The Celtics appear to be finished with making big offseason additions, but Boston still has an opportunity to add an extra piece or two to round out its roster.
Brad Stevens wasn't afraid to make the big splash moves to improve a championship-level team, and the president of basketball operations did so through trading for Malcolm Brogdon and signing Danilo Gallinari. The Celtics also made smaller moves through the draft (J.D. Davison), re-signing bench contributors and bringing in a Summer League standout in Mfiondu Kabengele.
While Davison proved he has the talent to surpass his value at No. 53 in the 2022 NBA Draft, and the young players on the roster can improve, the big splash plays for the Celtics prove they are interested in veterans. As Grant Williams pointed out, he believes Boston's lack of disciple in the NBA Finals resulted in their loss to the Golden State Warriors, and veterans are a good solution to that.
Boston let its $17.1 million traded player exception expire, but it still has ways it can bring players into the roster.
Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley identified three veteran free agents the Celtics could sign at a minimum contract: Demarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard and Jeremy Lamb.
Boston are reportedly looking to add a back-up big man to the roster, and Aron Baynes is reportedly not an option -- Luke Kornet could fill in for the role, but Boston will likely look at all their options.
"Frankly, the 31-year-old's combination of size (6-foot-10, 270 pounds) and skill is seldom seen across the entire league," Buckley wrote about Cousins on Thursday. "Now, anyone hoping to see Cousins return to stardom can let that idea go, as he can't defend enough to hold down a major role.
"He has averaged fewer than 18 minutes each of the past two seasons and hasn't logged more than 26 per night since 2017-18. Still, a reserve role allows him to empty the tank when he hits the hardwood, and he can carve up bench defenses. With the strength to bully defenders around the basket and the stroke to bury open shots from distance, he can pile up points and rebounds in a hurry."
Howard enters his age-37 season, but the eight-time All-NBA center has adjusted to a high-energy reserve role in his twilight years.
"He can block shots. He can rebound," Buckley wrote on Howard. "He can finish point-blank chances. His skill set may not stretch any further at this point, but it doesn't need to given the workload and responsibility list he would be assigned."
While fans may question the Lamb fit, the Celtics showed this offseason a commitment to lighten the load for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Lamb fits the bill.
"The 30-year-old may not be an elite sharpshooter, but he is an effortlessly smooth shot-maker," Buckley wrote. "He's still slippery enough to free himself from tight coverage, and if he gets an opening, he has the confidence to pull from anywhere. The Celtics needed more reliability from their scoring reserves this past season. Lamb could help check that box this time around."
The Celtics have a number of options at their disposal, the only question is if the decide to jump in and make a late free-agent addition.
