Boston Celtics: Why the Cs should pursue Hamidou Diallo this summer

The Boston Celtics are in a pickle financially even after off-loading Kemba Walker’s contract to the OKC Thunder earlier this summer.

With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Al Horford maxed out, Boston has little room in their books to improve their roster. With the finals over and the draft approaching, I expect Brad Stevens to make a move to alleviate the C’s books, such as trading Thompson or shredding lower value contracts to create roster spots.

Whatever Stevens has planned, he needs to do it fast before the Boston Celtics forfeit their chances at using the full MLE or any one of their TPEs.

A big reason why I want the Boston Celtics to shred some contracts this summer is because of the gems in restricted and unrestricted free agency, as well as some guys on the trade market.

Brad Stevens has a chance to massively improve Boston’s roster if he can find a way to clean their books and convince certain players to sign with them in free agency.

Guys the Cs should have their eyes on, including Patty Mills and Kyle Anderson, both former Spurs who would fit next to the Jays nicely.

But another name Stevens should keep taps on is Hamidou Diallo, set to become a restricted free agent this summer after breaking out with the Detroit Pistons.

This article will dive into what Diallo can offer the Boston Celtics and why he’s worth signing to the offer sheet if the Pistons let him go:

Who is Hamidou Diallo?

Unless you are an adamant dunk contest follower or caught OKC or Detroit’s games this past season, chances are the name Hamidou Diallo is unfamiliar to you.

Diallo is 22 years old and is entering his fourth season after being taken with the 45th pick in the 2018 Draft by the Brooklyn Nets.

Shortly after he was drafted, he was traded to Charlotte, then immediately to OKC, witnessing Paul George’s MVP-caliber campaign and Chris Paul’s historic value raising season in back-to-back years.

In his first two seasons with the club, Diallo averaged a hair under 15 minutes per game and was only known for his flashy dunks. Once Paul was traded to the Suns, and the Thunder committed to a rebuild, the other parts of Diallo’s game began to shine.

He still came off the bench but was pretty productive next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort.

He averaged nearly 12 points per game in 24 minutes of action until he was traded to the Pistons for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. Diallo began to realize his potential as a cutter, shooter, defender, and rim presence in Detroit.

The most significant change for Diallo was his shooting productivity, a product of Detroit’s better ball-handlers compared to Oklahoma’s.

Diallo thrived next to Killian Hayes, developing great chemistry with the french rookie in transition and off-ball. Hayes’ vision gifted Diallo many open looks from deep, catapulting his 3PT% from 29% with OKC to 39% on the same volume.

The more open looks Diallo got, the more confident he became behind the arc. By the end of the season, he was punishing defenses for going under screens and even began to flash some midrange creation.

With Diallo’s shooting came an easier time getting to the rim. Teams had to start respecting his 3-point shot, which gave Diallo more leverage to drive and get to the rim.

At 6-5, Diallo possesses insane speed with developing balance, making him a driving lane threat.

His long strides and 7-foot wingspan made it easy to navigate reckless closeouts and finish over unexpecting rim protectors. Teams would rather Diallo shoot than get to the rim, but he puts teams in more challenging situations when defending him off the catch with his shooting development.

How could Diallo help the Boston Celtics?

First and foremost, Hamidou Diallo would be the best wing off the bench for the Boston Celtics, barring any crazy developments from Nesmith or Langford, as well as any plans Ime Udoka may have to bring Evan Fournier off the pine if he even returns.

Getting a wing presence like Diallo would be a game-changer despite his lack of luster box score numbers. With players like the Jays, a spark like Diallo off the bench would completely alter how teams defend Boston when one of the two is off the floor.

Diallo’s a credible spot-up threat, making him one more guy the opposing team can’t help off of to stop Tatum or Brown from getting to the rim.

However, if they decide to help off Diallo, he can catch the ball and drive into the teeth of the defense where he’s most dangerous.

This is what the Boston Celtics could never get out of Semi Ojeleye and are hoping they can get out of Nesmith or Langford.

Why wait for those two to develop when what you hope they become is on the market?

On top of Diallo’s offensive assets, he can be a factor on the defensive end. He is an oversized shooting guard that can be an elite disruptor if put in the correct position.

His length, speed, and strength overwhelm smaller guards and often lead to unforced errors. These unforced errors lead to turnovers, which lead to transition opportunities where Boston’s best two are at their strongest.

He’s a talented shot-blocker, tallying 12 blocks in 20 games with the Pistons, and showed some flashes of good digging on post-ups and drives. Next to Smart, Tatum, and Brown and under the tutelage of Udoka, Diallo could become an elite rotational defender.

The only thing stopping the Boston Celtics from signing Diallo is his unknown price tag.

The Pistons could offer more than he’s worth to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere, or they could let him walk for nothing since they have Josh Jackson.

I estimate they will offer him around $6 million at the most to keep him, which the Boston Celtics could outbid if they shuffle the deck a bit. Moving Thompson, maybe trading Langford, and signing Fournier to a highly team-friendly deal would have to happen if the Boston Celtics wanted to add Diallo to their roster.

I think they should go for it.

Given that Brad Stevens gave up his only first-round pick in this year’s draft, he should look to bounce back by adding a young talent like Diallo, who has already proven himself.

He would be pretty cheap, fit perfectly beside the Jays, and would be a tradable asset in the future when the Boston Celtics need to shred cap in 2022.