Analyst against Boston Celtics signing ‘intriguing and inexpensive’ big

Inside The Celtics’ Bobby Krivitsky believes recently-waived former Houston Rockets big man Usman Garuba is an “intriguing and inexpensive” frontcourt option for the Boston Celtics, but still believes the Spanish center would be redundant in the C’s rotation.

“As much as the Boston Celtics could do for the growth of Garuba’s game, he’ll be behind Williams, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Oshae Brissett, and may not prove more worthy of playing time than Luke Kornet, who performed well in his role in 2022-23,” Krivitsky prefaced before saying, “Still, adding a young, versatile big man with a level of potential that warranted a first-round selection two years ago is an intriguing and inexpensive option for Boston.” Krivitsky described the ideal landing spot for Garuba — and needless to say, the Celtics didn’t fit that description in the slightest.

“The ideal landing spot for the 21-year-old is a franchise where he’ll receive more minutes, helping him refine his game at both ends of the court and speed up how quickly he diagnoses plays defensively,” he wrote.

The Boston Celtics must focus on finding another scoring wing, not a big man

Garuba could be an intriguing flier for a team like the Los Angeles Lakers or the Phoenix Suns that need a center but don’t have the means to splurge on one, but the Boston Celtics don’t possess such a need. Instead, the Cs could use a scoring wing like T.J. Warren or Lamar Stevens, who the front office is reportedly looking at.

Should Boston experience any Robert Williams III turbulence before or during the season like last year, Garuba could be someone worth revisiting should he still be available. But there is no urgent need for someone with his skillset on the Celtics. A different contender or a rebuilder makes the most sense given what Garuba is able to do on the floor at this very moment.