On a recent podcast, Georges Niang joked about still being public enemy number one in Boston because he’s the guy replacing unicorn Kristaps Porziņģis, despite being from the Boston area. Well, Celtics fans won’t ever have to pretend to like Niang, because he’s gone before he could even put on a Celtics uniform.
Brad Stevens made a pair of moves Tuesday evening, moving Niang and two second-round picks to Utah for rookie RJ Luis Jr. The Celtics then signed free agent big man Chris Boucher to a one-year, $3.3 million deal.
Karalis’ Analysis: Let’s get the money stuff out of the way first. By sending out Niang’s $8.2 million in this deal, Boston has now moved $7.8 million under the second apron. These moves also save Boston $34 million in taxes, and according to ESPN, Boston’s total roster cost (salary and luxury taxes) has dropped from $540 million to $239 million this offseason.
Saving the boss $300 million is a great way to get job security, Brad Stevens.
I know this is going to lead to some “the owners are cheap” comments, but I’ve been saying for a long time that a half-billion dollar roster is too much for a team that doesn’t own the building and can’t make up some of those losses through other events at the venue.
This also gets Boston a stone’s throw from the first apron with the team still actively trying to flip Anfernee Simons. Getting under the first apron gives the Celtics a lot more flexibility to do things, including the full mid-level exception or acquiring a player via sign-and-trade. Those moves hard-cap teams at the first apron, so getting a little below that number would give Boston the flexibility Stevens wants.
RJ Luis was undrafted, so his future in Boston is uncertain. Boucher’s long-term future might also be in question, but he gets one season in Boston to audition for a longer deal. He’s 32, so he won’t be part of whatever the next generation of Celtics looks like, but he’s at least played some effective front-court minutes in the NBA. By moving Niang and bringing in Boucher. Boston’s roster makes a little more sense.
Boucher played 50 games last season, averaging 10 points, 4.5 rebounds, and shooting 36.3% from the 3-point line. At 34% from 3 over his career, he’s not exactly a stretch big, but he’ll hit enough of them to draw a little attention. He is a high-energy shot-blocker, so he fills Boston’s most obvious need.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens with Simons, but for now the Celtics can start him next to Derrick White and Jaylen Brown to give them a strong offense around the perimeter. Joe Mazzulla could go with both Boucher and Luka Garza in the front court, which would make Boucher the roaming, free safety type to clean up mistakes.
The Celtics needed someone to block shots and rebound, and Boucher can do that. He can pop out to the 3-point line and hit a shot or two. And he’ll do it all for just $3 million this year. Maybe he’ll be good enough to stick around for a year or two beyond this season, maybe not. We’ll have to wait and see on that.
Ultimately, it’s the kind of move we should expect from Stevens. It saves them a few bucks, gets them closer to more flexibility, and they got a useful player out of it.
The Celtics got a little bit better, a little bit cheaper, and got a little closer to their longer-term goals. We’re not popping champagne over it. It’s more like cracking open a Bud Light that's slightly colder than room temperature. It’s better than nothing.