The trade deadline has passed, but the Celtics are not done looking for ways to fortify their roster. The team intends to explore the buyout market in the coming week, most likely in search of some frontcourt help after trading center Daniel Theis to the Bulls.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond, reported to be Boston’s No.1 target, said he is joining the Los Angeles Lakers for the playoff push, according to the Associated Press.
Drummond announced his decision with a post on his Instagram account Sunday, writing “Back to work” underneath an illustration of himself in a Lakers uniform.
The defending NBA champions didn’t immediately confirm the signing.
Still, there are other options for the Celtics. Here are some ways the team could look to finalize its 15th spot.
Kelly Olynyk
As of Sunday afternoon, Olynyk remained under contract after being traded by the Heat to the Rockets in the Victor Oladipo deal. But Houston has no chance of making the playoffs this year, and Olynyk’s expiring deal certainly seems buyout-ready.
If Gordon Hayward had not signed with the Celtics in 2017, Olynyk almost certainly would have come back to Boston. Instead, he ended up signing a four-year, $50 million contract with Miami. But his fondness for the Celtics never dissipated. He remains friends with many in the organization and as of last year still kept a home in the Boston area. His obvious familiarity with coach Brad Stevens’s system would be an instant plus, and he would allow the Celtics to play skilled lineups featuring five 3-point shooters.
Otto Porter Jr.
The former No. 3 overall pick has been slowed by foot and back injuries the past few seasons, but he would be pursued by several teams if he hits the open market in the coming days. Celtics fans might remember Porter as being a key piece of the Wizards teams that battled Boston in 2016-17 Eastern Conference semifinals, including his 20-point, 10-rebound performance in Washington’s Game 7 loss.
Porter was traded to the Magic by the Bulls in the Nikola Vucevic deal on Thursday. It’s unclear whether he will be bought out by Orlando, however. Although the Magic are clearly rebuilding, the prospect of having Porter’s Bird rights as their own free agent could be appealing this offseason.
The 6-foot-7-inch Porter would give the Celtics another versatile, scoring wing — the hottest commodity in today’s NBA. Boston’s bench, which has been a severe weakness through much of this season, would suddenly be quite formidable, with Porter joining either Evan Fournier or Marcus Smart, either Robert Williams or Tristan Thompson, and rookie guard Payton Pritchard. But this one appears to be a bit of a long shot.
Avery Bradley
Bradley was also sent to the Rockets in the Oladipo trade. The former Celtic has been slowed by injuries the past few years but he has shown that he remains a useful asset when healthy. He averaged a career-high 16.1 points per game with the Grizzlies in 2018-19.
Last year he claimed a starting role with the Lakers and returned to his defense-first role on a Los Angeles roster that had so much firepower. He opted out of the Orlando bubble because of COVID-19 health concerns for his family and missed the Lakers’ run to the NBA title.
Bradley played in just 10 games for the Heat this year but connected on 42.1 percent of his 3-pointers. The Celtics don’t have a glaring need in the backcourt, but it wouldn’t hurt to add another guard after Jeff Teague was sent to Orlando. Bradley was a Danny Ainge favorite during his seven seasons in Boston and, like Olynyk, his familiarity with Stevens’s system would be a benefit.
Luke Kornet
When the Celtics acquired Kornet and Moe Wagner in the three-team trade that sent Theis to the Bulls, it was widely assumed that he would quickly be waived in order to open up a roster spot. But the Celtics know there are never guarantees in the buyout market, so they were not going to trade for a player who had no potential value.
Stevens said Saturday that the Celtics had been intrigued by the 7-foot-2 Kornet “for a long time” because of his shooting and his ability to defend the pick-and-roll.
“He’s long, he affects shots at the rim, he’s a guy we’ve always had an interest in because of those two things,” Stevens said.
And on Saturday night, with Boston struggling against Oklahoma City’s G League-level roster, Kornet came off the bench in the second half and had 8 points and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes, helping spark the Celtics’ comeback win.
“I was just really excited to come here,” Kornet said. “Like, Boston is an awesome place and a franchise that I’ve always appreciated through watching, so it’s really cool to be here to be able to play with these guys. They’re super-talented and good dudes.”
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.
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Many options to improve roster still on the table - The Boston Globe
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