Former first-round forward’s free agency interests Boston Celtics analyst
Maurice Harkless has had a journey of an offseason as a part of three trades before finally being waived on October 11 by the Houston Rockets. He was previously traded from the OKC Thunder, by way of the Atlanta Hawks, after playing last season on the Sacramento Kings. With the ability to choose his next destination, the Boston Celtics offer a win-now situation and the chance to get second-unit minutes on the wing.
They also offer a situation veterans are finding amenable. Take Blake Griffin’s bullish assessment of Boston’s behind-the-scenes situation. “The amount of maturity and welcomingness (that the Celtics’ players showed) is a different atmosphere than I was sort of used to, in a good way.”
“I think you kind of take that for granted because it’s not always the case everywhere you go,” Griffin said, giving credence to the idea that the Boston Celtics were far from broken after their head coach, Ime Udoka, was suspended for the entire 2022-23 and given practically no chance to return.
Boston is a great landing spot for Harkless, but how is the fit for the 29-year-old former first-round pick in a crowded Cs rotation already stocked with contributors? BSS’ Dan Greenberg is interested in exploring it:
Now this interests me https://t.co/iaPxoYiqZO
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) October 11, 2022
How Maurice Harkless fits with the Boston Celtics second unit
Though Maurice Harkless found himself in the Sacramento Kings starting lineup last season, he would have nearly no chance of finding his way into Joe Mazzulla’s first five with the Boston Celtics if he signed a free agent deal. Mazzulla has already seen success with Derrick White stepping into the starting 2 spot and shifting Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Al Horford up a position and Luke Kornet is already back at practice.
Harkless would be in the second unit, where he’d fit in as a defender that elevated Sacramento during the 2021-22 season and a sharpshooter in the right situation (Ie. 2020-21 Miami Heat, 2019-20 L.A. Clippers, 2017-18 Portland Trail Blazers). At 29, he still fresh enough legs to play on nights where the starters need a rest. There’s worse signings to make at the vet’s minimum a week removed from the season and with injuries afflicting the frontcourt.