Boston Celtics Named Top Landing Spot for Six-Time All-Star Still Looking For a Home

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently named the Celtics as the top potential landing spot for DeRozan, citing the team’s need for another tough shot maker following the trade that sent Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.

“If the Boston Celtics are concerned about losing Jaylen Brown and his ability to create difficult-but-acceptable scoring chances when the offense breaks down, they could do a lot worse than filling the void with DeMar DeRozan. A poor defender and a reluctant three-point shooter throughout his long career, DeRozan remains a specialist in the self-created two-point jumper. Last year, a whopping 73 percent of DeRozan’s shots came in the mid-range area, and he made half of them,” Hughes wrote.

“Brown’s penchant for those same shots had a lot to do with his low approval rating among the analytically inclined, but those are often the only available looks in a playoff scenario. Brown could take and make ‘bad’ shots, and so can DeRozan. He could fit right into the middle of Boston’s attack, which otherwise swings the ball around the perimeter hunting for threes.”

The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers were the other teams listed as potential destinations for DeRozan by Hughes.

DeMar DeRozan Could Help Fill the Void Left by Jaylen Brown in Boston

The Celtics received veteran forward Paul George in the return package for Jaylen Brown, and George can still be a productive player. But his availability is a question at this point in his career as he played under 42 games in each of the last two seasons.

Adding DeRozan would help provide the Celtics with some insurance on the wing should George miss time again and it would give them another go-to scoring option on the perimeter to complement Jayson Tatum. Despite being 37 years old, DeRozan still averaged 18.4 points per game on 49 percent shooting from the floor for the Sacramento Kings last season.