East Notes: Celtics, Offseason, Bucks, Gary Trent Jr, Wizards

Celtics

The Celtics didn’t add any veterans this offseason, but when you win the championship, hey, no big deal. That seemed to be the take from veteran NBA insider David Aldridge of The Athletic.

“The last defending NBA champion to not lose a key part of its rotation the following season was the 2017-18 Warriors (all due respect to JaVale McGee, who bounced after the Dubs’ third title, and to David West, who retired),” Aldridge wrote in his offseason breakdown of all 30 teams. “Thus Boston gets very high marks. Not that it took a lot of doing to persuade Jayson Tatum to accept the biggest contract in league history (or to get Derrick White‘s agreement on a fat extension).

“But those deals, and Sam Hauser‘s, come on top of the nearly $300 million the team agreed last summer to give Brown, which was the previous biggest deal in NBA history, and the $60 million they’re paying Kristaps Porzingis through 2025.”

And yes, the Celtics front office certainly deserves credit for all this.

“Kudos to Celtics’ ownership for being willing to keep the financial spigots turned high,” Aldridge wrote. “Maybe it’s a good time to sell, given the second-apron penalties the team will likely face in the next few years. But Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca delivered on Banner 18, and they’ve given their team a chance to get No. 19 in the next couple of years.”

• And yes, Grousbeck does intend to sell his majority stake in the team. In case you missed it, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been mentioned as a potential buyer.

Bucks

All things considered, the Bucks did well for themselves this offseason, Aldridge opined.

“At the second apron, the Bucks couldn’t improve their roster other than with the draft and vet minimums. Considering that, they did OK,” Aldridge wrote. “AJ Johnson was, to put it kindly, a reach at No. 23; while he has upside, for a team that needs to win now, there were more polished prospects to take. Tyler Smith, the G League Ignite forward, has just as good a chance to be a contributor next season.

“But adding Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright to the rotation for next to nothing was good work by GM Jon Horst and the front office. Most importantly, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averaged 25.8 points per game on 67.8 percent shooting for Greece in the Olympics, looked as if he’s all the way back from the left calf strain that kept him out of the playoffs.”

• Trent is the main player to watch, or the X-factor, for the Bucks this season, according to Bleacher Report. The outlet called Trent an “absolute heist of a free-agent signing” who should serve as the fifth starter.

Wizards

A quick look at the Wizards’ offseason reveals that, yes, they do seem to have a plan. And they added some true vets in center Jonas Valanciunas and guard Malcolm Brogdon.

“Slowly, Washington is overhauling its roster to get younger, longer and more versatile,” Aldridge wrote. “But make no mistake: The Wizards plan to be bad next season, to have their best shot at getting a pick at or near the top of the loaded 2025 draft. Valanciunas, a target of LeBron James and the Lakers, isn’t part of the long-term timeline, but his presence will allow the Wizards to bring along Alex Sarr more slowly, saving him from nightly beatings in the paint his first year or two in the league.

“The Wizards jumped back into the first round to get Bub Carrington, who they think has big upside. It cost them Deni Avdija, who made a huge jump last season. But Washington’s in the asset accumulation business now, and four picks for Avdija were too much to pass up.”

• Washington has not won 50 games in any season since 1979. But coach Brian Keefe has high hopes for Sarr. (Full story.)