Celtics Sleeper Contracts to Pursue in NBA Free Agency
The Boston Celtics are spending the first part of their 2022 summer vying for what would be their 18th NBA championship.
The rest of their summer break, meanwhile, will be spent plotting ways to get back to this point.
While the players, coaches and fans can give their full attention to this playoff run, the front office can't have such a narrow focus. These decision-makers are always anticipating what's next, so we'll do the same with an early glimpse at three sleeper free-agency targets for Boston.
Nicolas Batum
The Celtics may not sense many needs when they plan their summer shopping, since they're already champs of the Eastern Conference and could soon be crowned NBA kings.
Still, they could use another ball-handler. And a playmaker. And someone who can bury open shots. Oh, and someone who can defend multiple positions, too.
Or, they could sign Nicolas Batum and give themselves a chance at adding all of the above.
On a championship contender, the veteran swingman can let his versatility shine. With a deep bag of tricks at both ends and a genius-level basketball IQ, it's no wonder Batum's teams almost always fare better with him than without (plus-2.1 points per 100 possessions for his career, via Basketball-Reference.com).
Wayne Ellington
The Celtics have an elite defense and an offense powered by a pair of do-it-all forwards who can create scoring chances out of thin air. When the supporting cast clicks around stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston is essentially unbeatable.
Often, this swing comes down to outside shooting. If the Celtics hit their marks from long range, they're probably putting another notch in the win column. In the playoffs alone, Boston has averaged 14.8 threes on 38.7 percent shooting in wins and only 12.3 threes at a 35.7 percent clip in defeats.
Because shooting is so critical to this club's success, and because this roster is so deep in other areas, the Celtics should feel emboldened to pounce on a specialist.
A player like Wayne Ellington only moves the needle in one area, but he is elite in his role as a long-range marksman. Since the start of 2016-17, he has been a nightly source of 2.4 triples on 38.6 percent shooting.
Rodney McGruder
Boston could stand to beef up its wing depth.
Doing so with the current budget constraints won't be easy, but it can happen.
Look at Rodney McGruder. If he was, say, a tad bit bigger than his 6'4", 205-pound frame, he might have a prominent place on most teams' offseason wish list. That extra size would make it easier to envision him in the high-level, three-and-D role his skill set is well-equipped to support.
Without the size, though, all he loses is a little flexibility and length on defense. He still has an elite motor, a three-ball that has fallen at a 40.6 percent clip since the start of last season and an advanced basketball IQ that consistently delivers smart decisions on both ends.