Bruce Bowen Would Be a Boon to Celtics -- At the Right Price
According to rumors currently circulating around the blogosphere, the Celtics have shown interest in acquiring Bruce Bowen, an eight-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection and a three-time NBA champ.
Nice resume, right? Where do we sign?
Reeling in Bowen, who has a reputation as a superb defensive swingman, would certainly have its merits. Bowen gave the Celtics two seasons back in the early years of his career, shortly after sneaking into the NBA as an undrafted free agent, but he skipped town in 1999. In the decade since, he's won three rings as a San Antonio Spur. Bringing him back now would be a big boost to the Celtics' bench.
Ever since losing James Posey after their championship season in 2008, the Celtics have been lusting after a great swingman to come off the bench, play defense and hit open jumpers. Bowen could be that guy.
Bowen spent eight years in San Antonio, but that era came to an end last month -- the Spurs shipped him to Milwaukee as part of the three-team trade that brought in Richard Jefferson.
The problem is that Bowen is a terrible fit in Milwaukee. He turned 38 this summer, his knees are getting weaker and he's not the defensive force he once was. He's a bench role player. The Bucks, whose best hope for a winning future might be to rebuild around Brandon Jennings and Joe Alexander, have no use for a 38-year-old with an expiring contract. Bowen is a trading chip to the Bucks, nothing more.
The Bucks are going to explore their options for dealing Bowen away, but the clock is ticking. Under his current deal, management is obligated either to pay him $2 million and waive him by August 1 (that would be Saturday) or extend him for a full season at $4 million.
Neither one is a desirable option. So the Bucks have to make a move.
But paying Bowen $4 million isn't a good option for the Celtics either. Everyone is risk-averse in this modern NBA climate, and throwing that much cash at an old man just doesn't make sense. That's especially true in Boston, where the Celtics are way over the cap -- one $4 million deal now means another $4 million to the luxury tax later.
No thank you.
Bowen would be a great player in Boston. He'd be a perfect fit, even at his age, because he's a physical one-on-one defender who could stop opposing small forwards -- and in the Eastern Conference, there are plenty of good ones. Think LeBron James and Vince Carter. In a pinch, Bowen could even take on a slashing two-guard like Dwyane Wade or Joe Johnson.
There's no doubt that Bowen has value to the Celtics. But the front office needs to be able to put a dollar sign in front of that value, and $8 million (with the luxury tax included) is a bit much.
So what do the C's do? In all likelihood, they take their chances. If no one else in the NBA bites at trading for Bowen and his $4 million deal, then he'll be cut loose this weekend, and the Celtics can renegotiate with him then. A low-level exception contract (worth a little under $2 million) would look a lot better to the Celtics than Bowen's current deal.
The risk is that Bowen hits free agency and decides to go elsewhere. The obvious choice would be the Spurs -- he was happy there, he won three titles there and he might return there for less money. But if Celtics GM Danny Ainge can lure Bowen away with the chance to play with a different group of championship-winning veterans, then that could make fiscal sense. He should give it a shot.
Of course, they could easily lose their chance at Bowen if the free agency route doesn't work out. That's a gamble. But the bigger gamble would be dropping $8 million on a bench player.
Bruce Bowen would be a good player in Boston. At the right price, the Celtics would love to have him. But if it doesn't work out, they'll move on. Bowen knows how to defend small forwards; Ainge knows how to defend small budgets.
