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The Celtics have gone to great lengths to add volume to their roster already after the trade deadline, but ultimately failed in their quest to land free agent center Andre Drummond before choosing to sign with the Lakers from Los Angeles. A few other notable names (LaMarcus Aldridge, Gorgui Dieng, Austin Rivers) are said to have found homes with new teams over the weekend, reducing the crop of talent available in the buyout market. However, there are names in the league that are rumored to potentially enter the open market in the coming days. Which players might become available? And what are the odds that the Celtics will land someone who could make an impact? Let’s break down some of the possibilities, starting with players who are still under contract.
Will they be redeemed?
Kelly Olynyk: The former Celtics big man was sent to Houston on the deadline to allow the Heat to acquire Victor Oladipo. He scored 16 points for Houston over the weekend while dressing up and starting, so the opportunity will be there for Olynyk to set up empty stats in big minutes there for the rest of the season. year on an awful team. However, Olynyk could push for an exit elsewhere if he senses a significant opportunity elsewhere. Giving up his bird rights with Houston won’t be great for his next contract, but it won’t mean anything if the Rockets aren’t interested in keeping him this summer anyway. He’s had a year of ups and downs in Miami (with a surprisingly low score of 32 percent out of 3) but would definitely be a good option as a depth for Boston or another contender. The question is whether he prefers that smaller role and a chance to make the playoffs on consistent minutes for a bad team.
Wayne Ellington: A surprising player who did not budge at the trade deadline for a bad Pistons team. He’s had a great rebound year at 33 (43% of 3), which landed him a spot in Detroit’s fifth start. Earlier indications have shown that Ellington values the game of opportunity (he chose more playing time in Detroit rather than serving as bench depth on a contender after being bought out in 2019), so he probably won’t. break free here. Even if he does, the addition of Evan Fournier combined with Romeo Langford’s impending return doesn’t make Boston one of the top candidates to land him. Celtics might want those minutes to go to Aaron Nesmith anyway
Cory Joseph: Another veteran who was dumped in Detroit on the trade deadline. He only has a very small guaranteed amount on his contract (around $ 2million) for next season, which makes a very realistic buyout if the Pistons choose to play their young guys against him as the year progresses. (He’s got solid minutes so far in two games.). Trading Jeff Teague by Boston for nothing would mean that the addition of a veteran in the backcourt is unlikely to happen in order to ensure that Payton Pritchard and the other young Boston guards have playing time. However, Joseph is a solid defenseman with a decent height for a point guard (6-3 / 4), something C reserve guards lack. The assumption here is that he finds a more attractive possibility than Boston if he hits the open market.
Otto Porter Jr .: The former Bull made his Orlando debut on Sunday night, playing 25 minutes off the bench. He was a salary filler in the Nikola Vucevic deal with Chicago, but would quickly become one of the hottest free agents if released thanks to his career mark of 40% from 3 points and ability to keep small forwards and powerful forwards at 6’8. At 27, the Magic might be interested in retaining him after this season and holding his bird rights would be an advantage on that front. However, if Porter Jr. is willing to give up a few million of his $ 27 million salary this year to go play for a contender, that might be enough for Magic to free him with the prospect of young forwards like Chuma Okeke and Jonathan Isaac. . likely to take the lion’s share of minutes next year on a rebuild team. The Celtics could certainly use Porter Jr. if he hits the market, but I would expect them to be quite long in the list of playoff teams who wanted him, making him a target from afar.
Avery Bradley: The Rockets have had nothing for Oladipo other than him, a (probably unnecessary) pick swap and Kelly Olynyk’s expiring deal, so it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll be released unless he gets a stink on this subject. Bradley is only making $ 5.6 million this year and his $ 5.9 million team option for next season could be a useful trade chip for the Rockets in the offseason. If they left Bradley and Olynyk loose, they practically gave Oladipo for nothing other than the financial savings on the Oladipo deal, so the guess here is that at least one of them stays in place. Bradley’s contractual situation makes him the best bet.
Mike Muscala: Arguably the most likely candidate on this list will be fired, assuming he has a new deal for himself elsewhere. Muscala has been a reliable stop for the Thunder this year (37% to 3, career-high 9.7 ppg), but he hasn’t played for more than a week with a sprained right ankle. As OKC moves in a younger direction by benching Al Horford for the remainder of the season (he won’t be bought out BTW), Muscala’s agent, 29, will likely be looking for a spot elsewhere in the place to ride on pine in Oklahoma City. How much he could help a team like Boston is debatable (it’s certainly not a reliable option for a postseason series), but he does add an element of stretching perimeter that the Celtics could use as a situational option with Theis outside. Whether or not he’s better suited for the role Luke Kornet will likely determine Boston’s interest, but Kornet has obviously done a lot to help his cause on this short-term front against the Thunder on Saturday night.
Current free agent
DeMarcus Cousins: The former Rockets big man has been quietly available for months, but the wait for the trade deadline and the buyout market has surely limited any teams willing to give him any insight on that point. With Boston’s primary targets in the free agent market going elsewhere, would taking a plane on Cousins like extra depth and volume in the middle make sense? His production in Houston this year has been very disappointing in 25 games (37% of career low shots, 33% of 3) and his physical limitations are very real after an injury plagued by the last two seasons.
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