Considering options for the Celtics fitting into the Grant Williams TPE originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens told reporters in Las Vegas earlier this week that the team could try to add depth at forward positions before wrapping up roster construction. ‘summer.
Boston has a vacant spot on the parent list, along with two players on unsecured deals in Justin Champagnie and Luke Kornet. The team also has two spots back and forth after signing 2022 rookie JD Davison to a second back-and-forth deal last week.
The Celtics have limited means to add talent, with virtually no way to sign free agents beyond minimum wages. If the team aspires to preserve maximum in-season flexibility, it would avoid using the mid-tier taxpayers of $5 million (which would cap the team at the second deck of $182.5 million).
The best way for Boston to potentially add talent would be to use a $6.2 million traded player exception generated by the delivery of Grant Williams to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a sign-and-trade deal. three-team trade.
So who could the Celtics target at this salary level? Hot air balloon contracts don’t make it easy to find talent on the cheap, but here are some of the names that jumped out:
Bey, 24, is entering the final year of his rookie pact, which could at least inspire the Hawks to consider trade opportunities and keep the price tag relatively low. Alas, the Hawks are also slimmer at power forward after finally moving John Collins.
Bey would offer Boston a takeover in 2020 after the Celtics picked Aaron Nesmith with Bey still on the board (he went 19th in Detroit). Bey shot 40% from beyond the 3-point arc in 25 games for the Hawks last season and is 36% for his career. Boston could use some of his Villanova grit given his offseason starts.
The Cavaliers added Georges Niang and Max Strus this offseason when drafting Emoni Bates. That could put a crunch on perimeter shooters like Wade, 26, who had a year of ups and downs last season. Wade is a career 36.2 percent shooter from beyond the 3-point arc, but he brings the kind of size Boston might covet (6-foot-9, 228 pounds). He has started 60 games over the past three seasons and is a solid team defender.
The bit of extra padding built into the TPEs might leave the Celtics with just enough room to think about someone like Porter. His health is probably not worth the risk. Porter played 63 games for Golden State in 2022 and helped their title run (including against Boston in the NBA Finals that year).
The Raptors rolled the dice by signing him to a two-year deal last summer and he played just eight games last season. This might lower the price for someone who would be a deep piece. but if Porter Jr.’s salary forced the Celtics above the second board, it might not even be worth accepting the contract.
Would the Magic and its glut of young talent be willing to sell the 25-year-old future striker low? The former 16th overall pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract and played just 27 games last year due to injury. The scouting report suggests a 3 and D wing, but Okeke hasn’t shot the ball well at the NBA level (32.3% on 4.2 attempts per game for his career).
Will the Raptors start selling parts or will they try to ride on what they have? If the sellout begins, Boston could inquire about Achiuwa, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. The future 24-year-old might cost a bit more, but would bring depth on offense where the Celtics are struggling.
Ultimately, every deal involving a wing must be balanced with a priority of (1) Playing Sam Hauser more than the Celtics did a year ago to further help his development, while assessing his ability to be a consistent rotational presence and (2) Preserve draft capital for the kind of surefire movement that could help a championship-caliber team.
If you don’t think any of these players are moving the needle for a championship hopeful, then it’s probably best to roll with what you’ve got. Ultimately, the TPE just opens up another avenue for the Celtics to consider adding talent without handcuffing themselves in case a bigger mid-season splash comes along.