Boston Celtics: 3 post-deadline buyout candidates to pursue

After months of speculation and anticipation, the March 25th trade deadline came and went without the Boston Celtics making any major splashes.

To say we’re disappointed would be an understatement. That said, to say we’re completely shocked would be somewhat of a farce.

I mean, after all, over the past several years Danny Ainge has made a name for himself for being the guy who “almost” made a blockbuster deal, but never actually did; similar to that guy sitting alone at a bar bragging about his high school football career, constantly begging the question “what could have been” had he not developed tendonitis.

While the shamrocks did actually wind up making a move in acquiring sharpshooter Evan Fournier from the Orlando Magic, overall the feeling is that the deadline was a relative letdown for the Cs, especially when considering how much hype they came into it with.

The Boston Celtics should be active participants on the buyout market

Now, with March 25th in the rearview, the next course of action, assuming the Boston Celtics wish to add more talent to their rotation (they should), is for the front office to scour the buyout market for some reasonably priced commodities.

Though perhaps there may not be that obvious “it” factor baller, we at HH believe there to be a few players worth considering if you’re Boston.

Here are 3 specific talents we have in mind:

Boston Celtics buyout target No. 1) Otto Porter Jr.

Though the Boston Celtics brought aboard the offensive-oriented Evan Fournier, they could still use for some added scoring off the pine.

Sure, the French-born baller is averaging close to 20 points per game, but he’s not necessarily that all-around shot-creator that this Cs team needs — not to mention, it’s a sound assumption that he could wind up being inserted into the starting lineup anyway, thus leaving that scoring void still on the pine.

Otto Porter Jr., however, is a guy who could come in and fill said void quite easily.

Recently shipped to the Orlando Magic in the move that sent All-Star Nikola Vucevic to Chicago, the former No. 3 overall pick is finding himself posting averages of 9.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, and half a steal per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from deep.

His impressive size (6-8, 198 pounds) allows him to finish strong in the paint, his shooting stroke (40 percent 3-point shooter) allows him to serve as a threat from beyond the arc as well, and his skill set helps him put the ball on the floor to create space and separation.

Though we viewed him as a target to avoid on the trading block, if nabbed in free agency he’d be a fine grab for the Celtics to consider.