Getty Former Celtic Grant Williams
With Grant Williams now on the Dallas Mavericks, the Boston Celtics may look to add more frontcourt depth. They are limited on options, but one center that they could target is Christian Wood. NBA Analyst Keith Smith explained why Wood could be a target for the Celtics on the July 8 episode of “The NBA Front Office Podcast.”
“Boston is looking for another big potentially because they moved on from Grant Williams. So you could replace on a minimum with a guy like Christian Wood,” Smith said. “You have the defensive infrastructure where you can probably minimize his flaws, put them out there with (Al) Horford, put him out there with Rob Williams (III), probably not with Kristaps Porzingis.”
Since starting his NBA career in 2015, Wood has accumulated 78 double-doubles, almost all of which were done during his time with the Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons dating back to the 2019-20 season. He would also give them another floor-spacing big, as he’s a career 37.9% three-point shooter.
Wood’s coming off a turbulent season with the Mavericks, where he was subbed in and out of the starting lineup despite his scoring and rebounding abilities. Wood may not be receptive to an even smaller role with the Celtics, but if they show the most interest at this stage in free agency, beggars can’t be choosers.
Blake Griffin Floated as Free Agent Target
Another option the Celtics could look into during the summer is bringing back Blake Griffin. Following the Grant Williams trade, The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach named Griffin among the two options the Celtics could look into on July 6.
“The list of compelling free agents is relatively sparse. Maybe the team eventually looks to bring back Blake Griffin or former Celtics wing Javonte Green,” Himmelsbach wrote.
Griffin was a late addition to the Celtics in 2022, as he was signed after Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL and after training camp started. Despite Griffin not being the superstar player he once was, he was featured in 41 games and started 16 of those games. He also had solid shooting efficiency despite his diminished athleticism, putting up an effective field goal percentage of 57.5%.
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla also called Griffin a “huge cornerstone” of the locker room, per Brian Robb of MassLive. If the Celtics plan to have a unified locker room, bringing back Griffin could help them in that particular effort.
Teams Offering Veteran’s Minimum Deals for Christian Wood
On July 7, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that while Wood is among the most sought-after names in free agency, he remains unsigned because he wants more money.
“Christian Wood and Dario Šarić are among the standout names on the league’s list of available unrestricted free agents. The presumed delay: Both have only generated interest at the league minimum to this point and have naturally been holding out for more.”
On July 8, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Saric signed with the Golden State Warriors, but Wood remains a free agent. Wood may very well get a bigger role with his next team, but he may not get the contract he wants.