Celtics Rumors: TJ Warren, Lamar Stevens to Work Out for Boston amid Free Agency

The Boston Celtics have reportedly scheduled meetings with free-agent wings T.J. Warren and Lamar Stevens, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

The Celtics have serious depth issues on the wing behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, with Peyton Pritchard, Malcolm Brogdon and Sam Hauser the most likely bench players to see minutes at guard and at the 3.

The downside of the Kristaps Porziņģis trade for the Celtics was that it cost them a key player at guard in Marcus Smart. Grant Williams left in free agency, costing them another player with defensive and positional versatility.

Boston's president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, told reporters during Summer League that the Celtics would try to bolster the bench.

"I think we'll try to add obviously a little bit," he said. "I'd like to get a little more depth, maybe on the wing, and then also maybe with a 4/3 type. I feel pretty good about our bigs. We've got a couple two ways, so we've got some things we're still very much looking at."

It's fair to question how much Warren would offer.

The 29-year-old missed the entire 2021-22 season and only played in four games during the 2020-21 campaign due to multiple stress fractures in his left foot. He returned last season and appeared in 42 total games between the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns, averaging just 7.5 points in 16.4 minutes per contest.

Prior to his foot issues, Warren was a reliable bucket, averaging a career-high 19.8 points per game in the 2019-20 season while shooting 40.3 percent from three that season.

Last year, however, he shot just 32.8 percent from deep, a concern given that Warren was never an elite defensive option on the wing. If he isn't scoring, he loses value, although Boston has enough of a need on the wing to give him a look and hope he can provide an instant dose of scoring off the bench.

Stevens, 26, appeared in 62 games (25 starts) for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, putting up 5.3 points in 18.1 minutes per contest while shooting 31.6 percent from three. He's less of an offensive threat but would give the Celtics another solid, versatile defensive option in the rotation.