Danny Ainge has an interesting chip in his pocket beyond the collection of draft picks the Boston Celtics still hold.
The Celtics were granted an $8.4 million Disabled Player Exception by the NBA back in October after Gordon Hayward suffered a serious leg injury in Boston’s season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Basically, the Celtics can use the exception to sign, claim or trade for a player on the last year of his contract, so long as they have an open roster spot.
Ainge has been in no rush to use the exception, which expires March 10, but that doesn’t mean the Celtics president of basketball operations has no intention of using it to bolster Boston’s roster at some point this season. In fact, Chris Mannix of Yahoo! Sports said Thursday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Toucher and Rich” that Boston undoubtedly will use the exception.
“Based on my conversations with people in the front office, if they have to, they’re going to like find the best Boston rec league player and throw the $8 million exception at him to get somebody to take that money at the end of it,” Mannix said. “They’re going to get somebody with that exception.”
One scenario for the Celtics is to wait and see which players are bought out of their contracts around the Feb. 8 trade deadline, at which point they’ll be available for Boston to sign. Some possibilities, according to Mannix: Lou Williams, Tyreke Evans, Nerlens Noel and Greg Monroe.
Of course, a lot can change between now and then, meaning there’s no guarantee any of those candidates gets bought out. The Celtics even could swing a trade in the meantime. It sure sounds like the Celtics will add a piece somewhere down the road, though, and it’s important to note that using the exception wouldn’t preclude Hayward from returning this season if that eventually becomes an option.
“Somebody’s going to come in and join that rotation,” Mannix said. “And when they do, I think they’re going to be given a boost against Cleveland.”
