Kelly Olynyk’s incredible performance in Game 7 of the Celtics’ second-round NBA playoff series win over the Washington Wizards might have been his last great moment in Boston.
The Celtics reportedly plan to chase Gordon Hayward as an unrestricted free agent next month, and then make a stunning trade for Indiana Pacers superstar Paul George. Boston will need two maximum salary cap slots to bring these players in, and that likely will force some of its role players to leave via free agency or trades to create enough cap room.
Olynyk could be a casualty of that process, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Olynyk was a key bench player for the Celtics this past season, but his scoring average dipped by one point per game and his 3-point shooting percentage decreased by almost five percent compared to the 2015-16 campaign.
He can be replaced, but regardless if he re-signs or leaves, the Celtics still need to add more rebounding talent to their roster. Boston was crushed on the boards last season, and it was a real weakness during the playoffs, too.
Olynyk averaged just 4.8 rebounds per game last season, but if he and impending free agents Amir Johnson and Tyler Zeller also leave, the Celtics would be very thin in the frontcourt.
Thumbnail photo via David Richard/USA TODAY Sports Images
