Boston Celtics: 2 buyout candidates Cs must closely monitor

Buyout target for the Boston Celtics No. 1) Thaddeus Young

For the better part of the past year, we at HH have been discussing the idea of the Boston Celtics pursuing the likes of Thaddeus Young in one way or another.

From suggesting acquiring him by means of the historic Gordon Hayward TPE the team attained last offseason to a mere wait-and-see period around the mid-point of this past season just in case he was bought out post trade deadline — he ultimately was not –, the concept of targeting the veteran big was one we were rather high on.

Now that he’s been dealt away from Chicago to the San Antonio Spurs via the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade, the concept of a buyout should certainly be viewed as back on the table which, in turn, should pique the interest of the C’s front office.

At 33-years-old, Young is seemingly the odd man out on the roster as the franchise looks to be heading towards a rebuild focused on giving their youngsters ample time out on the hardwood. Instead, his services would best be used on a team that is in need of veteran presences and is vying for legitimate playoff contention.

Boston looks to be a team that fits this bill, especially considering they are without any legitimate power forward options on the roster.

The 14-year veteran is a multi-faceted talent that can come in and help the shamrocks in a multitude of ways. From his impressive passing abilities (dished out 6.4 assists per 75 possessions last season) to his reliable defensive chops, Young would be a great role player to have backing up starting forward, Jayson Tatum, at the four.

Through 68 games played in 2020-21, the big man posted per-game averages of 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals on 56 percent shooting from the field.

A trusty presence in the frontcourt who can serve as both a ball-handler and as a recipient in pick-and-roll play, should Thaddeus Young wind up becoming available, the Boston Celtics should absolutely be interested.