The Boston Celtics have been one of the teams most expected to make a trade before the upcoming NBA trade deadline. Point guard Rajon Rondo‘s name is continually mentioned, and as I wrote recently, it’s becoming well-known that the Celtics would be in favor of making a move to cut some salaries.
One name that seems to be drawing continued interest is forward Brandon Bass.
According to the Sporting News, Bass is becoming a hot commodity. The organization cites the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Charlotte Bobcats all as potential suitors for his services.
The interest in the forward makes a lot of sense. Financially, as pointed out in the Sporting News article, Bass makes a very reasonable $6.5 million this season and $6.9 million next year. That won’t break the bank for most teams and is mostly on par for a player giving his amount of production.
Bass also has been a solid player on the court. He’s making the most of the 27 minutes per game that he gets and while his numbers aren’t gaudy, his 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds prove that he can carry his weight. Those numbers are close to career-highs and while he has likely peaked, at only 28, it’s not a reach to think similar production can be expected for a few more years.
In addition, Bass has the much-needed playoff experience teams like the Warriors, Suns, and Bobcats all crave. Those teams are fighting desperately to get into the postseason and could use a player who has been there before. Bass has not only played in 54 career playoff games with the Celtics, Magic, and Mavericks, but he’s been a key contributor for those teams, starting in 31 of them while averaging nearly 25 minutes a game. He also doesn’t disappear in those games as his career postseason averages (8.8 points/4.7 rebounds per game) are right on par with his regular season averages (8.7 points/4.7 rebounds per contest).
Bass won’t be the big splash that many fans are hoping for, but at this stage in his career, he’s a player that is sound defensively and will be able to give quality minutes down the stretch.
