Getty Celtics potential free-agent target Andre Drummond (center)
As things stand, the Celtics’ frontcourt depth has held up well. Kristaps Porzingis played 57 games this season, missing 25, but he was generally healthy, mostly sitting out only for minor injuries and rest. He never missed more than five games in a row. Al Horford, too, held up well, playing 65 games and averaging 8.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 28.6 minutes.
Both guys have been getting their rest heading into the NBA postseason and should be ready for the long run that the Celtics hope will start this weekend. Behind them, the Celtics have done well to bolster their depth the big man Luke Kornet as well as reserve Xavier Tillman.
So far, so good. But in the long term, there has to be some question about the reliability of the Celtics’ big guys. Kornet and Tillman both made for sensible options this season, but both will be free agents this summer and have earned the opportunity to seek more minutes elsewhere. The Celtics figure to shuffle the deck.
If that’s the case, they could land one of the most accomplished centers on the market: Bulls backup Andre Drummond. That’s the push from Bleacher Report this week, which is suggesting Drummond as an offseason target.
Andre Drummond Logged Good Numbers in Small Minutes
In an article this week titled, “Celtics’ Early 2024 Free Agent Targets,” B/R’s Zach Buckley projects the Celtics making Drummond their prime potential signee once free agency comes around. It will not be an easy sell—Drummond wants to play and wants to be paid, but the Celtics would want him as the No. 3 behind Porzingis and Horford, and would only be able to give Drummond the NBA minimum.
But the Celtics could offer Drummond something few others can—a legitimate chance at a championship ring.
Here’s what Buckley wrote: “If Boston is in the market for a big, Andre Drummond should be on the short list. While he is a limited player away from the basket, he is hyper-active around it. He flirted with a double-double average (9.0 rebounds and 8.4 points) while getting just 17.1 minutes per game this season.
“With his 31st birthday on the horizon and precious little postseason success behind him, he might be open to ring-chasing on a minimum contract.”
Celtics Among Top Post-Up Teams in NBA
Like most teams, the Celtics want big guys who can be versatile and can score from the 3-point line. Both Porzingis (37.5%) and Horford (41.9%) are excellent 3-point shooters. But there’s also some thought around the league that the team would be interested in a change-of-pace big guy. Some executives speculated that the Celtics have had an eye on Purdue’s 7-foot-4 post-up master Zach Edey in the 2024 draft.
“They like to post you up,” one league assistant coach told Heavy. “The 3-pointers are what gets all the attention but they know how to get inside the defense and post you up. So, if you have a kid like Edey and he has all these drop-steps and moves and counters, they’re good with that, especially if you’re putting him on the floor for 15-18 minutes a game and just giving you a different look.”
Drummond as a free agent fits that mold should designs on Edey not work out in the draft.
According to NBA stats, the Celtics run post-ups 7.5% of their plays, which is second only to the Nuggets, at 7.9%. But they are tied for first in the NBA with the Pacers for points-per-possession efficiency in the post, at 1.12. They were 24th in post-up frequency (2.8%) last year.