The Boston Celtics still have an open roster spot. Brad Stevens has made a habit of keeping the 15th spot open heading into a new season, partly to ensure the franchise has flexibility as we approach the trade deadline.
However, with multiple veteran talents still on the free agency market, there’s always going to be speculation as to whether the Celtics could round out the roster with an experienced contributor.
According to Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale, Boston would be among the better fits for veteran forward DeMar DeRozan.
“So much attention is paid to what DeMar DeRozan can’t do: hit threes, spend a ton of time off the ball, defend, etc,” Favale wrote. “We need to spend more time appreciating that someone in his late-30s remains a durable walking bucket…. The absence of meaningful three-point volume works against him, but he’s averaged over 20 points per 36 minutes on better than 50 percent shooting inside the arc through each of the past seven seasons.”
Favale noted that Boston, Detroit, Miami and Utah are the best fits for DeRozan as he awaits a new team. Still, it’s unlikely that the Celtics would be willing to sign a forward who thrives in the mid-range, while providing very little perimeter spacing.
Celtics Would be Better Suited With Bradley Beal
When looking at the free agency market, it’s clear that Bradley Beal would be the better fit over DeRozan. Beal can operate as a floor-spacing catch-and-shoot threat, while also being a solid perimeter scorer.
Joe Mazzulla’s team puts heavy emphasis on being able to space the floor and take a high volume of threes. Beal fits that mold, whereas DeRozan would go against it in a similar way to Jaylen Brown.
Flipping Brown to then replace some of his production with DeRozan would undoubtedly raise new questions for Boston’s front office. It’s for that reason that we’re unlikely to see DeRozan suiting up for the Celtics this season.
Jaylen Brown Shares Emotional Message
On Thursday, August 6, Brown was introduced as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers organization. During his introductory news conference, Brown shared a heartfelt message regarding his time in Boston.
“I look back at the city of Boston and I’m grateful,” Brown said. “I’ve been able to develop as a man, as a human being there. Spent a lot of time in the community, spent a lot of time at universities studying, learning, figuring out how to approach how I wanted to go about my philanthropy, figure out how I wanted to approach how to carry myself.”
Brown continued.
“A lot of my most important years, my most developmental years as a young man, I spent in Boston. I got there at 19; I didn’t do a four-year degree because I left early. I got my degree in Boston, in a sense. The relationships are still there, the connections are still there. I’m looking forward to continuing my foundation work, as well as expanding it here to Philadelphia, but I’m very grateful for my experience, my tenure in Boston.”
So, while Celtics fan will undoubtedly miss Brown moving forward, it would make no sense to ‘replace’ him with DeRozan. Not this season, at least.
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