Bye-Bye Bass? Bass opts out

Looks like we might have seen the last of Brandon Bass in a Celtics uni.  Earlier today he opted out of his player contract with the Celtics that would have given him around $4.25 million, in a move that was predicted by many considering his performance this year.  He now is a free agency and able to sign with anyone in the league.  He is reportedly still interested in staying a Celtic, but with a very poor free agency class this year, Bass could be one of the most prized big men to be on the market.  This could mean close to 8 figures and multiple years for his next contract.

Bass is definitely a player the Celtics would like to keep, as his sharpshooting and professional demeanor are 2 things that Danny seems to covet.  He also had career bests in 2012 with 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds over 31.7 minutes per game.  But Danny knows that the Celtics have only around $25 million to hand out to free agents, and a third of that can’t go to someone of Bass’s skill level.  More likely a team with cash to spend and a lack of shooting will end up splurging on Bass.

If the Celtics were smart, in my opinion they would give Bass a $6 million 3 year deal and pray that he gives a home team discount to the Celtics.  Unfortunately some team is almost certainly going to offer a $9 million multi-year deal that Bass will have to accept, and the Celtics will have to lick their chops and be happy at the better than expected year they got out of Bass.

Bass also might fall victim to a timing issue if he wants to stay a Celtic.  That is because Danny’s biggest concern and first priority is to sign KG.  This probably puts all other decisions on the back-burner for Danny, including the Bass situation.

But if no one signs Bass immediately, and the Celtics are able to bring back KG, it could help the Celtics lure back Bass on the cheap, as he was reportedly a fan of his teammate.  But I won’t hold out hope for this scenario, as it assumes a lot of if’s to happen.

Whatever happens, Bass gave us a great year, and I am thankful to him for it.