Boston Celtics: 2 realistic free agency options for Cs

Realistic free agent option No. 2: Jakob Pöltl

As we stated in the intro slide, these free agents we are talking about are relatively inexpensive options for the team come the offseason. Due to their obvious need for depth at the pivot, we surely hope the team uses one of their three first-round draft picks on a big-man.

However, they could also decide to look to the open market as well, and a guy like Jakob Pöltl could make a lot of sense for the Boston Celtics.

One of the biggest concerns we’ve had about the team’s current lot upfront is that there really is no one player that we believe can hold down the paint when going up against dominating Eastern Conference bigs such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Vučević just to name a few.

Sure Daniel Theis has played pretty well in his first full season as a starter and Robert Williams has shown promise, but with the fact that both are just 6-8 and weigh around 240 pounds, they could very easily be bullied by the league’s most dominating bigs, which could prove to be a problem come playoff time.

However, with the 7-1, 245-pound Pöltl, this lacking in stature within their frontcourt would become less of a problem and, in turn, more of a strength.

Currently in his fourth year in the league — second with the San Antonio Spurs — the Austrian-born baller finds himself averaging 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game on 62 percent shooting from the floor.

boasting a defensive box plus/ minus of 2.3 and a block percentage of 7.7, the numbers read like the eye test does: Pöltl is a really good defender. Add in the fact that he’s a beast on the offensive glass — 13.3 offensive rebound percentage for his career — and you have the makings of an ideal rotation piece at the pivot for the Boston Celtics.

Though still just 24-years-old, Pöltl really hasn’t proven himself worthy of receiving anything more than a Mid-Level Exception offer come this offseason, which could bode well for the Cs as that will likely be their highest bid for anyone they pursue.

Though he’s a restricted free agent, if Boston plays their cards right, they could be able to land this rough-and-tough center to somewhat of a bargain deal.