Why Derrick Favors should be a legitimate TPE target for the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have been having themselves quite the offseason thus far, kicking off the 2022 Free Agency period with a bang by snagging veteran forward Danilo Gallinari to a two-year deal via the MLE and then following this move up by striking a deal with the Indiana Pacers for point guard, Malcolm Brogdon.

What makes these transactions even more impressive is the fact that this all happened on the first full day of free agency, which means that Brad Stevens and co. have nearly three more months to try and help bolster this championship-aspiring rotation before the start of 2022-23, and, lucky for them they have several avenues to embark on to accomplish these goals.

Of course, the biggest storyline fans will likely be focusing on in regard to this aspect of the offseason is what the front office plans to do with their bevy of Traded Player Exceptions, particularly the one they received in last summer’s Evan Fournier sign-and-trade that holds a value of $17.1 million.

With this exception’s expiration rapidly approaching (July 18th) the C’s will have to start making moves fast should they wish to actually utilize it, and, while there are quite a number of quality players that could be absorbed onto the roster by means of the luxury, we at the Houdini believe a specific veteran should strongly be considered for a pursuit.

The player: Derrick Favors.

As a result of the move that shipped Daniel Theis out to Indiana last week in the Brogdon exchange, the Boston Celtics opened up a rather sizeable hole within their frontcourt rotation, particularly at backup center.

Now, while the team does currently have quality options already in tow with the likes of Robert Williams III and Al Horford, unfortunately, neither should be fully trusted to make it through the entirety of a season, for the former has made a name for himself as being an injury risk while the latter is 36 years old.

Because of this, Boston should strongly consider bringing on some pieces to serve as somewhat of an insurance policy down low should either one of their aforementioned staples fall on hard times, and a guy like Favors could actually be a solid option to consider.

Throughout his 12-year tenure in the association, the big man has managed to establish himself as a savvy low-post scorer and a quality rim protector, boasting sound per-game averages of 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks on 53 percent shooting from the floor whilst also boasting an impressive career defensive rating of 104.

While he may have spent the large majority of his career stationed at the four, these past five years have seen Favors spending his time predominantly at center where, in turn, he’s boasted solid averages of 15.2 points, 11.6 boards, and 1.7 blocks per 75 possessions on 58 percent shooting from the floor, thus proving he can effectively produce at either big man position (something Ime Udoka’s scheme seemingly treasures within the frontcourt).

Since 2019-20, the former third overall pick from 2010 has witnessed his playing time dip to below 20 minutes a night, yet has still seen his efficiency remain intact when on the floor, showing that he doesn’t need a ton of possessions to make an impact when inserted into the ball game, which is something this Boston Celtics team could absolutely use.

Instead, Favors has grown far more accustomed to being called upon to set screens for his teammates, gobble up boards (total rebound percentage of 17.4 since 2020-21), and defend the rim, all unselfish traits that would be absolute luxuries for a backup big on a title-contending team to have.

With the days dwindling down on Boston’s most valuable TPE, if they intend on actually using it a decision must be made rather soon on who they should look to acquire and, with just one more year remaining on his contract with a worth of $10.2 million, the Boston Celtics could do a lot worse than a team-oriented veteran center like Derrick Favors.