Why Wyc Grousbeck believes C’s are a top free agent destination originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Will the Boston Celtics add another big name to star alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown next season?
If Brad Stevens and the C’s front office choose to go that route, they may have an easier time than in years past. Boston put itself on the map as an even more desirable free agent destination with its NBA Finals berth. While it didn’t result in a championship, the Celtics clearly are an ideal landing spot for players looking to join a serious contender.
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If you ask Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, that’s just one of many reasons free agents should consider Boston a top destination this offseason. He explained Tuesday during his appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Felger & Mazz.
“Ime (Udoka) is a good example. He was a free-agent coach in a sense, right? And he had, I think, eight jobs to choose from probably,” Grousbeck said. “So that’s a bit of a free-agent signing in a way, and it’s a coach wanting to go somewhere and win. Who doesn’t want to go somewhere for the tax rate or the climate or whatever. He wants to win as a coach. I take that as a great sign.
“We do believe we’re a great destination in people’s minds. The way Ime coaches, the way the team plays, the way the fans support and the achievement of the team to date and still a work in progress. You can’t be accused of going to a team that already won because unfortunately, we didn’t. So I think we’re a destination for people and we’ll find out during this offseason and next year’s trade deadline. We’ll find out over the next five years, because it might take five years to build it from here. But hopefully it takes five months.”
The Celtics don’t necessarily need to add a household name to the mix this offseason. The starting five is in a good place with Tatum, Brown, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Al Horford. Stevens did, however, acknowledge the team’s needs for a playmaker and a consistent a bench scorer. If Grousbeck is correct in his assessment, Boston should have no problem filling those voids.
You can watch the full interview with Grousbeck below: