“Pass or Pursue” on 2 recently listed Boston Celtics buyout options

Potential Boston Celtics buyout option No. 2) Gary Harris

Now here we have a player in Gary Harris who, like Semi Ojeleye, could easily find himself on his respective team’s roster for the rest of the season but, to many, is someone whose situation is one that should be closely monitored in the coming days.

A veteran of eight years who, nearly four seasons ago played well enough to warrant one of the highest pay-days for someone of his position (four years, $84 million), the 27-year-old currently finds himself on the rebuilding Orlando Magic who, by all accounts, are looking to embark on a full-fledged youth movement, especially within their backcourt where Harris generally resides.

Should the two parties feel it would be best to go their separate ways, there is no doubt that a large chunk of NBA teams will be looking to pursue his services and Jack Duggan believes the Boston Celtics should be one of them:

"If the Celtics are able to sign Harris, he would be an incredible fit to the Boston bench. Harris has shot 38 percent from deep this season and would provide valuable spacing in the second unit. At 27 years old, he would also bring experience and leadership to a Boston bench that consists of mainly younger players. Harris is also a proficient wing defender and would be an excellent addition to coach Ime Udoka’s switch-heavy defensive scheme. Boston has been so successful lately mainly because of their defensive ability, thus adding yet another above-average defender to the team should sound exciting to all Celtics fans."

Through 52 games played with the Magic this season, Gary Harris finds himself sporting some solid per-game averages of 11.4 points and 2.1 rebounds while boasting a 54 percent effective field goal percentage.

A well-established 3-and-D wing who could actually be a serviceable replacement for the departed Josh Richardson, we at HH agree with Duggan’s assessment: should Harris be available, the Boston Celtics should absolutely look into acquiring his services.

Verdict: Pursue