Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn't believe his franchise necessarily has any glaring holes to plug as free agency approaches.
More often than not, when a major free agent is being discussed, the Celtics are brought into the conversation thanks in part to their young core and bevy of available future draft picks. However, Ainge may not believe giving up those assets is the path to improving an already strong core.
"We don't really have a need," Ainge said, according to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. "We have really good players. We need to surround them with role players with the rest of our roster that have a chance to win."
The Celtics unexpectedly reached the Eastern Conference Finals despite missing Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward throughout their postseason run. Adding the two All-Stars into the mix while bringing back Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford should push the Celtics into NBA Championship contention next season.
Regardless, Ainge and the Celtics have been linked as a potential landing spot for disgruntled San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard. Despite checking the market for a superstar caliber player like Leonard, it doesn't mean Ainge is willing to pull the trigger to break up the team's core for what could be a one year rental.
"We explore every trade of players of certain magnitude, superstar, first ballot Hall of Fame type of players," Ainge said. "We're gonna take a look, kick the tires, and see if there's something there. I think those things are unlikely."
