Over the past few days, reports have surfaced that the Boston Celtics are setting their sights on point guard Kemba Walker in free agency. If the franchise winds up signing the All-Star, veteran big man Robin Lopez should be their next open market acquisition.
Though the 2018-19 season was a bit of a disappointment for the Boston Celtics, happier days appear to be just upon the horizon.
Over the past couple of days, rumors have circulated that Danny Ainge has significant interest in pursuing point guard Kemba Walker in free agency. Now, according to the worlds most recent “Woj-Bomb”, it appears this potential signing is way more than just a pipe dream for Boston.
ESPN story on the Boston Celtics becoming strong frontrunners to sign Charlotte All-Star guard Kemba Walker once free agency opens: https://t.co/csJ3YhWV2Y
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2019
With averages of 25.6 PPG, 5.9 APG and 1.2 SPG on 43% shooting from the field and 36% from deep the point guard played himself into both his third All-Star appearance as well as a spot on the All-NBA Third Team. Most importantly, thanks to his career season, Walker has now put himself in a position where he can cash in on a BIG payday.
With the very likely outcome of both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford seeking new homes this summer, the Celtics should have enough cap room to offered the services of the 29-year-old guard. However, if Walker does end up signing with Boston, the team would have a limited amount of cash left to fill out other roster necessities.
Because of this, the franchise will need to look for players willing to take on minimum/ close-to minimum contracts. If the team does, in fact, find themselves in this position, one free agent in particular should be at the top of their offseason “wish list”:
Robin Lopez.
Though he may not be the “sexiest” name on the open market, Lopez would be a fantastic fit for the Celtics in this 2019-20 potential scenario.
As previously stated, both Kyrie Irving and Al Horford look to be as good as gone this offseason which, in turn, will leave holes at both the point guard and center positions. Though a Walker signing would certainly take care of any problems linked to the one spot, a void would still remain at the five. That is, unless they can bring in “Ro Lo”.
Make no mistake about it, Robin Lopez is by no means as good of a player as Horford. But with all the mouths to feed in Boston, he could turn out to be an even better fit for the team moving forward.
Lopez has made a name for himself as a defensive oriented center who does not require the ball in his hands to make an impact. He knows his place on a team and loves to do all the little things that don’t always show up on the stat-sheet. With a plethora of scoring options on the roster next season, that could very well include the likes of Kemba Walker, what Robin Lopez can bring to this team could be invaluable.
At 7-0, the center is still one of the tallest talents the league has to offer. He would be a great asset down low on defense, making it harder for opposing teams to score in the paint (1.2 BPG for his career), and could be a consistent participant in the pick-and-roll with Kemba on offense.
Again, Lopez is no All-Star talent. He is not a player that can drop 20 points on any given night (9.1 PPG for career). But, frankly, the Boston Celtics don’t need another player like that, for they’ll have Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and, potentially, Kemba Walker in tow as their main contributors in the scoring department.
What the Celtics need is a big presence down low that can defend the basket on defense and give the team second chance possessions on offense. Though signing Kemba Walker would keep Boston’s backcourt among the best in the East, with Horford likely headed out, their front court will be in need of help.
If Robin Lopez accepts a minimum contract (which is very possible) to join forces with Kemba in Beantown, due to what he would bring to the team, it very well could work wonders for the Boston Celtics during the 2019 campaign.