Projecting Landing Spots for Celtics' Top Free Agents
The Boston Celtics will almost certainly have a quiet 2023 NBA offseason.
That is, of course, unless they feel the need to shake things up.
Their upcoming playoff run should add some clarity, as they'll soon get a better feel for whether this is—or at least can become—a championship roster. If everything checks out on that front, Boston is in prime position to essentially run it back next season.
The Celtics have few players headed for free agency, and our crystal ball isn't convinced there's a major flight risk among them.
Blake Griffin (Unrestricted)
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The Celtics have to be pleased with what they've squeezed out of Blake Griffin.
He was an emergency addition who didn't sign until late September—after Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL and Robert Williams III had knee surgery. If Boston didn't have vacancies to cover, Griffin may not even have been mentioned there.
In that light, his season was a smashing success. He scattered 569 minutes across 41 appearances and even made 16 starts. He made an impact on the offensive end, shooting 48.5 percent overall and 34.8 percent from range while tallying 3.9 assists and 3.0 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes, per Basketball-Reference.
The full-strength Celtics won't need him, though, and it's fair to wonder whether any NBA team will. He turned 34 in March and has lost nearly all of his explosion to time. He had 42 shots at the rim this season; only eight of them were dunks. He's also easy to exploit on the defensive end, particularly on the perimeter.
Still, with his basketball IQ and offensive skills, he has a chance to latch on somewhere.
Prediction: Griffin signs with the Phoenix Suns.
Mike Muscala (Team Option)
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Boston probably knew all season it needed to add another big man. The Celtics had the option of trading for someone or waiting to see what the buyout market offered up.
Rather than leaving things to chance, they sent a pair of second-round picks (plus Justin Jackson) to the Oklahoma City Thunder to acquire Mike Muscala. That shows a clear and direct interest in the veteran center, or, more specifically, his career 37.9 three-point percentage.
Muscala not only addressed a need for depth, he brought a different dimension to the frontcourt with his outside shot. That the Celtics sought him out to add that dimension suggests they probably want to keep him around.
He has a $3.5 million team option for next season, per Spotrac, and that rate feels reasonable if Boston sees him sticking in its 2023-24 rotation.
Prediction: Boston exercises its team option to keep Muscala.
Grant Williams (Restricted)
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There is undoubtedly a universe in which Grant Williams takes the money and runs out of Boston this offseason.
We just almost assuredly don't live in it.
For starters, the Celtics—who maintain some control here since he's a free agent—can surely appreciate the protection Williams provides as a dependable and versatile frontcourt player. Boston knows Al Horford isn't getting any younger and has no reason to believe Robert Williams III's injury issues are going away. Letting go of a high-level depth piece might be roster malpractice.
Obviously, there's surely a walkaway price point for Boston, but who is exceeding that? Few teams have cap space this summer, and even fewer have the win-now incentives to use it. Williams could have perhaps convinced someone to splurge on him by authoring a breakout season, but he either plateaued or perhaps even regressed a bit.
If his next contract is reasonable, the Celtics will be the ones signing his checks.
Prediction: Williams signs an offer sheet elsewhere, but Boston matches it.
