Draft Day Special: What Will The C's Do?

Still bleeding in the wake of last week's gut-wrenching Game 7 loss, Danny Ainge and his Boston Celtics organization will need to pull their act together in time for tonight's NBA Draft. The Celtics currently have the 19th selection in the first round. Will they use that to take a player?

Reports in recent days have said that Danny Ainge hopes to move the pick in the interest of acquiring more veteran help that can improve the team this year. The general consensus is that whoever they draft at the #19 slot, it will take them a few years to be ready to make effective contributions on a championship-caliber team. So is trading the pick and acquiring a veteran the right move?

In my opinion, I'm not so sure it is. To improve this team substantially, I think the Celtics need to make every effort to splash the free agent market come July 1. What would my plan of action be? Attack Joe Johnson. Hard.

You might realize initially -- we can't afford Johnson. He'd send us over the salary cap. And you'd be right. And this is where Danny Ainge needs to sit down and have a talk with his captain, Paul Pierce. Pierce is the X-factor in the Celtics landing a second-tier free agent this offseason. Thanks to the NBA's strange salary cap rules, Boston could work their way around cap issues and land a guy like Johnson. Here's a brief run-down of the NBA salary conditions.

There is a hard cap in the NBA, and there is also a luxury on salaries going over that cap. You can't, however, go over the cap at will. The only way a team can sign a player that brings them over the salary cap is if that player is returning to the same team. If the money is being spent on a returning player -- the cap is unlimited on that negotiation.

So here's where Pierce and Allen come in the biggest. Allen re-signs at a lower price, whatever they see fit. He becomes Boston's sixth man, the true definition of instant bench offense. Probably the best sixth man in the NBA. Then, Paul Pierce opts out of the final year in his contract. Wait, what? Hear me out. Ainge needs to have this talk with Paul Pierce. Get him to opt out, give his word he won't leave. Pierce opts out -- $19 million off the cap. They now can afford that second tier free agent -- Joe Johnson. Johnson signs and becomes our starting #2. Once Johnson signs on, Pierce signs back on; you can go over the cap to sign a returning player. Boston pulls the strings, adds a premier young shooting guard, and is back in contention for the title. Could this ever work? Paul Pierce's main motive is winning another championship. They all have close relationships with the higher-ups in the organization. I believe this could definitely work. Will it? Who knows.

I've made it clear that I believe the above plan of action is the way they should go about improving the team. That plan is unrelated to the upcoming draft tonight, though. So, what do I think they should do? If they can follow through on a free agent negotiation as described above, I say draft the rookie. We've seen mid-to-late first rounders turn into stars (Rajon Rondo was a #21 pick) for the Celtics. This #19 might be no different. Rather than trading it for a washed-up veteran, make every effort to pull the strings on a free agent signing. That's how Boston will compete for another title.