With Thomas Bryant having made his decision to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics must look at other available backup options at the center position to strengthen their depth in the front-court.
The Celtics have noticeably improved their bench depth with the additions of Danilo Gallinari and Malcolm Brogdon in the hopes of returning to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.
This did, however, come at a cost. Acquiring Brogdon involved mainly trading away Aaron Nesmith and Daniel Theis. While Brogdon will surely fill the void Nesmith left almost immediately, there lies a major hole at the backup center spot with Theis gone.
As Al Horford continues to get older and Robert Williams III makes the effort to stay healthy while the Celtics try to maintain their defensive structure, they must look for a backup big who can step up when needed. We at HH discuss three low-risk, high-reward players the Celtics can sign via the veteran’s minimum in free agency:
Boston Celtics target No. 1: Montrezl Harrell
Of the available centers in free agency, Montrezl Harrell arguably stands as the best option for the Celtics.
The former second-rounder exceeded the expectations of many people since he came to the league in 2015, especially with Los Angeles Clippers. In three seasons with the Clippers, he produced 15.2 points, 5.8 assists, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks for 23.5 minutes a night. His last season there was his best performance as it gave him the 2020 Sixth Man of the Year award.
Harrell spent last season playing the all-familiar role of the sixth man for the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. Off the bench, he averaged 13 points, six rebounds, and two assists on 64.5% shooting from the field.
Signing Harrell gives Boston a major advantage in keeping starters Al Horford and Robert Williams well-rested and safe from the risk of injury. Harrell has shown he can stay on the court for long periods of time without getting injured while being one of the spark plugs in the second unit.
Even though Harrell is facing a felony drug charge that could have him serve up to five years in prison, if he doesn’t get convicted, he stands as a possible game-changer who can propel the Celtics to the best in the league.