Rumor: Love, Monroe top Celtics summer wish list

Via Basketball Insiders:

The Celtics have a ton of cash and are geared up to use it. Target number one is Kevin Love. Target number two is Greg Monroe.

Sources close to the process say the Celtics plan to swing for the proverbial fences this summer including runs at Gasol, Leonard and Butler too.

With a roster jammed with young guys, there is also a sense that Boston would be open to a sign-and-trade if they can get someone to take an offer as a means to avoid to the matching game and potentially open up more space.

The Celtics also have the pieces to move off money if they can get two guys to commit verbally.

The Celtics’ cap situation is pretty straight forward, as they have a couple of major cap holds that they are likely to renounce: Brandon Bass ($10.35m), Jonas Jerebko ($8.5m) and Luigi Datome ($2.275m).

The sense is that the Celtics may do a new deal with Brandon Bass at a significantly lower value than his cap hold, while Jerebko and Datome are renounced.

The headline could also read, Celtics will try to sign everyone. 

This isn’t much of a surprise, we’ve been reminding you all for months that Danny Ainge will have substantial money to throw around this summer. I’d go at Butler and Leonard first, because the 3 is the biggest hole on this roster. With Derrick Rose undergoing another knee surgery, I expect Chicago to break the bank on Butler.

(h/t Celtics blog)