Examining big man free agent options for the final Celtics roster spot

An overlooked plotline in the wake of the Kyrie Irving 3-for-1 deal becoming official last Wednesday was the opening up of a spot on the Celtics 15-man roster. Danny Ainge could go in a variety of directions to fill that spot, but one hole that was created with the completion of the trade was big man depth. After Al Horford and Aron Baynes, the Celtics are suddenly a little undermanned up front outside of unproven stretch rookie bigs like Daniel Theis and Semi Ojeleye. Jayson Tatum will certainly see plenty of minutes at the 4 as well, but an injury up front could leave the Celtics very shorthanded.

Ainge is clearly already thinking about his options on this front after bringing in Thomas Robinson for a workout last week, but the timing seems right to take a closer look at Boston’s remaining options on the free agent market in early September. Keep in mind that the Celtics only have the veteran’s minimum to offer since they are above the salary cap. There are a lot of appealing restricted free agent big men out there (JaMychal Green, Nikola Mirotic, etc.) but the Celtics don’t have the money to sign those guys (unless it’s via a sign-and-trade). We'll dive into those options in a later post. For now, we'll just focus on the available unrestricted free agents.

Lavoy Allen
6-foot-9, 260 lbs
Age: 28
Experience: 6 years
2016-17 stats: 2.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Former team: Pacers

Overview: Celtics fans may remember Allen from an impressive showing during the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals when he held his own as a rookie for the Sixers against Kevin Garnett for extended minutes. Unfortunately, Allen’s NBA career has not progressed much since that postseason. The Temple product has split time in his career between the Sixers and Pacers, mostly as a reserve big man, before the Pacers declined his $4.3 million option for next season.

What could Allen do for Celtics? Allen’s positives as a player start with his defense. He has the strength to keep true bigs at bay down low and is a decent rim protector for his size at 6-foot-9. The former Pacer remains a terrific offensive rebounder (13.9% offensive rebounding rate would have led Celtics last year), but his work on the defensive glass took a strong dip last year (14.5%) from his career averages (18.2%). Seeing that defensive rebounding is one of Boston’s biggest liabilities, Allen probably wouldn’t be a fit unless the Celtics felt that number was an anomaly. Offensively, Allen is pretty close to a non-factor (7.3 points per 36 minutes) with his limited range and subpar mid-range jumper. Still, as insurance big man depth, the Celtics could do much worse here.

Andrew Bogut
7-foot-0, 260 lbs
Age: 32
Experience: 12 years
2016-17 stats: 2.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg
Former teams: Mavs/Cavs

Overview: The Celtics flirted with Bogut last season when the big man was bought out by the Sixers following a trade. He ultimately decided to sign with the Cavs and proceeded to break his left leg minutes into his first stint in Cleveland. He was close to being cleared for full basketball activities back in July, so the expectation is that he would be ready for the start of next season with whatever new team he lands. Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported last week that Bogut’s reps had already reached out to the Celtics after the Irving trade, so it’s clear there is probably some interest there on both sides.

What could Bogut do for Celtics? His size (7’0’’), and rebounding ability (13.4 boards per 36 minutes) make him an ideal target for any team looking for a boost on the glass. Bogut ranked among the league’s top 5 in defensive rebounding percentage last year (33%), almost doubling the best performer on the Celtics. Bogut is still a strong rim protector as well, but the issue with him for Boston will likely come down to health and offensive fit. He’s coming off a broken leg in a season where he was only healthy for 27 games and averaged under three points per game as an offensive zero. Additionally, it’s tough to gauge if the Celtics would commit to regular minutes for Bogut and Baynes if they want to play more small-ball lineups this year (particularly if Brad Stevens has Horford start at the 5). Boston likely appeals to Bogut for now since the opportunity is seemingly there for a big, but I’m not sure he would be content splitting minutes with Baynes off the bench.

Boris Diaw
6-foot-8, 250 lbs
Age: 35
Experience: 14 years
2016-17 stats: 4.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.3 apg
Former team: Jazz

Overview: After a memorable stint with the Spurs over a few seasons, Diaw was shipped to the Jazz last year as a salary dump. He had an underwhelming year for Quinn Synder in Utah, where he shot terribly from distance (24 percent) and regressed defensively as his mobility regresses into his 30s.

What could Diaw do for the Celtics? Diaw would be a fun fit as a passing big in Brad Stevens’ pace-and-space system. He’s got big-game experience and thrived in San Antonio for several years under Gregg Popovich, but he also carries several limitations at age 35 that might not fit the C’s needs on their big-man depth chart. Diaw’s rebounding has never been good, but it effectively fell off a cliff last year (4.4 rebounds per 36 minutes was a career low). That’s a problem for a team that struggles a lot with rebounding as is. Diaw’s 3-point range is a nice bonus, but it’s become hit or miss as well in his later years (24 percent last year, 33 percent career). His mid-range game (25 percent outside 16 feet) was on the decline last year as well. If the Celtics think he can bounce back from those numbers, he’s worth the gamble on a veteran’s minimum deal. Otherwise, the Celtics can do better here to fill their rebounding void.

