Boston Celtics not scared away by trade target's rough start in 2023-24, can still pursue

The Boston Celtics are unlikely to be deterred from pursuing Reggie Bullock, despite his rough start to the 2023-24 season with the Houston Rockets, according to Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley; who linked the wing to the Cs while reiterating that Boston can pursue Andre Drummond in a deal with the Chicago Bulls or attempt to land John Konchar from the Memphis Grizzlies.

"Before Reggie Bullock signed with the Houston Rockets in early October, the Celtics were reportedly one of the teams that had interest in him, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto," Buckley prefaced before saying, "If they were already drawn to Bullock's established skill set, it's hard to imagine they'll let the choppy start to his Space City tenure turn them away.

"They're far more likely to trust his nearly decade-long run of solid three-and-D play. His 6'6", 205-pound frame allows him to cycle through multiple defensive assignments without missing a beat. And while his three-ball might be running cold right now, it's barely made a dent in his sizzling 38.4 percent career success rate. If the Celtics guessed right on his bounce-back potential, this could be one of the rare opportunities in the modern NBA to snag a three-and-D wing for cheap."

Boston Celtics better off rolling dice with Reggie Bullock than with Lamar Stevens or Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk

It's not a stretch to say that the Celtics are getting practically nothing from their non-guaranteed wing signings, Lamar Stevens and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, from the offseason. Ditto for their guaranteed signing of Oshae Brissett.

So pursuing Bullock for practically nothing -- which should be the cost considering he has scored 15 points in nine appearances for the Rockets, essentially giving Houston nothing anyway -- would be, at worst, a lateral move. If being in the northeast unlocks whatever the New York Knicks get out of him in Boston, though, the Celtics will be getting a steal.

You just have to wonder if Ime Udoka would appreciate the team that fired him getting a player that's doing nothing for him and having the chance to turn him into a valuable rotation player again.