7 Free agent point guard targets for the Celtics after trading Marcus Smart

Falling one win short of back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, there’s no question that the Boston Celtics may be a move or two away from winning an NBA Title. To start the offseason, the Celtics made the bold move of trading Marcus Smart in a three-team deal to acquire Kristaps Porzingis. But even after completely retooling the supporting cast, the Celtics can’t be done dealing just yet.

And with the start of free agency in the near future, you’d have to imagine that this is a team that could be already planning its next few moves.

One interesting possibility is adding to the backcourt. Even though the team had a logjam before the Smart trade, there’s an argument to be made that they moved the wrong guard and have left themselves open to potential disaster. After the starters (Derrick White and Jaylen Brown), it’s hard to be overly confident with the team’s remaining depth in the backcourt.

Between Malcolm Brogdon’s potential injury concerns and Payton Pritchard’s inexperience, it would not be far-fetched for the Celtics to add a veteran point guard in free agency. If that ends up being the plan, we explore seven that could be of interest to the team.

7 Veteran point guard targets for the Boston Celtics to pursue in free agency

Derrick Rose (unrestricted)

The New York Knicks have officially declined Derrick Rose’s team option for next season, making way for him to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. While Rose may not be an in-their-prime player anymore, you can’t help but wonder if he still has something left to add to a playoff team at the age of 34.

Maybe the Celtics should explore that possibility.

Rose fell out of the Knicks’ rotation early on this past season but is just one year removed from averaging 12 points and four assists on 40 percent shooting from 3-point range during the 2021-22 NBA season. If nothing else, Rose’s veteran presence could be a welcomed addition to the locker after losing Marcus Smart.