Former lottery pick wing potential ‘insurance policy’ for Boston Celtics

Former Arizona wing Stanley Johnson, the eighth pick of the 2015 NBA draft, has been deemed by MassLive’s Brian Robb a potential ‘insurance policy’ on the wing for the Boston Celtics should the team explore one more addition from the buyout market.

Johnson played his last game for the Spurs on February 11 before the 2023 NBA All-Star Game and just two days after the trade deadline. The 26-year-old’s minutes had seen an uptick just prior to the deadline. Johnson was playing well enough for San Antonio to warrant another look elsewhere — averaging 53% from the field and making 18 of his 40 3-point attempts on the season — and he could be a low-risk option for the Cs on a 10-day contract.

Robb’s write-up on Johnson was part of his piece exploring 4 Celtics buyout market options for its final roster spot:

"“Johnson was productive in his limited time with the Spurs, playing in 30 games and averaging 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Johnson won’t give too much offensive production, but he’s a solid defender. His length and athleticism are also a plus for a backup wing option. He won’t move the needle too much, but could be a solid insurance option for the Celtics.”"

Aging point guard shockingly linked to Boston Celtics again

The most interesting option floated by Robb in his piece was undoubtedly 32-year-old floor general John Wall, who had also been floated by Chowder and Champions’ Brian Foisy as a potential buyout addition.

Wall has sat out two of the last four seasons and seriously struggled to return back to his pre-injury form in 2022-23 while he was with the Clippers. Having since been waived, Wall is available, but there isn’t expected to be a robust market for the former No. 1 overall draft pick 13 years ago.

Time is seemingly passing Wall by, and the number of contenders willing to give him a chance for the stretch run of the current campaign is a small bunch. The Boston Celtics should have no interest in Wall with Payton Pritchard already complaining about his playing time in the backcourt and Blake Griffin already providing a veteran voice in the locker room.