashed our check.”
Will Al Horford be in Boston for the rest of his career? – Jack S., Boston
A couple of answers:
He should. He will really depend on his health and how long Al will want to play.
Horford didn’t really want to leave Boston the first time, but Kyrie Irving was about to leave (in an interview before the 2019-20 season started, Al told me he would look at things differently if he knew Kemba Walker was arriving) and there was uncertainty with the Celtics.
It was widely anticipated that Horford would give up his contract last year and sign for a longer term with Boston. But when Philadelphia stepped in with big bucks, a chance to play alongside Joel Embiid and a seemingly great opportunity to compete for a title, it moved on. Horford disliked being beaten on the inside and the idea that Embiid would attract bigger opponents was appealing.
Things obviously didn’t work out there, and after what was essentially a gap year in Oklahoma City, Horford returned to Boston and was a key part of the Celts’ run to the finals.
At 36, long-term career projections are silly. But as he enters the final year of his current deal, you should believe that, as long as salary wishes are reasonable, the Celtics would like to have him.
The bulls need more to contend and Miami is running out of options
Any chance the Bulls will make a move before the season starts? – Ryan S., North Carolina
The Bulls have never had a chance to see what their best rotation could do for a long time in the playoffs, but looking at where they stand now compared to the clubs that should be at the top of the Eastern Conference, it’s hard to see them being a contender to the finals if they don’t make a move. You should think that they recognize it and will try to do something.
Do the Heat have enough to reach the finals as they are? If they can’t take Donovan Mitchell or Durant, what are their options? – Gina C, California
From what I keep hearing, Miami is looking to make a significant move, but it may be forced to get creative by involving one or more additional teams to execute the transactions it wants.
The Heat party line is that they are happy with the team they have, and it’s hard to argue too much about that. After all, Miami had the best Eastern Conference record last season, and went to Game 7 of the conference finals before losing to Boston. And while the defeat of PJ Tucker (in Philadelphia as a free agent) will hurt, having Victor Oladipo ready to go from the start (he didn’t play until last March) could be a major boost.
If the Heat can’t catch Durant or Mitchell, it’s hard to see another great player on their horizon. But with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and the others, a little more bounty might be enough to keep them questioning.
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