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Final season, the Celtics’ second unit ranked within the backside 5 in factors per recreation, averaging 30.2 per contest. Within the playoffs, Boston’s bench ranked 14th out of 16 groups, scoring solely 22.5 factors, in response to NBA.com.
This summer season, the Celtics addressed that deficiency, partly, by using the taxpayer mid-level exception to signal Danilo Gallinari, a profession 15.6 factors per recreation scorer.
With Gallinari seemingly misplaced for the season, the concept of bringing Carmelo Anthony to Boston is “beginning to acquire traction,” in response to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Even at 38, the 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA member is probably going one of the best free-agent scoring ahead obtainable lower than a month earlier than coaching camp begins.
Final season, Anthony produced 13.3 factors on 10.5 photographs whereas logging 26 minutes per recreation for the Lakers. He is additionally shot not less than 37.5 p.c from past the arc on a minimal of three.9 long-range makes an attempt per recreation within the final three seasons.
Signing Anthony to exchange Gallinari’s projected offensive manufacturing is a logical transfer. However the Celtics may choose the assumption including Malcolm Brogdon, who generated 19.1 factors per recreation final season, sufficiently addresses their want for extra second-unit scoring. That will additionally create elevated alternatives for Grant Williams, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser, who’s part of Boston’s prolonged rotation.
As a ten+-year veteran, signing Anthony for the veteran minimal would value $2.9 million in participant wage and much more by way of a luxurious tax hit.
The Celtics already venture to have one of many NBA’s most expensive payrolls this season, begging the query of how way more they’re prepared to spend on this staff.
With out Gallinari to assist Ime Udoka handle the staff’s rotation at middle, upgrading who’s coming off the bench to play the pivot is a extra urgent want than including one other second-unit scorer.
Boston can brief shift Al Horford and Robert Williams to maintain not less than one in all them on the ground always, however the very last thing the Celtics wish to do is place an excessive amount of pressure on both of their beginning massive males.
Luke Kornet may show as much as the duty, however counting on him with out bringing in competitors past coaching camp invitations Noah Vonleh and Bruno Caboclo, neither of whom are pure facilities, would not appear to be one of the best path to take.
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If Boston’s prepared to signal Anthony and sufficiently handle its want for a dependable middle to deliver off the bench, including the previous is a transfer value making; one technique to accomplish that’s buying and selling a rotation participant similar to Payton Pritchard.
Nevertheless, the Celtics wish to enter the season with their rotation intact and can seemingly achieve this. And with Boston needing to fill not less than two of its three open roster spots, if investing extra into a type of than the opposite, specializing in fortifying the middle rotation makes extra sense.
Here’s a have a look at who the Celtics would possibly add and what it may value them.
Additional Studying
Weighing Whether the Celtics Should Sign Carmelo Anthony
Malcolm Brogdon Reached Out to Jaylen Brown Amid Rumors of Celtics Trading for Kevin Durant
Examining How the Celtics Might Manage Their Center Rotation
Panel of NBA Coaches, Executives, and Scouts Cites Celtics as the Team that had the Best Offseason
[Watch] Jaylen Brown Pushes Himself to the Limit in Offseason Workout
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