The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean a team cannot add new players.
As part of the deadline chaos, several players were bought out of their contracts, making them free agents and eligible to sign with any team.
The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have already dipped their toe in the free-agency pool, as the team is expected to sign veteran point guard Deron Williams on Monday.
Williams was bought out from his deal with the Dallas Mavericks after the team was unable to trade him. The Mavericks were able to move center Andrew Bogut, who was a part of the rather puzzling trade that sent Nerlens Noel from Philadelphia to Dallas.
While Bogut is currently on the 76ers roster, he is expected to be bought out in the coming days. According to Yahoo! Sports’ Shams Charania, Bogut has spoken to Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown and expressed his desire to play for a championship contender.
“Bogut has had a phone conversation with 76ers coach Brett Brown since his trade from Dallas, league sources said, and he respects Brown and the culture of the 76ers,” Charania writes. “However, Bogut wants to pursue a championship and play a significant role for a veteran team. Cleveland, San Antonio, Houston, Boston and Utah have had discussions with Bogut’s representatives over the last 24 hours, league sources said.”
Out of those five teams mentioned, Bogut’s services would probably be of most use to the Boston Celtics. Boston is in dire need of an interior presence, as it is currently near the bottom of the league in nearly every rebounding category.
While Bogut seems like a natural fit for Boston, C’s fans should not get ahead of themselves. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has already expressed his reluctance to bring in new players mid-season, saying it sometimes “messes with team chemistry.”
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
