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GettyAl Horford, Celtics
Welcome to the first of what will be a regular NBA Mail Bag feature here at Heavy Sports.
Expert Steve Bulpett will answer your questions, those related to current issues in the league and even some unusual perspective and opinion from his 37 years covering the NBA. (Want to know which city from the old league you miss the most? Want to know about the Celtics’ first trip to Sacramento?)
We’ll try to address it all here in the heavy mail folder.
Leave your questions in the comments section below or email them to [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 angry at Joe Lacob over how much the Warriors spend on payroll and luxury taxes, but we also know some owners are very competitive. After the Warriors won another title with a monstrous payroll and taxes, do you think more owners might be willing to delve into the luxury tax if they think a title is within their grasp? — Nate D, Rochester, New York
I’m not sure how many teams are more motivated by proximity to a championship than by what they believe to be sound financial practices, but there’s certainly evidence of the former with respect to the Celtics. After keeping a close eye on the bottom line to avoid the onerous repeater tax, the Celts fell two wins short of the 2022 title and opened their wallet (and their tax bill, which will total about $50 million when the roster is finalized) this offseason in an effort to reach his 18th banner.
Without true prohibitive favorites at the top of each conference, teams are tempted to spend whatever it takes to stay competitive and outperform the field. But those decisions will come down to the discretion of each club’s basketball operations staff, and then the owner looks at the bottom line and chooses whether to greenlight the investment. Some will be more willing than others.
I think the most interesting point here is one alluded to in your first sentence. In fact, some owners might be angry at the Warriors and other fiscal teams for spending so much and potentially tipping the balance of power on the floor. But I can tell you straight up that owners who are paying high fees now and have in the past are perhaps even more upset with teams that take payments from the tax pool and don’t reinvest it in their own payroll, and then complain. on those who spend above the ceiling.
One owner told me he wanted the NBA to require teams to put that money into their rosters to help grow the league. “They shouldn’t just pocket the money,” he said.
I was discussing a critical fellow with another of the tax-paying homeowners, who bluntly replied, “He didn’t complain when he was cashing our check.”
Will Al Horford be in Boston for the rest of his career? —Jack S., Boston
A couple of responses:
He should. He’s really going to depend on health and how long he wants to play Al.
Horford didn’t really want to leave Boston the first time, but Kyrie Irving was in the process of leaving (in an interview before the start of the 2019-20 season, Al told me he would have seen things differently if he had known Kemba was coming). Walker) and there was uncertainty with the Celtics.
Horford was widely expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and sign a longer stint with Boston. But when Philly stepped in with big money, a chance to play alongside Joel Embiid and a seemingly great chance to compete for a title, he went ahead. Horford didn’t like taking a beating on the inside, and the idea that Embiid would draw bigger opponents was appealing.
Obviously, things didn’t work out there, and after what was essentially a sabbatical in Oklahoma City, Horford returned to Boston and was a critical part of the Celts’ run to the Finals.
At 36, long-term career projections are nonsense. But as he enters the final year of his current contract, you have to believe that as long as salary wishes are reasonable, the Celtics would love to have him.
Bulls need more to compete and Miami is running out of options
Is there any chance the Bulls will make a move before the season starts? —Ryan S., North Carolina
The Bulls never really got a chance to see what their best rotation could do to put together a consistent stretch in the playoffs, but seeing where they stand now against the clubs expected to be at the top of the Eastern Conference, it’s hard to see them being a Finals contender if they don’t make a move. You would have to think that they recognize this and will try to do something.
Do the Heat have enough to make it to the Finals as they are? If they can’t get Donovan Mitchell or Durant, what are their options? —Gina C, California
From what I keep hearing, Miami is trying to make a significant move, but may be forced to get creative in involving one or more additional teams to execute the transactions it wants.
The Heat’s game line is that they’re happy with the team they’ve got, and it’s hard to argue too much with that. Miami, after all, had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season, reaching Game 7 of the conference finals before losing to Boston. And while the loss of PJ Tucker (to Philadelphia as a free agent) hurts, having Victor Oladipo ready from the start (he didn’t play until last March) could be a huge boost.
If the Heat can’t get 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 size might be enough to keep them in contention.
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