Celtics' 2023 Free-Agent Big Board, Top Players to Target
If the Boston Celtics make a major move during the 2023 NBA offseason, it likely won't happen in free agency.
They already have one of the league's more expensive payrolls, and that could grow depending on their approach to Grant Williams' restricted free agency. They also must be mindful of potential contract extensions for Jaylen Brown (this offseason) and Jayson Tatum (next year), which could land north of $600 million combined.
The Shamrocks should still poke around the clearance section in hopes of stealing a plug-and-play veteran who can force his way into the rotation, but their top free-agency target already resides in Boston.
3. Yuta Watanabe
1 of 3
The Celtics don't have much of anything on the wings behind Brown and Tatum. They usually just roll with an extra guard or even an extra big in that spot, as their only real reserve wing is a shooting specialist (Sam Hauser).
Strengthening this spot feels like an obvious priority for the offseason, especially if Boston can afford someone like Yuta Watanabe.
That might be optimistic, but the Brooklyn Nets' trade-deadline dealing clogged their wing rotation and squeezed out Watanabe. Maybe that will make free-agent shoppers forget how good he was when he received regular minutes. Buoyed by good size (6'9", 215 lbs), solid athleticism and a great motor, he consistently left his mark on both ends of the court.
Watanabe can guard up or down a position, cause chaos off the ball, attack the rim and, as of this season at least, splash 44.4 percent of his three-point shots. He's worth a look just for his three-and-D game, but Boston could also use his energy to snap out of the lethargic stretches that sometimes plague this team.
2. Jalen McDaniels
2 of 3
The 2022-23 season was a career campaign for Jalen McDaniels, though a deadline deal to the Philadelphia 76ers took some sizzle off his stat sheet.
Before the trade, the fourth-year swingman had been averaging personal bests across the board (including 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals). His opportunities were shaved after the deal, and his stat sheet reflected that (6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.7 steals). However, he did up his efficiency in Philly both from the field (48.8 percent, up from 44.7) and from distance (40.0, 32.2).
The hope would be that Boston could help him find a better balance of volume and efficiency. Shooting is a big swing skill for him—he's only a career 34.5 percent three-point shooter—but if the Celtics think he can be above-average from outside, he'd become infinitely more appealing.
McDaniels feels fairly cemented as a three-and-D wing with more "D" than three, but as a 25-year-old who had never topped 55 games before this season, he might offer some unrealized potential.
1. Grant Williams
3 of 3
To be clear, the Celtics could have a much different read on things in terms of Grant Williams being their top priority in free agency.
For reasons perhaps known only to head coach Joe Mazzulla, Williams' role was surprisingly slashed over the course of this season. He went from being a permanent (and prominent) part of this rotation to no longer being guaranteed floor time every night. In the Celtics' first 14 games this postseason, he was benched for five of them and saw single-digit minutes in four others.
With all of that said, it's still hard to see how Boston would be better off without him. That's particularly true as it pertains to his restricted free agency, since if the Celtics let him walk, they wouldn't have any obvious means of replacing him.
Williams is 24 years old, versatile on defense and reliable from distance (career 37.9 percent from three). Those are the types of players whom teams have to keep, even if their role is a bit uncertain moving forward. Throw in Al Horford's age (37 next month) and Robert Williams III's struggles to stay healthy, and keeping Williams should be a no-brainer.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
