Written by Ryan Weinkauf at The Lottery Mafia
The deadline for rookie contract extensions has come and gone, and a few key players on lottery teams still don’t have contracts, meaning they will be out on the market next year and having an impact on free agency 2016.
Restricted free agency has always been a complicated, and risky, process. Teams have the option of extending first round picks’ contracts the year before they would become restricted free agents. Extending them early prevents them from hitting the market and potentially receiving an offer from another team that their current team just can’t match. But extending players also means making a long term decision on their worth to the franchise only three years into their career, and a decline in their value can really hurt the team long term (looking at you, Larry Sanders).
And now, with the salary cap rising astronomically, extending rookie contracts is becoming even more difficult, as gauging a player’s value in today’s shifting market is not easy. With the rookie contract extension deadline coming and going, multiple talented players on lottery teams have not been locked down to extensions, and these players could have a significant impact on how free agency plays out next year.
Jared Sullinger/Tyler Zeller
The Celtics have a pair of young big men that didn’t receive contract extensions in Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger. Both players bring unique talents that have helped Boston in the past, but neither is without any concerns about their value long-term.
Zeller, whose strong preseason earned him the starting center position, has been a positive offensive weapon in his career, showing impressive range and touch for a 7-footer. But to start the season Zeller has struggled offensively, and has been a train wreck on defense, leading to a steep reduction in minutes.
Sullinger has been productive when healthy, but his health continues to be a concern. He has only played in more than 60 games in one of his first three seasons, and injury concerns were the reason he fell in the draft in the first place. Sullinger has been a very strong rebounder in his career, but his eagerness to shoot the three is frustrating, as he really isn’t good at it, shooting 28 percent last year while taking over three a game.
Both Zeller and Sullinger have a lot to work on still in their development, and the Celtics have opted to maintain flexibility going into free agency and having another year to look at their progress. Boston will have enough space to go for at least one max-level free agent, and their ability to bring in one of those players will have a big effect on where Zeller and Sullinger are playing next year.
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