Getty Joe Mazzulla
After the NBA Trade Deadline passed, many players hit the buyout market. However, not all of them were waived. Among the players who were traded, some of them, like Otto Porter Jr., remain with their teams for now.
The Utah Jazz acquired Porter from the Toronto Raptors before the deadline. Porter has only played 23 games over the past two seasons, which brings his future with the Jazz into question. If they waive him, MassLive’s Brian Robb explained why he’s a good option for the Boston Celtics.
“It’s unclear whether Danny Ainge will buy Porter out, but the wing could fit for the Celtics in the buyout market,” Robb wrote in a February 8 story. “Porter has had his injury issues, but he’s shot nearly 40% from 3 in his career and is a proven playoff performer. For a depth player, there are certainly positives.”
Porter is an NBA champion, and he helped the Warriors beat the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. However, there’s no denying he has proven himself to be injury-prone. Outside of his lone season with the Warriors where he played 63 games in 2022, Porter has spent more time recovering from injuries than playing from 2019 to 2024. His game totals in that span have been 14, 28, 8, and 15.
Even so, Porter is a career 39.7% shooter from three with championship experience to his name. At the same time, Porter’s unavailability makes him a potential buyout candidate.
Celtics Had Interest in Otto Porter Jr.: Report
The Celtics reportedly had interest in Otto Porter Jr. before the Jazz traded for him. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported that Porter was one of their targets.
“Elsewhere atop the Eastern Conference, Boston has been weighing various options who could deepen the Celtics’ bench, according to league sources. Boston will likely be limited to adding pieces through its $6.25 million traded-player exception with which the Celtics could bring on a veteran target such as Otto Porter Jr., sources said,” Fischer wrote in a February 6 story.
That time has now passed, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Porter is no longer an option. If the Jazz waive Porter, that would open the door for the Celtics to sign him. It would be cheaper for them to sign Porter outright instead of acquiring his $6.3 million contract.
Pistons to Waive Danilo Gallinari: Report
If the Celtics don’t get Otto Porter Jr., another former Celtic has become an option. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Pistons will waive former Celtics free agent addition Danilo Gallinari.
“The Pistons are waiving forward Danilo Gallinari, sources tell me, and (James Edwards III). Gallinari is expected to begin free-agent meetings on Friday,” Charania reported via his X account.
The Pistons are waiving forward Danilo Gallinari, sources tell me and @JLEdwardsIII. Gallinari is expected to begin free-agent meetings on Friday.
Gallinari signed with the Celtics in 2022 but never got the chance to play for them because he tore his ACL before the season started. The Celtics then included Danilo Gallinari in the deal when they traded for Kristaps Porzingis. It wasn’t long before the Wizards then traded Gallinari to the Pistons.
At 35 years old, Gallinari may primarily want to play for a team that will play him. The Celtics may not be able to offer that to Gallinari, but they can offer the chance to win a title.