As the days pass on by, the $17.1 million TPE that the Boston Celtics acquired last offseason via the Evan Fournier sign-and-trade gets closer to its July 18th expiration, meaning that there’s only a finite amount of time remaining for the front office to actually utilize the luxury.
Now, according to some in the know, it appears that Brad Stevens and co. could simply opt to let it vanish considering how deep their rotation already is, though The Athletic’s Jared Weiss says that while the odds of it being used are low, the franchise is still pondering on potential opportunities (subscription required).
Because of this little tidbit, fans and media outlets still find themselves churning out ideas discussing who Boston could opt to target to absorb into their lofty exception, and one player we recently described as a ‘realistic’ option to consider is now garnering attention from other sources.
Late last week, Adam Taylor of Heavy.com pushed out a piece discussing the concept of the Celtics pursuing the likes of veteran big man, Derrick Favors, and even labeled him as an “ideal addition” due to his defensive intangibles and various other on-court contributions:
"The veteran big man is more of a throwback center, relying on his size, strength, and post-moves to be an offensive weapon while relying on positioning and cutting angles to protect the rim.Beyond Favor’s ability to manipulate angles on defense, he’s also a viable rebounder who can control the glass on both sides of the floor courtesy of his burly frame and impressive strength. Throughout his career, the veteran center has averaged 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game during the regular season, along with 7.8 points, and 5.7 rebounds per post-season contest.The Celtics aren’t known for using a floor-spacing center within their offensive system, so Favor’s limited jump shot wouldn’t be a deal-breaker, so long as he can set solid screens, and score in the post or off putbacks – things he has been successful at his entire career."
When we initially penned our piece last week discussing the idea of Derrick Favors being a legitimate option for the Boston Celtics to consider pursuing, a major reason for why was because of the team’s lacking depth in the frontcourt after the Daniel Theis trade and their need for a replacement who doesn’t command a ton of attention or usage.
The veteran seems to cover both boxes and, with his ability to play both ends of the floor, Taylor’s description of him possibly being the ideal add to Ime Udoka’s rotation could very well prove to be true if acquired via the Fournier TPE.