The guard position is arguably the weakest spot within the Boston Celtics rotation heading into the new season.
Currently, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard and Mike Conley are the only recognized guards on the roster. With the Celtics’ 15th roster spot still open, there’s a chance Brad Stevens could look to plug that gap ahead of the season.
According to Brian Robb of MassLive, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Celtics add a developmental guard to the rotation.
“An injuy to Boston’s backcourt could make them a little thin in that spot. Although, White and Pritchard are guys that normally don’t get banged up throughout their careers,” Robb wrote in a recent mailbag article.
“Given Conley’s age, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Boston try to bring in a ball handler in that spot to develop. Tatum, among other wings, can also handle the ball plenty, so this is not necessarily an area of need for the Celtics.”
As Boston prepares for the start of training camp, Milos Uzan will be fighting to earn himself a longer stay in Boston. The Celtics have both their 15th roster spot and an open two-way spot available.
Celtics Could Have Interest In Devin Carter
Unfortunately for Uzan, former lottery pick Devin Carter recently hit the free agency market. He had his contract waived by the Atlanta Hawks, who had recently acquired Carter via trade.
According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, the Celtics are among teams rumored to have an interest in adding the former Providence standout ahead of the new season.
“The Boston Celtics have shown interest in signing Devin Carter, sources say, once the Providence product clears waivers,” Fischer wrote on X.
Carter has spent two seasons in the NBA. Both of them were with the Sacramento Kings. He was traded to Atlanta earlier this summer. During his short time in the NBA, Carter has struggled to score the ball, posting shooting splits of 49.2% from two-point range and 27.4% from deep.
To make matters worse, Carter has also struggled from the free-throw line. He hit just 67.4% of his attempts from the line.
Carter Brings Possession Maxing Skills
Despite Carter’s limited shooting ability, he does bring value to a rotation. According to Crafted NBA, Carter ranked in the 83rd percentile (among gurards) for offensive rebounding. He also sat in the top 22% of guards for free-throw rate.
Carter is also a highly active defender, averaging 3.6 deflections per 36 minutes. He’s also sitting among the league’s best pickpockets, pilfering the rock on 2.1% of his total defensive possessions last season.
Brad Stevens has made no secret of his affinity for hard-working players. Boston’s player development pipeline is a proven commodity, too. Therefore, the Celtics likely have no concerns about their ability to improve Carter’s shooting.
Of course, Boston is unlikely to be the only team interested in adding Carter. There’s also no guarantee that Carter could beat out Uzan for a spot within the rotation. Uzan also impressed during Summer League.
Either way, if the Celtics do decide they need another guard, they have two solid depth piece options available to them.
Celtics Could Have Intriguing Option To Address Biggest Roster Weakness