The Boston Celtics have only one spot left. Technically speaking, they don't have to fill it, and there's a strong chance it will remain that way. However, it they're going for one of the remaining big fish in free agency, DeMar DeRozan is perhaps the biggest unrestricted free agent still available.
DeRozan is a name, but it's been a while since he last played for a team with high aspirations. That dates back to when he played for the Toronto Raptors in the previous decade. His market isn't as strong as it was the last time he hit unrestricted free agency in 2024, but he can still put up numbers.
But just because someone can put up numbers doesn't mean they're exactly what a playoff contender is looking for. There's a fair argument that Boston doesn't need DeRozan, but if Brad Stevens brings him in, it would be for these four reasons.
Note: these four reasons are all together. They wouldn't sign him for one or two of them. All of them
1. They need a scorer off the bench
Boston traded Anfernee Simons despite how productive he was in his role, and then opted not to bring him back (though there was some intel suggesting they were interested). So, they're not above bringing in a bench scorer.
DeRozan not only brings that, but also brings a fair amount of playmaking to the team. He's not the elite floor spacer Simons is, but opponents still take him seriously. DeRozan's All-Star days are behind him, but he's still capable of going off
It'd be tricky because he doesn't shoot threes, which is a no-no for Mazzulla ball, but he could make an exception. Boston has some intriguing options in their second unit in terms of individual scoring, but none as proven as DeRozan
2. His defense won't be much of a hinderance
This is probably the biggest argument against DeRozan. He was never a great defender and he will not help Boston's defense in the slightest. Adding him would be about the Celtics trying to cover up for his shortcomings.
The Celtics are actually pretty loaded in terms of defensive personnel. They have plenty of fantastic players. Adding DeRozan would be a sign of confidence that their defense could cover for him. They had that same confidence when they added Simons and they were right (to some degree)!
Mazzulla made it work with defensively limited players like Simons and Luka Garza. Doing the same with DeRozan would be quite a miracle, but miracles happen.
3. Mike Conley Jr. is out of gas
No one has necessarily had a problem with Conley, but as one of the NBA's oldest players, everyone knows his impact on the game can be quite limited. He impressively showed there was still some juice left, but that will surely only decrease from here.
If Boston brought him in for leadership more than anything else, then that could open up the idea to another guard who can score. The irony is that even if Conley is at the tail end of his career, DeRozan is in the same boat.
Boston may only add him as more of a regular season innings eater than anything else. But if the bar for him to clear is to be better than Conley, that wouldn't be too difficult. At the same time, it doesn't seem like Boston added him only for mentorship.
4. Boston will remain out of the tax
The Celtics are just barely below the tax at the moment. If they add DeRozan, they're back above it. However, they would have until the trade deadline to get below it, which wouldn't be all that difficult.
Plus, if DeRozan pays off for them, it would be worth that risk. The Celtics want to be the best team possible, and if the six-time All-Star helps in that regard, whether it's in the regular season and/or the postseason, that'd be worth the chump change they would give him.
DeRozan is a flawed player who's firmly in the twilight of his NBA career. It's hard to know if he can truly impact a playoff team like he last did eight years ago. No one would blame Boston if they pass on him, but if they believe he's an asset, Brad Stevens has been right a lot more often than he's been wrong.
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