Celtics agree to 10-day contract with Greg Monroe

After keeping their final roster spot open for several weeks after the trade deadline, the Celtics will be adding some frontcourt help this weekend in the form of a familiar face: Greg Monroe. Shams Charamia of The Athletic was first to report on Friday evening that the C's have come to terms with the veteran big man on a 10-day deal. Sources tell BostonSportsJournal.com Monroe could be in uniform as soon as Saturday for Boston's game with the Hornets in Charlotte.

Monroe played 38 games this season with the Raptors, averaging 4.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game before being dealt by Toronto to Brooklyn ahead of the trade deadline in what amounted to a salary dump/clearing of a roster spot for the Raptors. The Nets proceeded to waive the big man after acquiring him, which has left the 28-year-old on the open market until the Celtics came calling this week.

BSJ Analysis: The ankle injury to Aron Baynes forced the Celtics hand on this one.

With Al Horford already needing a few scheduled games to rest down the stretch, Baynes' ankle injury left Boston looking very thin up front, particularly when it comes to rebounding with an inconsistent Daniel Theis, Robert Williams and Guerschon Yabusele serving as the team's only healthy true bigs for Saturday's matchup with the Hornets. The Celtics are still in the business of winning games right now, so handing things off to those guys against some tough rebounders from Charlotte (Bismack Biyombo) and San Antonio (LaMarcus Aldridge, Jakob Poeltl) seemed like a bad idea, which opened the door for Monroe to be brought aboard.

It's been a long and steady decline for the eight-year veteran, who went from signing near-max money in 2015 to a veteran's minimum contract with the Raptors over the summer. Monroe does a couple of things very well (rebound, score around the basket) while his defensive limitations weigh him down plenty. Celtics fans should be well familiar with those after he was brought in as a buyout signing last season and barely saw action in the postseason beyond the first round. The Celtics' defense tended to fall apart when he was on the floor last year and the same was the case in Toronto this year before he was cut loose by them last month.

The good news about this signing from Boston's standpoint is that Monroe is familiar with the system and is clearly a more capable NBA player than Williams and Yabusele at this point. Teams still have to respect his post game on offense and while he's a liability on defense, Brad Stevens at least knows what he's getting on that front. With Horford (rest), Baynes (ankle) and Gordon Hayward (concussion) all ruled out for Saturday's game in Charlotte, there's a very real chance Monroe could see some limited minutes right away while serving as a stopgap at the center spot. The Celtics are trying to get healthy and win games at the same time right now, so adding a seasoned veteran to help on that front isn't a bad idea.

The 10-day contract also gives the Celtics some flexibility in regards to their next move. If Monroe plays well, he might be a good guy to keep aboard for a first-round matchup against the Pacers (to help keep Domantas Sabonis or Kyle O'Quinn off the glass if injuries hit Horford or Baynes). The team will have 10 days to evaluate him and see if he can stay on the floor a little more often when given an opportunity this year. Otherwise, Danny Ainge can turn to another option if Horford/Baynes get healthy and the C's have a bigger need for the postseason for their 15th roster spot.

For more reading on Monroe, check out these pieces from last season:

Celtics bench unit keeps thriving with Greg Monroe on the sideline

Fitting Greg Monroe in remains a work in progress for Celtics