Boston Celtics: 3 players C’s could be replacing through the draft

Daniel Theis

At the offset of the NBA season, the biggest reason people had for writing the Boston Celtics off as non-contenders was their supposed gaping hole in the middle. The thinking was that the C’s lacked an adequate option at the center position and that would ultimately hold them back against teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, who had front-court options like Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid that couldn’t be stopped by Boston’s interior defense.

Fast-forward 63 games (and a once-in-a-lifetime NBA season suspension due to a global pandemic) and it is clear that the center position is the furthest thing from a weakness for the C’s. While they don’t have anyone currently playing at an All-Star or near All-Star level like they do across the perimeter, Boston does have one of the steadiest centers in the league in Daniel Theis.

Theis does all the little things on the floor that contribute to winning, whether it be setting tough screens, sealing off defenders in screening scenarios or even finishing at the rim via his underrated hops or nifty hook shots in the paint. He has gone from an unheralded international signing to an integral part of Brad Stevens’ starting lineup.

Unfortunately for the Boston Celtics, Theis may be playing his way out of Beantown. While he is under contract for one more year at $5 million in 2020-21, his eventual extension could be north of $10 million. With at least four deals under the books of $13 million or more with Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart‘s current deals as well as Jayson Tatum’s eventual extension, Theis may have to be replaced by another big man (such as Jalen Smith or Isaiah Stewart) with one of the three first rounders the C’s have their disposal.