"We're not just going to go get anybody," Ainge, the Celtics' executive director of basketball operations, said of the free agent market. "But there are some players that we would like to make a run at anyway.

"I think the free agent pool is fairly deep, but based on our needs it may not be so deep for us. We're certainly not going to go out and spend a mid-level exception on a point guard (or) on a wing player probably -- although that's not impossible. Probably more like a big player, although there are some wing players out there we'd be thrilled to get."

As for trades, the Celtics have been rumored to be involved in some big possibilities. But Ainge doesn't think he'll be upsetting his starting five.

"We have to listen to what any team has to offer," he said. "It's also my job not to stand pat. I encourage my players to get better in their game and my coaches to get better in what they're doing.

"We're trying to do the same thing. We're trying to improve our team. We're not trying to change our team, but we're trying to improve it. We have a legit shot at winning it this season and we won't jeopardize that chance to try and win a championship this year."

In other words, he's willing to move a major player, but he'd rather not.

"Our starting five has been the best team in basketball, when healthy," said Ainge. "There's an assumption we can move one of those guys and still be as good as we are now. This opportunity is unique. A lot of teams go 30 years drafting in the lottery, making trades, continually shuffling the deck and adding young player upon young player and never get anywhere. There's no guarantees in this business but we have a pretty much guaranteed opportunity if we play well and stay healthy, to win, with this team that we have.

"We'll take care of the future as it comes. If there was some deal that came along that we thought would make us better now and protect us in the future, we would have to consider that."