5 potential FA targets for the Boston Celtics 15th roster spot

Five options to potentially fill the Boston Celtics final roster spot.

Good morning! Happy Monday! We’re officially into the second week of free agency.

The Boston Celtics still have an open roster spot.

I think we can all agree that, logically speaking, the most likely outcome is that Brad Stevens leaves the spot open heading into the season — unless Osahe Brissett has a change of heart and wants to run it back.

Still, it’s the offseason. We’re waiting for the Las Vegas Summer League and the Olympics. Right now, there’s not much going on. So, despite the fact we already know the most likely outcome, I want to spend today looking at some more potential additions to the final roster spot.

I’ve approached this experiment with a few simple rules.

1. There are 5 bigs under contract next season: Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Xavier Tillman, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta. As such, we will not look at any potential additions for the five spot.

2. We’re focusing on players who can provide minutes at the 3 and 4.

3. Ideally, we’re looking at veterans, some of whom would have to be willing to take a pay cut to chase a championship ring.

4. I want to look at 1 or 2 younger guys who could provide future upside.

5. Finally, we’re operating under the assumption that the following players would accept a smaller role in exchange for a potential championship run and to potentially increase their value next season.

Now that the parameters of this exercise have been set, let’s dive in.

Gordon Hayward

Age: 34

Position(s): Small Forward + Power Forward

Stats from last season: 9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 46.4 FG% and 41.1 3p%.

My Reasoning: Hayward has unfinished business in Boston. He joined the Celtics in 2017, fresh off his lone All-Star season. The fact he’d cracked the All-Star team despite playing in a loaded Western Conference was seen as a big deal at the time. Hayward was supposed to be the versatile wing to help take Boston to the next level.

A gnarly leg injury in his first game for the franchise set the tone for the remainder of his tenure. If we’re being honest with ourselves, his career never truly recovered from that horrific moment on October 17, 2017, against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Hayward has entered free agency following a disastrous spell with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His tenure with the Western Conference contenders was so bad that Sam Presti admitted the move had been a mistake.

"I missed on that," Presti said when discussing the Hayward trade. "That's on me. But I'm learning, I'm trying to learn this team, I'm trying to learn the pace of the team. And I'm trying to be a great observer of the team as it's going through its paces, knowing that it's really going to change on its own in and of itself. Our team — the last 20 games — was sigmicnally different than the first 20 games. These were the same players. Everytime someone changes, or develops, or we stumble onto something, it changes the rest of the team. I don't think I read that [Hayward trade] perfect. I'm learning from that, in terms of brining someone in midseason."

A potential return to the Celtics would allow Hayward to finally complete the mission he started when he chose to team up with Stevens all those years ago. Of course, he would be in a completely different role, and would have to accept a smaller role than he could get elsewhere.

However, Hayward has consistently struggled with injuries in recent years. A minor role could allow him to manage his body and make a legitimate contribution when called upon. He would undoubtedly earn minutes off the bench for Joe Mazzulla’s team. He’s still a three-level scoring threat, a reliable defender and can create off the bounce.

Hayward brings the type of versatility the Celtics adore. He can play multiple positions. He can slide up and down on defense, providing switchability and on-ball aggression. Most importantly, he can knock down threes at an above-average clip.

Role and pay would undoubtedly be the sticking points in enticing Hayward to Boston. Mazzulla’s rotation is set. The team at his disposal won a championship a few weeks ago. Still, Hayward is the type of luxury addition that can keep some distance between Boston and the chasing pack.

Robert Covington

Age: 33

Position(s): Small Forward + Power Forward + Small Ball 5

Stats from last season: 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds on 43.9 FG% and 33.9 3p%.

My Reasoning: Covington doesn’t have Hayward's diverse two-way skill set, but he’s a more logical target. He’s a typical three-and-d forward with great positional versatility. He has bounced around contending teams in recent years as they’ve looked to add his on-ball defense to their rotation.

Covington is good enough to slot into a startling lineup when needed. However, he’s likely okay with coming off the bench when his number gets called at this stage of his career, especially with how much he’s bounced around in recent years.

Baylor Scheierman’s versatility and upside could keep him ahead of Covington in the rotation. Therefore, he could join Boston to fill Svi Mykhailiuk’s limited role. Nevertheless, Covington provides two-way production, a step up from the single-skill specialism Mykhailiuk offered. The more two-way production you can get from your deep bench pieces, the better. After all, you never know what the upcoming season has in store.

