Boston Celtics: 2 last-minute potential transaction window targets
Kadeem Allen
Kadeem Allen was on the 2017-18 Cinderella Celtics that came within one game of the NBA Finals. He also struggled in his first pro season in Boston. It wasn’t until the 2018-19 campaign with the Knicks that the proved that he can be an immediate on-court contributor, where he averaged 10 points on 46 percent shooting.
Allen’s game has matured in the two seasons he has spent since in New York. While he doesn’t profile as a difference-maker with much of a ceiling, he has the potential to be used as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option with a higher floor than the incumbent rookies.
Carsen Edwards has had some duds in a Boston Celtics uniform so far, and Tremont Waters has almost exclusively played in the G-League. Any sort of uncertainty surrounding the point guard position could be filled by the athletic guard with experience in Brad Stevens’ system.
Allen was recently waived by the Knicks, but their point guard depth–with Elfrid Payton, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina–was the closest thing New York had to a strong suit. On the Celtics, despite his minimal burn in the NBA this year, he’d have a small role to fill on a team that will likely rely on their superstars to play big minutes in the playoffs.