Sports
Celtics Minimum Contracts to Pursue as Late NBA Free Agency Steals – Bleacher Report
The Boston Celtics have already made moves big and small during the 2023 NBA offseason.
This front office could still have another signing up its sleeve.
With a blockbuster swap already done—Marcus Smart out, Kristaps Porziņģis in—the Shamrocks are now working around the margins to build sufficient depth.
The following three agents could be the perfect players to round out this roster.
If the Celtics want to up their athleticism, Hamidou Diallo could give them a big jolt.
The 24-year-old plays with tremendous speed and explosion. If signed, he’d be a sneaky-good bet to deliver Boston’s dunk of the year.
His offensive range is limited (career 27.4 percent from three, 62.3 percent at the line), but he showed better touch this past season before an ankle injury in March sidelined him for good. From Dec. 31 through his final outing on March 6, he shot 48.5 percent from mid-range and 47.6 percent on jumpers overall, per NBA.com.
If he can continue to develop his non-restricted-area scoring, he could carve out enough of an offensive niche to live with his limitations in order to gain his transition attacks, downhill drives and multi-positional defense.
Javonte Green spent his first season-plus in Boston and formed a close bond with Jayson Tatum in the process.
The Celtics should think about re-igniting that relationship, as Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney reported Green “would welcome” a return.
The 6’4″, 205-pounder can play bigger than his size thanks to his strength, athleticism and basketball IQ. He is capable of guarding any position but center, and he is a powerful force going to the basket.
He’s more “D” than “three,” but his perimeter shooting showed signs of improvement over a two-plus season stint with the Chicago Bulls. Over the past two seasons—the latest of which was thrown off track by knee surgery—he converted 36 percent of his long-range looks.
Austin Rivers has a history the Celtics franchise.
His father, Doc Rivers, coached them for nine seasons (including their 2007-08 championship run). Austin, himself, was even briefly a member of Boston, though his stay only spanned three days (zero appearances) in between trades from the New Orleans Pelicans and shortly thereafter to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rivers could potentially have a future with the franchise, too, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe reported the Celtics have “shown interest” in Rivers. While Washburn noted Rivers was seeking “more than a mentor role,” he might have to settle for a situation in which he isn’t guaranteed minutes at this stage of free agency.
It’s also not impossible Rivers could carve out a small role in Boston. Malcolm Brogdon has had trouble ducking the injury bug, and Peyton Pritchard can be targeted in defense, so there could at least be stretches in which the Shamrocks need Rivers. He has become a plucky defender, and he’s always had a decent outside shot (career 34.9 percent).
