Getty Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics could be on the lookout for some guard depth. The team suffered immensely from Malcolm Brogdon playing with a tendon tear in his shooting arm, so they could use someone who isn’t as much of an injury risk. One guard who will hit the free agent market is one of the NBA’s former Most Valuable Player recipients, Russell Westbrook.
The Athletic’s Danny Leroux listed the Celtics among the “high-end teams looking for guard depth” that he believes would take an interest in Westbrook. However, he added that “identifying specific suitors is tough because Westbrook is such a polarizing player at this point.”
Westbrook is no longer the player he once was when he played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he is coming off a productive albeit brief stint with the Los Angeles Clippers. In 21 regular season games, Westbrook averaged 15.8 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 48.9% from the field and 35.6% from three. In five playoff games, Westbrook averaged 23.6 points, 7.4 assists, and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 41% from the field and 35.7% from three.
Although, it would be hard to see Westbrook having any interest in joining the Celtics unless he was promised a role in the rotation. Should the Celtics trade away Brogdon or Derrick White, that would open up a spot in their rotation.
Joe Ingles Named as Free Agent Target
The Celtics may also look into adding more shooting to the team this summer. Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report that adding a dead-eye shooter “would help make sure Boston avoids any three-point playoff droughts again.”
One of the options that Swartz mentions is Milwaukee Bucks veteran wing Joe Ingles, who could fit in knowing their salary cap situation.
“Cost is also an issue for Boston, a team that is already projected to dive deep into the luxury tax, especially if Grant Williams is brought back,” Swartz wrote. “Ingles only got better as his season went along in a return from a torn ACL.”
Ingles shot 40.9% from three-point land with the Bucks in 46 games this season and is a career 40.8% shooter from three.
Of course, the Celtics may very well wait and see what they have Danilo Gallinari, who came in as their designated second-unit sharpshooter before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. That is if Gallinari opts in to his contract for next season, which he is expected to do.
Celtics Named as One of Top Teams for Chris Paul
All eyes will be on if the Phoenix Suns choose to get rid of Chris Paul or not. If they decide to part ways with the future Hall-of-Famer, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale listed the Celtics among the top destinations for Paul.
Favale explained why he believes Paul would fit the Celtics’ offense like a glove.
“CP3 would be the perfect addition for an offense that, despite ranking third in half-court efficiency, too often descended into turbulence,” Favale wrote. “There is inherent variability when teams depend on the three-ball as much as the Celtics do, but they are too easily nudged away from their best practices and into turnover tumults when shots aren’t falling, or the rate of play slows.”