Interestingly, Covington has limited experience in the postseason. He’s suited up on 30 occasions across four seasons. The chance to be part of deep run, however limited his impact may be, could be enough to entice him into a one-year veteran minimum deal.

Jae Crowder

Age: 34

Position(s): Small Forward + Power Forward

Stats from last season: 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 42.2 FG% and 34.9 3p%.

My Reasoning: Another former Celtic.

Crowder is a no-bullshit veteran who can anchor a bench unit — regardless of whether he’s a staple in the rotation. I do have questions when it comes to his willingness to accept a deep-bench role, though. He’s been impactful everywhere he’s gone since leaving Boston. He will likely have offers from elsewhere in the NBA — likely with other contenders — where there will be more playing time available.

Crowder has been to the last 10 consecutive postseasons and has been a rotation piece on each of those teams. He plays hard defense, hustles and can knock down open threes.

However, Crowder’s career 34.8% shooting on the perimeter would likely limit his minutes within Mazzulla’s rotation. He’s not an elite slasher and doesn’t jump out of the gym, either. If you want to thrive on this Celtics team, you have to either nail perimeter jumpers, offer scoring via stampede or 45 cuts, or be a threat in the dunker spot. Crowder’s offensive skillset isn’t a perfect fit. His defense, on the other hand, would be ideal for Mazzulla’s system, and that could allow him to make use of his limitless motor when running the break. He would seamlessly slot into Brissett’s former role.

So, if you want to add physicality, hustle and leadership to the rotation, Crowder is your guy.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Age: 22

Position(s): Power Forward

Stats from last season: 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists on 40.5 FG% and 32.7 3p%.

My Reasoning: Poku needs to rebuild some value around the NBA. When he entered the league, there were high hopes for the player he could become. At 22 years old, he still has plenty of time to figure things out. It might benefit him to join a team that will allow him to develop behind the scenes while only checking into games when the matchups make sense.

Boston has proven itself a solid player development landing spot in recent years. Sam Hauser went from undrafted rookie to NBA champion in 3 years. He’s one of the best movement shooters in the NBA and has earned his respect on the defensive end. Neemais Queta is an exciting prospect. Luke Kornet went from bouncing around the NBA to being a third-string big on a championship team.

Poku wouldn’t earn a significant amount of minutes under Mazzulla. He would, however, get an opportunity to work with and learn from the Celtics developmental coaches and stars like Porzingis, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford — all of whom could teach him different aspects of using his unique skills.

For Boston, Poku would be a reclamation project. If they can help him improve, they will have another young talent that can impact games on both sides of the court. Poku has the size and shooting ability to be a genuine threat. Signing him to a 1+1 deal could also provide some flexibility in the trade market, assuming they can rebuild some of his value.

Usually, I’m not of the belief that a contending team should be taking flyers on high-upside young guys. There are plenty of rebuilding teams that can fulfill that role. However, Poku’s size and skillset fit the system. He could develop into a viable trade chip. And the more players you can develop, the more attractive your franchise becomes to undrafted talent and players who have struggled since entering the league.

With the new second tax apron, being known as a viable landing spot to build your career will give the Celtics an additional pool to pluck talent from. If that means you have to throw players like Poku a bone here and there, so be it. And who knows, maybe he pops and you have another high-level rotation piece in the coming years.

Danilo Gallinari

Age: 35

Position(s): Shooting Guard + Small Forward + Power Forward + Center

Stats from last season: 5.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 43.7 FG% and 32.3 3p%.

My Reasoning: The third former Celtic on this list. Like Hayward, Gallinari’s tenure in Boston didn’t go to plan. He tore his ACL while playing for Italy shortly after signing with the franchise and never registered a game in a Celtics jersey.

Gallinari may want another shot at playing in front of the TD Garden and embracing the Celtics fanbase. He is still a viable catch-and-shoot threat; however, that’s all he brings at this point. His defense has declined, his mobility is limited, and his ability to attack close-outs off the dribble is constrained to one or two dribbles before pulling up in the mid-range. He can still grab some boards, though.

Boston would give Gallinari the spacing he needs to knock down his jumpers. He would be a reliable release valve off the bench, albeit in a minimal role that is built around situational minutes.

I like that Gallinari would add size with shooting, especially given his positional versatility and veteran mindset. A one-year deal could be beneficial to both sides, especially if he wants the chance to finally live out his dream of playing for the Celtics.

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