DeMarre Carroll could be in for a big payday this summer, and the Boston Celtics reportedly are one of the teams looking to offer one.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported Thursday that the Celtics are on “a long list of teams already prepared to pursue” the Atlanta Hawks forward and impending free agent this summer — one that also includes the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons.
After playing for four different franchises during first four NBA seasons, Carroll has found a home in Atlanta, where he averaged 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game this season for a Hawks squad that came out of nowhere to finish with the Eastern Conference’s best record.
The 28-year-old has elevated his game even further in the postseason, averaging 16.2 points and shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from 3-point range before going down with a knee injury Wednesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. The injury proved to be only a sprain, however, and Carroll has been listed as questionable for Game 2 on Friday.
The Hawks would like to hold onto Carroll, Deveney reported, but perhaps not at the price the forward could command on the open market.
“With his defense and versatility,” Deveney wrote, “one league exec estimated his next deal at more than $15 million per year.”
Carroll could provide a sizable boost to a Celtics team in need of depth on the wing, and he’d bring a similar yet expanded skill set to that of C’s forward (and fellow impending free agent) Jae Crowder. Pursuing Carroll also would line up with the reported willingness of Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to overpay for second-tier free agents this summer.
Thumbnail photo via Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports Images
