It is probably a bit early for most of us to be thinking about the 2023 NBA draft, never mind the summer free agency period that will follow it for the Boston Celtics, but you can bet that the team’s front office already has its eyes on some potential candidates to pursue to shore up the team’s needs around the margins.
And the Celtics’ front office is not alone in that regard, with some analysts already beginning to sniff around the pool of free agents that mike make sense for Boston to try and sign to a deal this summer.
One such analyst is Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, who has three such targets in mind for the Celtics — let’s take a look (and be sure to check out the full article).
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Terence Davis, Sacramento Kings (Unrestricted)
“Terence Davis is feisty on defense, fierce in the open court, and accurate enough from three-point land (career 36.6%),” writes Buckley.
“If Boston thinks its system could coax more reliable production out of him—or pictured him filling a small enough role where his inconsistency wouldn’t hurt much—then he’d be worth a clearance contract.”
Jalen McDaniels, Philadelphia 76ers (Unrestricted)
“The Celtics have two of the league’s best wings in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown,” suggests the B/R analyst. “Look past the stars, though, and there isn’t much to see in terms of perimeter players with size.”
“Nabbing Jalen McDaniels could help fill that void. Stealing him away from the Sixers could make the addition extra prudent.”
Yuta Watanabe, Brooklyn Nets (unrestricted)
“The 6-foot-9 Yuta Watanabe looks like a clean fit,” suggests Buckley. “He plays with force and boundless energy.”
“He can switch on to three different positions on defense—or more in the right matchup. He has some off-the-dribble elements to his game and just shot 40-plus percent from three for the second time in three seasons.”
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