Forget re-signing Kyrie Irving. Forget trying to pry Anthony Davis away from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics need to focus on the team that brought LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink of elimination in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. The young core of Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as well as dedicated veterans like Marcus Morris and Al Horford. Emotional leaders like Marcus Smart.

Even a player like Gordon Hayward, who has yet to live up to the $127.8 million investment the Celtics made in him due to an unfortunate and severe leg injury sustained in the 2017-18 season opener. Hayward, who missed the entirety of the 2017-18 season, may never return to prime form but his skill, feel and basketball IQ will make him a valuable piece of the roster for as long as he’s on the roster.

Breaking the bank for Irving or gutting the roster for Davis, two players who have exhibited a particular willingness to leave Boston as free agents, would be an exercise in poor judgement for the Celtics. Suddenly, Boston has the look of a franchise thirsting for a championship rather than being willing to demonstrate the patience needed to build a homegrown dynasty.

Yet, though the Golden State Warriors may have signed a superstar in Kevin Durant, he came to a team that had already reached the NBA Finals in back-to-back years and led by a core of players all drafted by Golden State. The San Antonio Spurs received a facelift in the aftermath of Tony Parker’s departure and Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli’s retirement but when they were perennial championship-contenders, they were led by a core of players all drafted by them.

Aside from the Miami Heat, who had the fortune of their most heralded draft pick in franchise history (Dwyane Wade) being best friends with LeBron James, who has been one of the two best players in the world for a decade, teams that have been perennial championship-contenders have relied on players they drafted on their way to the Finals far more than players they signed in free agency or acquired via trade. Truthfully, even the Cleveland Cavaliers teams that reached four consecutive NBA Finals relied primarily on two players they selected with the first overall pick.

James and Irving.

That said, with two wings that were selected with the third overall pick in back-to-back drafts (Brown in 2016 and Tatum in 2017) along with a guard selected just outside the lottery in 2015 (Rozier), the Celtics already have a core of young players to invest in. Factor in the player that could be selected with the 14th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, players oozing with potential like Bol Bol (Oregon), Romeo Langford (Indiana) and KZ Okpala (Stanford), and the future is bright for Boston with or without Irving or Davis.

Frankly, the future might be brighter given that Irving and Davis aren’t just players that are threats to leave the team as free agents but are earning the label of injury-prone players. Twice in his career, Irving has missed the most significant playoff series of his team’s season while Davis has only played 70 or more games twice in his career.

In Irving’s case, the Celtics will also find themselves dealing with a high-maintenance personality and egos.

Meanwhile, Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul (Davis’ agent) did himself no favors trying to orchestrate Davis’ trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. His questionable tactics have led to both questions of his integrity and how much influence he has on Davis’ decision-making. These very relevant questions (if you’re seeking to do business with Paul and Davis) lead to even more questions, given Paul’s connection to James (who now plays for the Lakers) and James and the Lakers’ desire to trade for Davis.

Without Irving on the court, it’s undeniable that the team has fewer playmakers and scoring threats than they would have with him. Blessed with unbelievable ball-handling ability and the ability to score from all three levels efficiently, Irving is deadly with the ball in his hands and has developed a better understanding of how to utilize his skillset to create easier scoring opportunities for others.

Yet, the team plays with more connectedness, discipline and at times effectiveness (especially on the defensive end) without Irving. The debate about whether the Celtics were a better team when Irving sat was a head-scratcher for many but the distinguishment between a talented roster and a team is important, as Boston learned last season.

They’re more talented with Irving, for sure. However, the Celtics seemed to be a better team without him, stretching back to the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

Keep in mind that, last season, Boston had an assist percentage of 60.9 when Irving was on the court compared to 64.6 percent when he sat. The Celtics’ defensive rating went from 108.9 when Irving was on the court to 107.0 when he was on the bench. All while Irving was having his best season as a facilitator and defender.

Leadership was a question for Irving last season but that’s not the reason why Ainge would be best served by letting him walk.

In the 2021 offseason, just two summers away, the Celtics will have at least enough cap space for two max free agents if Irving leaves that summer or before then.

However, in that offseason, marquee free agents like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bradley Beal, C.J. McCollum and even Davis could be on the market and looking for a new franchise to call home. By that point, the investment the Celtics make in developing Rozier, Brown and Tatum should pay dividends.

There’s no need for the Celtics to rush their greatness. The consequence could be stunting the development of their youth, relying on players not fully committed to the franchise and a threat to leave at the risk of sacrificing their young core, as well as their future.

Furthermore, without evidence that Boston has a clear direction other than trying to swing for homerun, how likely are they to attract free agents?

*All stats gathered from Basketball Reference