Difference-makers Celtics could still add for one final upgrade

With the trade deadline behind us, the Boston Celtics enter one of the most crucial stretches of their season. Yes, they hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings and own a six-game lead over the second-place Cavaliers, but this is no time to take their foot off the gas.

With guys already having earned All-Star bids and with the Celtics being as talented as they are, it might be tempting to coast a little down the stretch of the season. But a race for the top seed is usually never decided until the final week or two of the season at most, and Boston will have to keep pushing.

To do that, there are still a few unsigned players the Celtics could look at adding to give them some extra breathing room in the final two months before the playoffs start. These are a few of the players they should be considering the most.

Danilo Gallinari

A familiar name for Celtics fans, Danilo Gallinari originally joined the organization on a two-year, $13 million deal in summer of 2022. But less than two months after agreeing to play in Boston, Gallinari suffered an unfortunate injury, tearing his left ACL. The setback caused him to miss the entire 2022-23 season, and he never appeared in a game for the Celtics.

While he is on the older side at 35 years old and would not be a league-shaking addition, Brad Stevens clearly had a vision for him on the roster prior to the injury. Gallinari may have some mixed feelings about returning given how he was traded this past summer, but he could still be an option worth exploring.