Boston Celtics: What big men should Cs pursue this summer?
By Chris Conte
Al Horford
Who wouldn’t love good ole reliable Al Horford back in Boston after two seasons astray?
Sam Presti, the GM of the OKC Thunder has said he and Horford’s camp is committed to finding Horford a new home as they rebuild.
Not only would the C’s be at the top of Horford’s ideal destinations, but they also have just the right assets to pry him loose. They can match his salary with Kemba Walkers and throw in any of their second-round or late first-round picks to get Presti to bite.
At 35 years old and making $27 million, Horford will not be a hard asset to acquire and won’t cost the war chest.
Larry Nance Jr
Who? In the words of Christian Wood, I would call you a casual for not knowing who Larry Nance Jr. is. He’s a 6’7 combo forward-center that can shoot, pass and defend his position at a high level.
He’s 28 years old making approximately $19 million over the next two seasons, which makes him a perfect candidate for the remains of the Gordon Hayward TPE.
Nance would not cost much, maybe a pick or two and a struggling young guy like Edwards. With the Cavaliers rebuilding, they have no need for Nance on the roster and will be eager to sell him to the highest bidder this off-season.
Gorgui Dieng
Although not the flashiest name, Gorgui Dieng would massively help the Boston Celtics’ bench and even starting unit when Williams inevitably misses games. The former #21 overall pick and seven-year veteran brings shooting with size at the right price.
This past season, in which he split with the Grizzlies and Spurs, Dieng shot 42.9% from 3 and averaged a modest 6.8 points per game and 3.7 rebounds in just 14.5 minutes of play. Boston could grab Dieng for a minimum deal.
Harry Giles
If you follow high school or college basketball, you would have been foaming at the mouth knowing the Boston Celtics would have a legit chance to land Harry Giles after just three seasons in the league.
Unfortunately, it is not for the reasons you may have thought if I was telling you this five years ago. Giles’ career has been completely derailed by injuries since his senior year of high school and he has been shown no mercy since.
He has been bounced between the Kings and the Blazers his first three seasons in the league and has been unable to showcase his skill sets due to his injuries. The Cs are no stranger to the injury bug, but they could help Giles further his development as he sits behind Robert Williams and one of the three names above.
Bringing him in is a low-risk, high-reward move that would bode well for the Celtics’ PR as well as make their franchise player happy, seeing as Giles and Tatum have been inseparable since high school.