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Celtics Nudged to Crash Kyle Kuzma Sweepstakes at Trade Deadline

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Kyle Kuzma, Boston Celtics

Getty Kyle Kuzma, Boston Celtics

When looking around the NBA, there are very few available players who make sense for the Boston Celtics, especially when looking for direct upgrades over the current rotation.

However, according to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, one player who could easily earn himself a rotation spot is Kyle Kuzma, who could be available via a trade with the Washington Wizards.

“Party-crashing the Kyle Kuzma (player option) sweepstakes could be fun. It’s not a necessity. Maybe Boston looks at trimming its tax bill with a Danilo Gallinari (player option) dump. It shouldn’t be sniffing around any larger moves until over the offseason,” Favale wrote.

Kuzma, 27, has become an impactful forward for the Wizards over the last two seasons and is averaging 19 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the 111 regular-season games he’s participated in to date while shooting 34.2% from deep and 45.4% from the field.

Capable of playing as both a small forward and power forward, Kuzma would be the ideal addition to give Boston the wing depth they’ve been looking for. However, they might struggle to match his contract demands should he choose to opt out of his current deal at the end of the season – especially if they’re committed to paying Grant Williams.

What Would Kuzma Add To The Celtics

Kuzma is a two-way forward, capable of operating in a high-level defensive system and also being a release valve on offense – especially from the corners, where he is shooting 44% this season, per Cleaning The Glass, who incorporates a garbage time filter.

Kuzma is also a highly valuable rebounder, ranking in the top six percent of forwards for defensive rebound percentage this season, an area where Boston has often struggled to control.

Most importantly, though, Kuzma would add even more size to Boston’s bench unit, while also giving them even more rotation options and cementing their ability to run a switch-everything defensive system with no weak links to target.

Joe Mazzulla Heaps Praise On Grant Williams

On January 21, the Boston Celtics overcame the Toronto Raptors in a hard-fought contest that saw both Marcus Smart and Robert Williams leave the game with injuries. However, Grant Williams stepped up to the plate and produced a career regular-season performance, dropping  25 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block while shooting 53.8% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the three-point line.

When speaking to the media following the game, interim head coach Joe Mazzulla heaped praise on the impending restricted free agent. 

“He was great tonight, man. He was the trigger for us. Him, Al, Rob, those bigs, they trigger the offense for us because they’re the ones that notice the coverage solution, and they’re the ones that get us to the next action. And so, Grant was huge tonight, in our coverage solution, in our trigger to get to the next read, the next action, he did a great job for us,” Mazzulla said.

The Celtics are set to face the Orlando Magic on January 23 but will be without Smart and Brogdon, while Robert Williams is also questionable for the contest, meaning they will be hoping for another big night from Grant Williams as they look to make it 10 games unbeaten.

Adam Taylor is a basketball reporter covering the Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns for Heavy. He has also written for CelticsBlog, USA Today, Yardbarker and FanSided. Adam has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Open University. More about Adam Taylor

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