Getty Bismack Biyombo, Boston Celtics
There are very few flaws within the Boston Celtics roster this season; however, legitimate big-man depth is one of them.
According to Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, if the Celtics are looking to add some genuine talent to their depth chart at center, then they should seriously consider making an offer to the Phoenix Suns in the hope that they can land Bismack Biyombo.
“Should the Celtics travel to the trade market, adding a center seems like the most obvious move. They could use more depth on the interior, and that will remain the case even after Williams returns. The Shamrocks are so loaded they wouldn’t need much from a new big. Supplying size, rebounding, and a paint presence on defense might do the trick,” Buckley wrote on December 8.
Bismack Biyombo isn’t just a terrific human being, he also makes incredible defensive reads
While Buckley stopped short of proposing an actual trade that would land Biyombo in Boston, the veteran center’s $2.9 million salary would mean he could easily fit within one of the Celtics’ traded player exceptions or within their disabled player exception, meaning he may only cost them some late-round draft capital and an end-of-bench rotation player.
Biyombo has taken part in 21 games for the Suns so far this season, providing them with three points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.9% from deep.
Robert Williams Nearing Return
According to a December 7 report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it would appear that Boston’s dominant center, Robert Williams, is nearing a return to on-court activities after missing the opening months of the new season due to rehabilitating following off-season surgery.
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“He’s been practicing. He’s made great progress on that off-season surgery. The timeline right now is still potentially 10 to 12 days, but don’t rule out the possibility that Robert Williams wakes up one day and decides he’s ready to return… We expect he’ll be back before Christmas, but Boston’s defense, which was no. 1 in the league last season, certainly is going to get a great bump when they get Robert Williams back here in the very near future,” Wojnarowski said.
Al Horford Commits Future to Boston
On December 1, Wojnarowski reported that veteran center Al Horford had reached a two-year $20 million extension with the Boston Celtics, a deal which will likely see Horford retire as a Celtic.
Boston Celtics center Al Horford has agreed on a two-year, $20 million contract extension that ties him to the franchise through his 39th birthday, his agent Jason Glushon of @GlushonSM tells ESPN.
“Horford, a five-time All-Star, will earn $26.5M this season — with the new deal beginning in 2023-2024. The extension eliminates the possibility of a repeat of 2019 when Horford left the Celtics for a more lucrative free agency offer,” Wojnarowski Tweeted in a follow-up to his report.
Given the high-level skillsets of both Williams and Horford, it’s hard to envision where consistent playing time for Biyombo would come from – especially given Luke Kornet’s impressive stints throughout the season. So, while adding another center makes sense on paper, in reality, the Celtics would probably be better served by looking for an additional ball-handling wing.
Either way, the Celtics have enough strength in depth on their roster to be legitimate championship contenders this season, as they proved with their December 7 blow-out victory against the Suns.