Celtics Buyout Targets to Pursue After 2021 NBA Trade Deadline

Another NBA trade deadline came and went without a major move by the Boston Celtics.

They didn't sit out swap season. They brokered a pair of exchanges, in fact, sending three players out the door and bringing three back.

But considering the caliber of names that were moved, it was a little disheartening to see Boston only swing big enough to land Evan Fournier. He's fine and helps with a season-long search for bench scoring, but he was probably only the third-most desirable player traded away by the bottom-feeding Orlando Magic, behind Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon—both of whom would have fit perfectly with the Shamrocks.

That means the Celtics' search for roster reinforcements should be ongoing. If they take aim at the buyout market, the following three names stand out as worthwhile targets.

Kelly Olynyk, Houston Rockets

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Kelly Olynyk suddenly looks like a fish out of water as a 29-year-old veteran on a Houston Rockets team staring down the barrel of a lengthy post-James Harden rebuild.

So, why not bring Olynyk back to the city and the system in which he's been at his best?

Celtics coach Brad Stevens got plenty of mileage out of Olynyk's size-skill combination, and the big man said the two built a relationship bigger than basketball over their four seasons together.

"Coach Stevens is one of the greatest people I've ever met in the world," Olynyk told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe in 2017. "Top to bottom. Good day, bad day. Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, he's an unbelievable human being. ... I can't thank him enough for how much he instilled whatever it was, habits, work ethic, just a way of thinking and a way of being in life into me the last four years."

The Celtics have been searching for a skilled center since Al Horford departed in 2019 free agency. Olynyk isn't that caliber of player, but he is a reliable shooter and smart ball-mover. He could grease the bench group's offensive gears a bit.

Jabari Parker, Free Agent

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The Celtics have searched for a second-team scoring spark all season. The fact they're still searching suggests they might be desperate enough to take former second overall pick, Jabari Parker, for a spin.

It's been a while since 2014's No. 2 selection generated any real buzz. His scoring-only approach gave him a razor-thin margin for error at that end, and he never quite dominated that category the way he needed to. He had one season in which he averaged 20.1 points—his only time north of 15—but even in that year, his team fared much better without him.

That explains why the 26-year-old is currently looking for work. So, why might Boston be interested? Because this bench needs buckets, and few available players get them as effortlessly as Parker. While his career has unquestionably been a disappointment to date, he still holds career averages of 18.5 points per 36 minutes and a 49.3 field-goal percentage.

Even if the reward is marginal, the risk is virtually non-existent.

Otto Porter Jr., Orlando Magic

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The next modern NBA team that isn't in need of three-and-D wings will be the first.

If that team did exist, it certainly wouldn't be Boston. While the Celtics have a lethal top two with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the rest of their forward rotation is severely lacking. Getting Otto Porter Jr. wouldn't solve the issue, but he could help temporarily plug a few holes at least.

Drafted third overall in 2013, Porter has built his career around defensive versatility and offensive spacing. He's had some brutal bouts with the injury bug of late—he played just 14 games last season and only 56 the year prior—but when he keeps himself upright, he's the kind of support player who won't step on any toes and will elevate the stars around him.

Of course, that means if he makes it to the buyout market (which isn't a given), he should be unopposed as every shopper's top target. The Celtics would be no different. He makes all the sense for them right now, and he might be someone they want to bring back in free agency.

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.