Celtics Seemingly Rebuilt Roster With Specific Strategy In Mind

The Boston Celtics are well positioned to keep superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown around for the next several seasons.

That has forced them to get creative in other areas, however.

The Celtics had to make a pair of tough decisions this offseason. Boston elected to trade Marcus Smart and Grant Williams in a couple of three-team deals that netted Kristaps Porzingis and a multitude of draft picks. The moves were necessary to keep the C’s in the hunt while allowing them to play a more versatile brand of basketball in an attempt to get over the hump and finally capture Banner 18.

“I like this team,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens recently told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. ” … We have a lot of flexibility. We can play big and small. I like — obviously our experienced guys that everybody knows their name. I like those guys a lot, they can help lead it, but I like a lot of our younger guys and what they can ultimately become.”

The Celtics added Lamar Stevens, Dalano Banton, Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett over the course of the offseason, supplementing the bench with players that fit a similar mold to what has worked in the past. They can all play on the wing and reprieve the likes of Tatum and Brown, which might be priority No. 1 during the regular season.

Boston was forced to make those low-budget signings due to its lack of draft picks, which left the Celtics looking to add depth in some less-than-ideal ways. Brad Stevens was able to do that, looking at not only this season, but the future, as well.

“Tough, know how to play, but also have a little bit of a runway,” Brad Stevens told Washburn. “We’ve had to walk that a little bit. (Delano) Banton is a good example. We haven’t had a first-round draft pick in three years, so can you find a young guy that you can invest in and really work with? And he’s excited to be here. Those guys are important.

“We’re trying to win it, but we’re also trying to make sure we are using our other roster spots to make sure we’re investing in younger players.”

The Celtics will put their new roster to the test when they open up the season on Oct. 25 against the New York Knicks.