The Celtics are still seeking ways to bolster their front line, and will have to compete against the team’s oldest rival for a way to do so—they’re battling the Lakers, apparently, for the services of big man Thomas Bryant, who last played for the Wizards but was unable to get much of a role with the team as he came back from an ACL tear the previous season.
Bryant could be a strong value play, because his worth is obviously diminished by his subpar results from last season, when he averaged 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.3 minutes. He is likely to sign a veteran minimum contract.
Yahoo Sports reporter Chris Haynes wrote on Twitter that, Bryant is getting, “significant interest from contending teams including Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.”
Yahoo Sources: Free agent center Thomas Bryant is receiving significant interest from contending teams including Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. He’s expected to make a decision later this morning.
The Celtics want to secure some insurance for the oft-injured Robert Williams, who had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in late March and struggled to maintain consistent health when he returned in the postseason. Boston has Daniel Theis on its bench, but coach Ime Udoka never appeared fully comfortable using Theis in an expanded role.
Bryant Is Only 25 Years Old
Bryant is only 25 years old, which means he should be able to fully recover from his injury in time. If he can get back to the level of production he put forth before the injury, he might be one of the bigger free-agent bargains this summer.
Bryant had a breakthrough in his third season in the league, in 2019-20, when he averaged 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds and earned the Wizards’ starting job. But just 10 games into that season, Bryant—while averaging 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds—suffered the injury, knocking him out for the remainder of the year.
The Wizards traded for center Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline, and played him mostly at center, though in limited (17) games. Daniel Gafford earned the job as starting center for much of the year and slipped into the role of reserve when Porzingis came aboard for Washington, leaving Bryant without much playing time.
Bryant Consider a Major FA Bargain
One Eastern Conference executive spoke about Bryant as one of the best potential bargain additions ahead of the start of free agency. Bryant had shot 64.8% from the field in 2020-21, making 42.9% of his 3s, albeit in a small sample size. Those numbers plummeted to 52.0% and 28.6% from the 3-point line last year as Bryant struggled with his role.
“He has the potential to be a stretch-5 who also can play some defense in the middle, block shots,” the East exec said. “He is a tough guy and he worked hard to try to reshape his game, but the injury came at was the worst possible time for him, just as he was starting to put it all together.
“Of course, you worry about an injury like that and how someone is going to play after it, but the way rehab goes now, something like 90% of players get back to pre-injury level. It’s higher for a guy as young as him. He is a gamble but if you’re not paying out a big contract, he is not even that big of a gamble. He’s going to make someone happy next season, I would guess.”
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Celtics Battling Lakers for Key Free-Agent on Comeback Trail: Report