If Brandon Bass has his way, he’ll be a Celtic again next year.
But this is a business and Bass wants to get paid, he wants security.
So as most people expected, Bass has opted out of the final year of his deal with Boston, worth $4.25 million, to look for a bigger payday with more years attached, his agent told A. Sherrod Blakely at CSNNE.com.“Oh absolutely,” his agent Tony Dutt said when asked if Boston was his client’s first choice. “Without question, he would love to go back.”
“I’m no different than anyone else,” Bass told CSNNE.com recently. “I’m going to do what’s best for me and my family. Hopefully that’ll keep me here in Boston. We’ll see.”
Bass was a better fit inside with Boston than Glen Davis had been. Bass averaged 12.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and by the playoffs was one of the key role players for the Celtics team that came within a game of the NBA finals.
The question now is price and years. Because Boston has a lot of moving pieces this summer with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett also becoming free agents.
Big Baby signed a four-year, $26 million deal as part of his sign and trade last summer. Bass is going to expect more than that (four and $28 million?). If the Celtics aren’t willing to pay it someone else will, Bass has shown his value as a solid rotational big in the NBA.