Thomas Robinson
6-foot-10, 237 lbs
Age: 25
Experience: 5 years
2016-17 stats: 5.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Former team: Lakers

Overview: Few top-5 picks have become journeymen faster than Robinson in their NBA careers. He’s suited up for six different teams already over five seasons. The big man put up some encouraging numbers last year with the Lakers (career-high 53% FG, terrific rebounding rate on both ends of the floor, but the addition of some younger blood (Kyle Kuzma, Stephen Zimmerman) left no spot for Robinson at the end of the bench for next season.

What could Robinson do for the Celtics? As I wrote last week, Robinson is elite on the glass. He ranked third in offensive rebounding rate (15.1%) and 17th in defensive rebounding rate (28.1%). Boston’s best defensive rebounder last season was Kelly Olynyk (20.1%) so needless to say, Robinson would provide a measurable boost in that area if he signed. The problem lies with the rest of his game. He doesn’t finish well in traffic, is a horrific free throw shooter (50 percent) and is not considered a high IQ player on either end of the floor. Will his rebounding skillset justify a roster spot over those limitations? We’ll likely find out in the coming days. The fact the Celtics haven’t signed him yet after a workout last Monday isn’t exactly encouraging for his cause.

Leftover possibilities

Joel Anthony -- Hey look, it’s a former Celtic, which will become a familiar trend on this list. We all know what Anthony can do (rim protection, defense and setting picks) but he’s old and not a good enough rebounder to help the cause here.

Brandon Bass -- Doc Rivers didn’t want to bring back the undersized power forward even though he shot 57 percent from the field last year. Bass doesn’t really make sense in Boston with the glut of 3/4s they have that can already stretch the floor. Poor Brandon should probably work on his 3-point shot, which might allow him to become a wanted commodity again. Update: Bass actually signed with a one-year deal team in China a couple weeks ago. He won't be available to return to NBA until his season ends in February/March

Dante Cunningham -- The Wolves and Pelicans are reportedly fighting for his services. Not sure Celtics have money or playing time needed to try to woo him.

Festus Ezeli -- Hasn’t played a game in more than a year after several knee surgeries. Intriguing player, but too much of a health risk here.

Justin Hamilton -- Actually had some solid games against the Celtics last year (the opener comes to mind) for Brooklyn. Has good size (7-footer) for a guy that can stretch the floor but his 3-point shooting (30 percent) was underwhelming last year.

Spencer Hawes -- A last minute addition to the open market after the Bucks stretched him last week. He’s a strong rebounder and stretches the floor well for a seven-footer, which means the Celtics should look at him. However, his foot speed and defense are both question marks. He’s one of the better options on this leftover list, but Celtics shouldn’t jumping to sign him.

Roy Hibbert -- The Georgetown product has gone from being an All-Star in 2013-14 to potentially being out of the league this year. Someone will grab him for big man depth, but his offensive limitations and lack of mobility make him unappealing to most teams. He also can’t rebound much so that wouldn’t help Celtics with that problem.

Jordan Hill -- Only played seven(!) games last year for Minnesota after seeing big minutes for the Pacers from 2014-16. He’s 30 so he’s not done quite yet but he’s always been a net negative on the defensive end. He can rebound well for his size (6-foot-10) but his lack of 3-point range make him an afterthought to teams at this point.

Kris Humphries -- Been there, done that. The addition of a 3-point shot to his game over the last couple years (35 percent last year) makes him a little appealing though. Keep an eye on where he lands. He left here on good terms, but not sure Boston would have the kind of minutes to offer that Humphries is seeking.

David Lee -- Been there, done that. Also suffered season-ending injury to end his year with Spurs so unclear when he’ll be healthy again. Don't think Celtics would be up for a reunion after he admitted he was out of shape for his few months here.

Tiago Splitter -- Injuries remain the problem for the 32-year-old. Played just 44 games in the last two seasons combined.

Jared Sullinger -- Don’t think the Celtics are going down this road. He reportedly worked out for the Nets last week. His rebounding would obviously help Boston but he needs to prove that can stay healthy and in shape somewhere else first.

Derrick Williams -- More of small forward/power forward so don’t see him being intrigued with the chance to play in Boston behind guys like Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris. He actually put up decent numbers in Cleveland though in final two months of last year so he’ll get a chance somewhere.

Tyler Zeller -- If the Celtics want to go the familiarity route, Zeller wouldn’t be a bad fit. There was talk about the big man getting a big extension only a two years ago. Now with a shrinking cap and saturated big man market, Zeller might have to settle for veteran’s minimum somewhere. He probably will want to do it outside Boston though since playing here hasn’t helped his value. Incredibly, Zeller is also the sixth former Celtic on this list.