Whether or not a Kevin Durant trade goes down or not, the Boston Celtics have some work to do to fill out the rest of the roster beyond the current 12 guaranteed contracts and pair of two-way contracts on the books.
As it stands, the Cs have the same starting lineup as last year that led the entire league in Net rating–scoring 12 points/100 possessions better than 2nd best team–and defensive rating and ranking third in offensive rating (h/t Max Lederman). They also have a second unit consisting of Payton Pritchard, Malcolm Brogdon, Derrick White, Grant Williams, and Danilo Gallinari.
There isn’t a better top 10 on a depth chart anywhere in the NBA, but even one injury would open the floodgates to severe depth problems — something that no front-running contender should feel comfortable with.
MassLive’s Brian Robb broke down what the Boston Celtics plan to do to address their current roster holes:
"“The Celtics will look to bring aboard at least one more wing in the coming weeks along with a potential big to compete with Vonleh and Kabengele for center depth behind Rob Williams and Al Horford.”"
Who’s available for the Boston Celtics on the free agent market
This year’s NBA free agency period has been significantly slower moving than past year’s because the league is in a holding pattern waiting on Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell, or both, to get traded any minute. Because of that, there are plenty of remaining free agents on the market that can contribute to a win-now contender.
Among the free agents available to address the backup big man vacancy are veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin, Paul Millsap, DeMarcus Cousins, and Dwight Howard. Of that bunch, Aldridge would add the most offensively, while Howard would be the closest schematic fit to Robert Williams on nights the ‘Time Lord’ needs a breather.
As for the wing spot, Carmelo Anthony offers more scoring off the bench, though that may not be all that necessary with Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari now in tow. Trevor Ariza is a journeyman 3-and-D that could provide veteran championship experience, but he has more wear on his tires than Melo. Boston could also go the enforcer route and target someone like Markieff Morris or James Johnson.