Kelly Olynyk’s role with the Boston Celtics instantly became unclear after the addition of Al Horford. And now his future in Beantown is, too.
From The Boston Globe‘s Gary Washburn:
Forward/center Kelly Olynyk is eligible to sign a long-term deal before the Oct. 30 deadline but the Celtics are likely to wait until next summer to determine whether to invest in him long term. This is a critical season for Olynyk, who is coming off shoulder surgery. He will be depended on to be the floor-stretching sharpshooter the Celtics have desired the past three years. Olynyk has missed 43 games over his first three seasons, primarily because of injuries. The Celtics want more toughness and consistency from their former first-round pick.
The absence of an extension before that October 30th deadline doesn’t necessarily infer anything unsavory. Olynyk still has a place in the Celtics’ rotation. He can play alongside Horford as a 4, or he can spearhead the attack in the middle as a 5.
Statistically, Olynyk was one of Boston’s best two-way players last season. Only he and Jae Crowder posted an above-average box plus-minus on both sides of the floor, according to Basketball-Reference. His issue is staying healthy. Shoulder problems limited him during the Celtics’ brief playoff push, and he has yet to average even 23 minutes per game for an entire season.
If the price was right, maybe Boston would consider signing him early. Then again, maybe not.
Team president Danny Ainge is all about cap flexibility these days. Giving Olynyk a raise that kicks in next season would compromise some of the Celtics’ wiggle room, even with the salary cap expected to spike one last time.
Next summer, after the Celtics finish out all their other free-agent pursuits, they can go over the cap to re-sign Olynyk, so long as they don’t ditch his hold to create additional room. Unless he suffers a major injury or regresses a great deal in 2016-17, there is still a good chance he’ll be back with Boston for 2017-18 and beyond.
