Getty Yuta Wantanabe, Boston Celtics
Regardless of whether the Boston Celtics find an additional player to fill the 15th spot in their rotation, they will be looking for new additions again this summer.
According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, it could be in the Celtics’ best interest to enter into discussions with Brooklyn Nets forward Yuta Watanabe, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the current season.
Day’Ron Sharpe bullet pass to Yuta Watanabe for the corner three 👌
“Yuta Watanabe is more intriguing for both his age (28) and size (6’8″). He is just as plug-and-play on the offensive end, with more on-ball portability than many of the other aging wings to whom heavyweight contenders are traditionally linked. The Celtics can switch him across three positions on defense, and his 48.1 percent clip from three not only slides neatly into the rotation but includes a 56.9 percent knockdown rate from the corners,” Favale wrote.
Watanabe could be the ideal wing off the bench for Boston, capable of providing assistance on both ends of the floor while also making an impact on limited touches. However, the Nets could try to convince the 28-year-old to remain with them on a new deal, considering the impressive stretches he’s had for them this season.
Celtics Urged to Outbid Rivals For Kevin Love
While Watanabe is considered to be a potential off-season target, the Celtics still need to focus on their immediate future, and that involves finding another player who can provide depth and perform when called upon.
According to NESN’s Sean T. McGuire, Kevin Love would fit the bill perfectly should he be willing to fill a similar role to that of Blake Griffin.
ESPN Sources: Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers have completed a contract buyout. The Miami Heat are a frontrunner to sign Love, but he plans to talk to the Philadelphia 76ers before making a decision.
“The addition of Love admittedly would be more of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation. The Celtics hopefully wouldn’t have to play Love in meaningful minutes this spring. But the potential to fill that final spot with a veteran who’s won a championship nevertheless is enticing…The Celtics do enter the buyout market with an advantage over others as Boston has a $3.2 million disabled player exception earned after Danilo Gallinari’s injury. It could be used to outbid opponents for buyout candidates and specifically used to outbid those going after Love,” McGuire wrote.
On February 18, it was announced that Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers had reached an agreement on a buy-out, making the five-time All-Star an unrestricted free agent.
Celtics Missed Out on Preferred Buyout Target
Unfortunately for the Celtics, they have already missed out on their top buyout target, with Danny Green opting to sign with Cleveland shortly after hitting the open market, partly due to the limited playing time the Celtics would have been able to offer.
Three-time champion Danny Green is nearing an agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agent/attorney Raymond Brothers of @RocNationSports tells ESPN. The Cavs can offer Green significant opportunity to make an impact on a playoff team.
“Three-time champion Danny Green is nearing an agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agent/attorney Raymond Brothers of @RocNationSports
tells ESPN. The Cavs can offer Green significant opportunity to make an impact on a playoff team,” Wojnarowski Tweeted.
There’s no guarantee that Love will be interested in joining the Celtics for the remainder of the season, but hopefully, Stevens can find an impactful veteran to help provide the depth and locker room presence Boston needs to ensure they have enough in the cupboard for a deep postseason run.
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Celtics Implored to Steal High-Energy Forward From Conference Rivals