2 most valuable TPEs the Boston Celtics still have and who they can target
By Mark Nilon
Boston Celtics target with $5.8M Dennis Schroder TPE: Cam Reddish
Last offseason, when the Boston Celtics signed veteran point guard Dennis Schroder to a mere one-year, taxpayer mid-level exception contract at a worth of $5.9 million, fans and media pundits rejoiced, with some even going as far as to call it the “best signing of the summer.”
Right from the jump, the German-born baller came out of the gates swinging, posting tremendous averages of 17.9 points, 4.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and a steal on 45 percent shooting from the floor and 36 percent shooting from deep through his initial 23 games played.
However, a lot of this production had to do with increased opportunities as a result of key players missing time due to various ailments (injuries, COVID-19, etc.).
Once the usual suspects wound up staving off their specific predicaments and made their way back onto the hardwood on a consistent basis, Schroder’s efficiency went on to take a bit of a hit and, as time passed on, the C’s felt it would be best to part ways with the guard.
By the time February’s trade deadline rolled around, Boston traded Schroder to the Houston Rockets, thus creating a nice little $5.8 million TPE for the franchise to use at a later date.
To this point, nothing has been done with the exception but, fret not shamrocks fans, for, as we discussed in the opening page, these types of luxuries can last up to a full year before they expire, meaning the ball club still has several months to decide who, if anyone, they wish to pursue with it and, if they do actually attempt to absorb a player’s contract, they should strongly consider targeting fourth-year talent, Cam Reddish.
A former lottery pick selected 10th overall back in the 2019 NBA Draft, Reddish has had an inconsistent go at things during these early stages of his professional career.
After spending two full up-and-down seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, at around the mid-way point of year three, Reddish was traded to the New York Knicks where he’d ride out the remainder of his junior season.
Unfortunately, his stint in the Big Apple was just as uninspiring, if not more so than it was in Atlanta, though there’s an argument to be made that the lackluster environment and his odd role within the rotation (from the moment he got there, coach Tom Thibodeau seemingly had no interest in utilizing him) played a significant part in his mere averages of just 6.1 points and 1.4 rebounds during his 15 games played with the club.
Nevertheless, rumor has it that the Knicks are open to the idea of parting ways with the youngster and, considering the fact that he’ll only be making $5.9 million this coming season, we believe he could be an ideal Schroder TPE target for the Boston Celtics.
The C’s still don’t have any real options backing up the likes of stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown and, being that this is reportedly still an area Ime Udoka hopes the front office will address, Reddish, a wing himself, could be one of the best low-risk, high-reward players Boston could realistically acquire.
Still just 22 years old, there’s plenty to like about this youngster’s upside (has shown flashes of being a quality two-way wing, albeit they have come sporadically thus far throughout his short career) and, at a cost of perhaps a few second-round picks, using the Schroder exception on the former McDonald’s All-American could wind up being an absolute steal if he can find his rhythm.