Boston Celtics: Pass or pursue on 7 marquee free agents
By Mark Nilon
Potential Boston Celtics free-agent target No. 1) Willie Cauley-Stein
First up on the docket we see the former 2016 lottery selection, Willie Cauley-Stein. After having a solid three-year stay with the Kentucky Wildcats, the 7-0 center came into the league with prime comparisons to Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan.
Fast-forward four years later and we see a 27-year-old Cauley-Stein who has logged minutes with three different franchises, most recently the Dallas Mavericks, and is looking at a price-range somewhere in the mid-level exception range.
The price is right for a union between the center and the Boston Celtics, but does that necessarily mean it should happen?
Posting per-36 career averages of 14.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game on 54 percent shooting from the field, it likely can be said that Cauley-Stein’s tenure in the NBA has been relatively successful from an individual standpoint.
That said, while the big might be viewed as a solid “bang for your buck” on the free agency market, his skill set is something that, frankly, the Cs have little need for.
Already on the roster is a player with a similar skill set in Robert Williams III — a defensive-oriented, rebound gobbling, athletic presence down low — who is four years younger.
Without the ability to space the floor or, basically, have any real impact on the offensive side of the ball, the notion of Boston targeting Willie Cauley-Stein should best be left within the tabloids.