Coming into the season, the Celtics’ Bigs rotation consisted of 36-year-old players Al Horfordpetite Grant Williams And the revolving door of minimum wage craftsmen.But Robert Williams Coming back, it could be better than ever and suddenly center position doesn’t seem like a big deal.
But athletic Shams Charania reported Tuesday of celtics When raptors has registered a “significant” interest in trading San Antonio Spurs center Jacob Poeltlachieved unlimited free agency this summer.
Poeltl has been the Spurs’ starting center since arriving from Toronto in 2018. Kawai Leonard It traded and has steadily grown to become one of the best rim protectors in the league. He doesn’t have the range to shoot or his speed to switch guards like the big stars in the Celtics system often do, but he’s strong on both ends of the paint.
He’s 27 and has earned $9.4 million, but according to Charania, he’s on track to get nearly $20 million in free agency after turning down a $58 million extension offer over four years. This is slightly above his deal, which Grant Williams turned down before the season.
Boston has maintained an interest in Poeltl for several seasons and continues to monitor his market, according to team sources who have been allowed to remain anonymous because they are not allowed to speak publicly.
The problem, as always, is the price. San Antonio has informed stakeholders across the league that the Spurs want Poeltl’s two first-round picks, according to team and league sources. Derrick White last season.
The Celtics were ultimately able to acquire White, who was the 25th pick in the most recent draft and the 1st overall pick. Protected Pick Swaps for 2028Boston has only lost one pick in total, but that exchange is far in the future and from today the two franchises could be polar opposites.
Winning the center’s first two nets on an expiring deal and hoping for a big pay raise seems implausible, but at least San Antonio sets the bar high enough for a first round and some change. To do. With the Spurs having the financial flexibility to sign a four-year deal and still have the spending power, there is no incentive for the franchise to deal with Poeltl.
The Spurs hope to pair Poeltl with the vaunted Victor Wenbanyama if they win the lottery, and will only move Poeltl if they receive an offer too good to pass up. Assuming that the odds of winning the lottery are currently only 12.5% and that you might even end up in the top three, you know you can’t make a decision by this deadline.
Getting a Poeltl deal is tricky from Boston’s point of view. TRUE I need him The backup center is he’s the 9th or 10th man in rotation most nights. He is a starting caliber center expected to earn more than Rob Williams, who has cemented himself as one of the team’s key players. Boston already has to contend with Grant Williams for a similar deal, as it hit restricted free agency after this season.
Poeltl has more than enough power as a backup, but his resume in San Antonio is already complete. He can benefit from demotion in the right circumstances. At this point, there is nothing he can do to increase the value of free agency from the Spurs, and a more limited role in a major market contender would be his ideal audition stage. He would be more than happy to accept such a role if it meant showing his ability to play for the club and make an impact in title contention.
Considering Rob Williams’ health record and Horford’s load management program, Poeltl has plenty of chances during the regular season. Horford is likely to welcome Poeltl, who prefers to play four, limiting attrition with his career trail nearly gone. Horford said he played 30.5 minutes per game, Luke Cornette Carved his own 11.8. While there is room for Horford to drop to the mid-20s and Poeltl closer to the 26.5s, Williams’ minutes finally approached the 30-minute mark on the last trip.
But Cornette has played above his pay grade so far, meeting what teams are looking for in him. You will only see the floor if someone in front of you is out.
Celtics management are aware that Rob Williams may miss a game in the playoffs, team sources say, and he’s coming off a big offseason he’s enjoyed in Oklahoma City in 2021. It will be difficult to replicate Horford’s minutes from his last postseason.
Poeltl could always be brought in if Boston made a more significant move to open up an opening in the starting lineup, but Poeltl and Rob Williams cannot play next to each other and Williams cannot be traded. Doesn’t make sense unless the stars come back the other way around.
This team is comfortably in the lead at the moment. No need to overthink this, there is nothing about Brad Stevens’ tenure to indicate that he and his front office will. The team’s staff could view the potential Poeltl deal as an insurance policy for Williams rather than being part of an overhaul to this clearly established eight-man rotation.
Danilo Gallinari While likely a salary-matching basis for Boston’s offer, he can’t be traded back to the Spurs, as they fired him this summer after he returned from them. Atlanta Dejounte Murray in contract. So Boston would have to buy Gallinari to a third team, and at least a second-round pick due to the trouble that Gallinari could take the player option next season at age 35 and get out of a torn ACL. will become necessary.
A backup center slot could use an upgrade, but it wouldn’t solve the problem beyond the injury contingency. Sam Hauser‘s cold streak made it plausible to get a veteran sniper. Peyton Pritchard was effective on occasional chances, but Boston used an explosive pull-up scorer at that point as an option. Could be. Boston has no wings with more length and athleticism than two stars.
These are all rotation luxuries, and Boston could use their second-round picks to get someone who fits those descriptors for a few minutes into the night, but this team is the only one that the team has at the moment. It’s almost as complete as it does. Rarely does a 9th or 10th man in a rotation make or break a title run. They’re called up quickly in the two months it takes to be the last team in the playoffs, but the margin difference is just that: tiny.
Pritchard has been tested in playoff battles and has at least passed the mentality check. We’ll see about Hauser, but this is the first season he’s actually been in the league and he’s far from finished, and the Celtics have an athletic like his bench his wing if you get one of his Jalen McDaniels From Charlotte, Charania reports impending free agency could be one of several Hornets Can they believe he’s more ready for playoff basketball than Hauser?
Aaron Nesmith When Romeo Langford It’s a stark reminder of how productive young benchwarmers can be when they’re free to enjoy a lot of time with a team that isn’t in contention for the title.
The Celtics can afford to walk away from the deal if they are bidding by this deadline. This summer will be his third straight draft they punted in the first round. They need to consider what the bench will look like in a few years if they don’t continue to develop quality prospects. Poeltl doesn’t seem to have a future in Boston unless Rob Williams or Al Horford get seriously injured.
Perhaps the Celtics’ move at deadline would be similar to a complementary bench-piece second-round pick. They’ve already made their first investment to bolster their rotation when they trade Brogdon for White in 2022. This team no longer needs reform.
But whether it’s Danny Ainge or Brad Stevens, if the price is right, they’ll listen.
(Photo: Mike Watters / USA Today)
