Getty DeAndre' Bembry, Boston Celtics
With five open roster spots, the Boston Celtics are expected to be significant players in the buy-out market.
After a flurry of trade deadline deals from President Of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens, the Celtics are poised to rebuild their end-of-bench rotation in the coming days, with the team two players below the required limit.
While many expect Boston to circumvent the rules in the short term by opting for 10-day contacts, a few new additions will need to be added to the team. One player drawing attention from Celtics analysts is DeAndre’ Bebmbry, who found himself entering the buy-out market after the trade deadline on February 10.
Bembry had played 48 games for the Brooklyn Nets this season after joining their roster during the summer. However, after the James Harden / Ben Simmons trade, the veteran wing found himself looking for a new team for the remainder of the season.
Bembry Fills a Need in Boston
While Boston upgraded the talent on their roster, bringing in Derrick White and Daniel Theis, they also removed some of their wing depth as Josh Richardson and Romeo Langford departed.
Currently, the Celtics have Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Aaron Nesmith, who can fill the small forward position, but Ime Udoka has preferred to use Brown as a shooting guard this year which opens up a ton of minutes for Nesmith off the bench. However, Nesmith is still raw, and relying on him to develop in real-time is a risky move, which is why Bembry makes sense as a backup option.
Deandre Bembry is a solid pickup for some contender in the buyout market.
Surprised he was cut over someone like Jevon Carter honestly.
Over his career, the North Carolina native has averaged 6.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 47.5% shooting from the field but just 28.3% shooting from three. During his time in Brooklyn, Bembry was shooting 41.7% from deep, albeit on 0.8 attempts per game, so take from that what you will.
When looking at Bembry’s numbers, it quickly becomes apparent that he’s more of a slasher than a 3-and-D wing, although his defensive play is quite encouraging. Udoka has preferred his team to play inside-out this year, with rim pressure being a focal point of the Celtics offense, so, while they still need a shooter, you can envision there being a role for somebody like Bembry off the bench.
Celtics Considering Converting Sam Hauser’s Contract
Heading into the trade deadline, the typical thought process was that Boston was looking to add shooting around their core. After all, this is a Celtics team that currently sits 23rd in three-point percentage and has struggled to find consistency from deep.
Yet, Stevens opted to upgrade the team’s perimeter defense and consolidate the team’s big-man rotation instead. Hauser, a rookie out of Virginia, is a three-point specialist and finished his final season in college just shy of a 40/50/90 season.
Since joining the Maine Celtics, the sharpshooting rookie is averaging 21.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in the G-League, with shooting splits of 47.5% from the field, 41.7% from three, and 77.8% from the line. Sure, Aaron Nesmith is the shooter Boston is most keen on developing, but if his shot isn’t falling this year, being able to call upon Hauser is a luxury worth having.
We can expect some movement from the Celtics in the near future, as they will need to make some short-term additions to their roster before they take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday, February 11; otherwise, they will be in breach of NBA rules.