Ranking the 3 reported Boston Celtics free agent targets

No. 1: The case for the Boston Celtics to sign Lamar Stevens

Coming at the top of this list is former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens. Stevens finds himself without a team, after he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs and then subsequently waived this summer.

If the Celtics are looking to add some extra defense off of their bench, then they should look no further. At 6-foot-7, Stevens could serve as a versatile defender for the Cs as they continue to look to switch as much as possible.

The problem comes on the offensive end, where he is a bit more limited. In three seasons with the Cavs, Stevens averaged just 5.3 points per game. The efficiency wasn’t great either, as he knocked down 46.7% of his attempts overall and 28.1% of those from distance.

There is definitely a good amount of upside for Stevens, though. That rough shooting from long distance has been improving in each season. He shot 31.6% from three-point range this year, after making just 16.0% of his attempts as a rookie.

On top of that, defense is always a valuable skill and could very well earn Stevens minutes for Boston this season — especially after the team lost both Marcus Smart and Grant Williams this summer.

It just feels more worth it for the Celtics to bring in someone that’s at least going to bring the effort each time he gets out onto the floor.