Bass would have made $4.25 million next season with the Celtics under his current deal, but considering he is coming off a season in which he posted career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, it's fair to say he is due for a raise.
However, according to the report from Comcast Sportsnet, it's likely Bass will return to Boston and sign a multi-year contract with the team."I would love to be back here," he told reporters after Boston's season-ending loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. "The fans here are unbelievable. For any player, this organization is the organization that you want to play for."
Regardless of whether or not the Celtics bring back Kevin Garnett next season, Boston still needs some quality front court players for the post "Big Four" era and Bass is exactly the kind of player they need as they move forward and build for the future.
Bass took less money to stay with the Orlando Magic once upon a time, so it's not totally out of the realm of possibility he will give the Celtics a fair discount as well if they commit to him for the long-term.
-- The Orlando Magic and point guard Jameer Nelson have agreed to an extension on his contract opt-out date until June 29 amidst all of the coaching and front office uncertainty within the franchise.
Nelson was originally supposed to have made a decision by today, however, he asked the team for an extension until he finds out who will be the next head coach and general manager of the team.
"The extension gives Jameer the opportunity to evaluate the decisions that Orlando's about to make, which helps in clarifying what Jameer's role would be and whether or not the new management team has a role for him," Nelson's agent Steve Mountain told the Orlando Sentinel.
If Nelson chooses to return to Orlando next season and exercises his player option, he will earn about $7.9 million, but he could also find himself being dangled in trades because he will have a contract that expires after the 2012-13 season.
However, if he chooses to opt-out, he will hit the free agent market on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent and will be free to sign with any team without Orlando having the right to match an offer.
Nelson has spent his entire NBA career with the Magic and says he would like to return to Orlando if the situation feels right.
-- Gerald Wallace has decided to take a gamble on his value on the free agent market, as he will opt-out of the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets that was due to pay him $9.5 million.
Wallace, who was acquired by the Nets in a midseason trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, will likely draw interest from several contending teams, although he almost certainly won't be offered a contract paying him what he would have made by picking up his player option with Brooklyn.
The Nets gave up a mini-truckload for Wallace, sending Mehmet Okur to the Blazers as well as a first round draft pick, which ended up being the sixth overall selection in this month's NBA Draft.
With that being said, expect Brooklyn to make a major run at re-signing Wallace to a multi-year contract, even it means paying him more than his original deal would've given him for the first season or two of the new contract.
Although Wallace is an 11-year veteran in the league, he is only 30 years-old and still has quite a few solid years left in the tank, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
-- Portland Trail Blazer's guard Jamal Crawford will test free agency this summer and opt-out of the final season of the two-year deal he signed just last summer with the franchise.
Crawford would have earned $5.225 next season with the Blazers if he had decided to pick up his player option on the deal, however, he apparently didn't enjoy his time with Portland according to multiple reports throughout the season.
Part of the reason for Crawford's unhappiness can be traced to the number of minutes he played with the Blazers this year, averaging only 26.9 minutes per game in the 60 he played in, which was his lowest minutes per game average since 2003.Sam Amico of FoxSports reports that Crawford is interested in signing with one of the following teams in free agency: the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers.
He was drafted 8th overall in the 2000 draft by the Cavaliers, although he never played for them as he was traded almost immediately after being drafted to the Chicago Bulls for Chris Mihm.
Crawford has played for the Knicks in the past, and although they weren't very good during his first tenure there, they are much better these days and would greatly benefit from the addition of a player of Crawford's level.
If the 32 year-old guard is interested in chasing a championship, Miami and New York would probably be his best options, although the heat would likely have to trade or amnesty Mike Miller to make something happen.
Where do you think these players will end up in free agency? Who will re-sign with the current teams and who will find themselves wearing new uniforms next season? Share your opinions below in the comments section.
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