Marcus Smart will become the 42nd player to suit up for the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the purple and gold needed to create cap room to bring the former Defensive Player of the Year on board.
Their corresponding moves were waiving Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The latter represents an intriguing option for the Celtics.
The six-foot-four guard made 29 appearances with Los Angeles last season. He averaged 5.6 points and knocked down 38.2 percent of the 2.3 threes he hoisted. Goodwin's best work comes at the defensive end of the floor. He's a pesky on-ball defender who swiped 1.0 steals per game in 18.7 minutes of floor time.
The chance to add a defensive pest and capable three-point shooter at a low cost is a move Boston may find appealing.
However, at the moment the franchise is over the second apron. The team is also carrying 15 players, placing it at the regular-season maximum.
Both of those situations can change easily. For instance, the Celtics could waive JD Davison, who's on a non-guaranteed contract. That would free up a roster spot and get them below the second apron.
However, with Jayson Tatum rehabbing a torn Achilles and the organization's desire to regain flexibility, this is a prime opportunity to start the process of resetting the repeater tax. Boston can achieve that by getting under the luxury tax in consecutive campaigns.
If the Celtics can shed enough salary to achieve that and sign Goodwin, then there's a compelling case for acquiring him. However, the priority for the 18-time NBA champions is clear.
Should the Celtics sign Ben Simmons?
NBA insider Marc Stein recently reported that Boston is among the teams showing interest in signing Ben Simmons.
The Australian native recently turned 29. From an age, potential upside, and projected cost perspective, the answer is a definitive yes.
The Celtics are priming for what figures to be a gap year. Their developmental infrastructure has helped players across their roster, ranging from Tatum and Jaylen Brown to Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet. Seeing what they can do for Simmons is precisely the type of chance they should take this season.
Furthermore, at six-foot-10, he could provide another option at center for a team whose top position of need is at the pivot. His ability to push the pace in transition and create for others also meshes with the Celtics' intention to operate at a faster tempo.
However, it is hard to believe that Simmons is about to suddenly make the leap he hasn't in his first seven years in the NBA.
His playoff minutes dwindled as the Los Angeles Clippers phased him out of their first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets last season. It became too challenging to keep him on the floor. When he crossed half-court, he quickly looked to get the ball out of his hands.
Boston could play him at center and plug Simmons into a Luke Kornet-type role offensively. He's a threat as a roller and brings an added dynamic since he can keep the ball on dribble handoff actions and burst to the basket. That job description would downplay the impact of his not being a three-point threat.
Still, his reluctance to look at the rim makes this an opportunity one has to talk themselves into. Kornet is coming off a career year in which he only averaged six points. Maybe the concerns about Simmons would be easy to overlook in his role with the Celtics.
The two-time All-Defensive team selection can guard one through five. Simmons can afford Jaylen Brown even more chances to attack off the catch while the former facilitates. And as previously outlined, he can push the pace and step into Kornet's role offensively.
While this author is skeptical about Simmons suddenly working through or around the problems plaguing him throughout his career, if Boston's willing to walk away from this experiment if it goes poorly, or the Celtics are comfortable with him remaining on the roster while accruing DNP-CDs [did not play - coach's decision], there's merit behind making this gamble.