Boston Celtics: 3 free agents to monitor in Heat v. Lakers NBA Finals

Meyers Leonard

Listed just a hair under seven-foot-tall, Meyers Leonard is a power forward by trade, but would certainly fit in the Boston Celtics lineup as a stretch-five. Coming off of a four-year deal paying $12 million annually, Leonard isn’t likely to match that number in free agency unless the Miami Heat decide to bring him back on a bloated one-year overpay.

It doesn’t make much sense for Miami to do so if Leonard isn’t able to expand his role so far in the postseason. During the regular season, he started all but two of the 51 games he appeared in. In the 2020 postseason, Leonard has played less than nine minutes total.

For Leonard, it was an issue of his opportunity being taken by someone else willing to fill his shoes during his absence. Jae Crowder (more on him later) slid into the starting power forward role and the Miami Heat have not looked back, losing just three games the entire postseason (including two to the Cs).

If things don’t turn around, and the market dictates few players making more than the mid-level exception, a marriage between the 41 percent 3-point shooter and Boston seems to make plenty of sense on paper.

If the mid-level exception would suffice, Danny Ainge ought to phone Leonard the minute the offseason begins.