Should Celtics keep Jared Sullinger or Kelly Olynyk?

Published May. 27, 2015 10:45 a.m. ET

Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk are each coming off mildly disappointing seasons. Neither took a major step forward to show any significant improvement, and the Boston Celtics are now in a position where re-signing both (or one) to a long-term deal after their rookie-scale contract is up is far from a sure thing.

If they're faced with choosing only one, which player should it be? Jeff Clark, from SB Nation's CelticsBlog, takes a stab at answering this question right here:

"Olynyk seems to fit the description of a guy that can get past his defender and make a play in the lane. I can see why Danny Ainge and Brad StevensĀ both had (and have) high hopes for this kid. Enough that they moved up in the draft to get him. Ā He fits the mold of modern NBA big man except that he doesn't play great defense, and that might ultimately doom him."

Neither is a very good defender, though Sullinger's intelligence and stout work in the post gives him a slight advantage. But both play the same position and it's almost certain Boston will only have the minutes and cap space to keep one around.Ā 

It's a hard choice at this point, and thankfully the Celtics won't be forced into a decision for at least one more year.

(h/t: CelticsBlog)

Photo Credit:Ā AP Photo/Steven Senne

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