Along with the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets in the Western Conference, the Boston Celtics are considered one of the teams most likely to challenge the hegemony of the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics finished the 16-17 regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference but were eliminated in five games by the Cavaliers. The Celtics have a solid team now along with young assets and future picks.

"I like having targets in Cleveland and Golden State," Danny Ainge said. "I like trying to meet their standards. It might not happen in a year. It might not happen in five years. WIth them, it might never happen. That's how special they are."

The presence of the Warriors has changed the calibration for Boston in terms of being in win-now mode.

"We are definitely not in punt mode," Ainge said. "But trading away picks and promising young players for a veteran who might be 5 percent better is not in our plans, either."